Unlocking the health benefits of cannabinoids.

With the passage through the Federal Council, the planned partial legalization of cannabis in Germany has successfully cleared the final parliamentary hurdle today: The Cannabis Act “CanG” (Pillar 1) officially comes into effect on April 1st, as the convocation of the compromise committee did not materialize. In today’s vote, a minority advocated for a compromise committee, while the majority abstained or voted against. For the German cannabis industry, this marks an important, albeit only initial step, states Finn Hänsel, founder and CEO of the Berlin-based cannabis company Sanity Group: “The foundation for the decriminalization and destigmatization of consumers, but above all, for better patient care with medicinal cannabis, has been laid today. Now the real work begins.” A timely implementation of the second pillar of CanG is now essential. In the medical context, due to the removal of cannabis from the Narcotics Act, a significant increase in the number of patients is expected, as access to this form of therapy is significantly simplified.

Press release –– In a historic step, Switzerland and Europe are breaking new ground: this week, the first legal cannabis store in Europe officially opened its doors in the municipality of Allschwil in the north-western Swiss canton of Basel-Landschaft. To mark the start of the Grashaus Projects pilot project for the controlled distribution of cannabis for recreational purposes, study participants in Basel-Landschaft can now purchase various THC-containing cannabis products – from flowers to hashish, extracts, vape liquids and edibles – at the store under the guidance of trained specialist staff. It is the first store of its kind on the European continent.

Sanity Group and the Swiss Institute for Addiction and Health Research (ISGF) received final approval from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) to conduct a study on the controlled dispensing of recreational cannabis in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland. The aim of the study is to learn more about the effects of controlled access to cannabis and thus provide a solid scientific basis for possible decisions on future cannabis regulation in Switzerland. The study with the title “Grashaus Projects” is scheduled to launch later this year. It will initially be dispensed through an initial store in the municipality of Allschwil, with another location in Liestal to follow. Sanity Group is the only German company participating in the Swiss pilot projects.