Archive

Joshua Kappel to Discuss Psychedelic Reform at EUROTAS 2025 in Oaxaca, Mexico

Oct 22, 2025

On October 25, Vicente LLP founding partner Joshua Kappel will speak at EUROTAS 2025 in Oaxaca, Mexico, presenting “New Laws and Old Medicines: Opportunities & Tensions in the Current Psychedelic Reform Movement.” His session will explore how Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act is reshaping access to psychedelic medicine and the cultural, legal, and ethical tensions guiding the future of reform. Register now!

Malta Cannabis Laws: A Guide for U.S. Businesses Entering Europe’s First Legal Cannabis Market

By Daniel Molina
Oct 22, 2025

Malta was Europe’s first country to legalize both medical and adult-use cannabis, thus establishing a dual framework that blends pharmaceutical-grade production with a harm-reduction approach. This article provides an in-depth overview of Malta’s evolving cannabis laws, licensing processes, and compliance requirements, and outlines what U.S. businesses should know about entering Europe’s smallest but most forward-thinking legal market.

The Dutch Experiment: Navigating the Transition to a Regulated Cannabis Market in the Netherlands

By Daniel Molina
Oct 8, 2025

The Netherlands is conducting the Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Experiment (CCSC) to move from its long-tolerated but legally contradictory cannabis market to a fully regulated system. The program seeks to establish a closed, transparent supply chain from cultivation to retail, reducing crime, improving product safety, and testing whether regulation can replace the illicit market.

The Current State of Cannabis Reform and Marijuana Policy in European Union Nations

By Jason Adelstone
Jul 24, 2024

Despite growing public support, EU nations face significant legal hurdles in establishing commercial marijuana markets due to international drug treaties and EU regulations. This Insights post highlights the various approaches toward cannabis reform taken by countries like Germany, Malta, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, and how this could potentially impact future cannabis policies in Europe.

International Narcotics Control Board’s Use of “May” in 2023 Report Hints at Evolving Global Cannabis Stance

By Jason Adelstone
Mar 21, 2024

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) may be taking a more measured approach to cannabis. In their 2023 report, INCB used the word "may" when discussing potential inconsistencies between US state legalization and international treaties. This subtle shift in language suggests a more open-minded approach. This blog post explores the significance of this change in the report’s language and what it might mean for the future of global cannabis legalization.

International Cannabis Update: Germany Joins Malta and Luxembourg in Liberalizing Marijuana Policy

By Jason Adelstone
Feb 27, 2024

Germany's recent enactment of a marijuana decriminalization bill marks a significant development in European drug policy. While falling short of full legalization, the new law allows for decriminalized possession, home cultivation, and participation in cannabis clubs. This blog post provides a concise overview of the new legislation, its potential impact, and its wider implications for the evolving European cannabis landscape.

Vicente LLP Federal and International Cannabis and Psychedelics Law and Policy Update: November 2023

Nov 10, 2023

Federal and international law and policy insights, news and events from Vicente LLP.

Top Five Countries to Watch for International Cannabis Reform in 2024

By Jason Adelstone
Nov 6, 2023

While the cannabis industry in the United States awaits a marijuana scheduling decision from the DEA, many countries around the world continue to move forward with liberalizing their cannabis policies as a superior method of promoting the health and welfare of their citizens. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at five countries poised to make waves in the cannabis landscape in 2024, including Germany, Thailand, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland.

[Webinar] Identifying International Cannabis Opportunities in Europe

Oct 26, 2023

This recorded session features members of Vicente LLP’s Federal and International Law and Policy practice group and London cannabis attorney Robert Jappie of Fieldfisher sharing insights into what’s happening with cannabis and hemp-derived cannabinoids across the pond and opportunities for US operators and investors.

The Duality of Cannabis Regulation According to the International Narcotics Control Board: A Response to the Report of the INCB for 2022

By Jason Adelstone
Mar 15, 2023

In its 2022 report, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) argues that legalizing the non-medical and non-scientific use of cannabis has failed to achieve the benefits to society that were intended through such legalization. In its attempt to deliver evidence of this failure, INCB instead provides ample evidence to the contrary—that legalization and regulation work. Read this insight for Vicente LLP’s response to the annual report of the INCB.

A Wake-up Call from Down Under: Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration Reschedules Psilocybin and MDMA

By Shane Pennington
Mar 1, 2023

How TGA's rescheduling of psilocybin and MDMA shines a bright light on DEA delinquency

Lessons Learned from the Regulation of CBD Products in the United Kingdom

By Shawn Hauser, Catie Wightman, Ariane Beckman
Sep 20, 2022

Like the US, regulators in the UK are struggling to find ways to best regulate CBD and other hemp-derived products—frustrating hemp businesses across the globe. Read this VS Insights article to learn how the UK is currently regulating CBD and key findings and recommendations from the ACMD's Consumer CBD Products Report.

Vicente Sederberg Contributes to APPG for CBD Products' Business Plan to Future-Proof UK Cannabis Industry

Jul 28, 2022

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for CBD Products recently delivered "A Plan for a Legal and Regulated UK Hemp and Cannabis Sector" to the UK Government. Shawn Hauser and Andrew Livingston contributed to the business plan, which offers an industry analysis and series of recommendations to create a well-regulated, multi-faceted and competitive UK cannabis industry.

Highly Non-Compliant: Does Non-Medical Cannabis Legalization Really Fit within the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs? No, It Does Not!

By Jason Adelstone
Apr 27, 2022

A recent paper by Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli argues that the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs already allows for the regulation of Non-Medical cannabis. This premise, unfortunately, is just incorrect.

Why POTUS Should Take Reps. Mace and Lee's Proposal for UN to Deschedule Cannabis Seriously

By Shane Pennington
Mar 25, 2022

Reps. Nancy Mace and Barbara Lee recently filed a resolution imploring President Biden to push the UN to remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances in the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. Taking this proposal seriously may prevent the DEA from placing hemp back on the federal CSA schedules.

Memo to the INCB Regarding Draft Guidelines on Control Requirements for Medical and Scientific Cannabis

By Vicente Sederberg LLP
May 24, 2021

Read the memo VS delivered to the International Narcotics Control Board, which gives draft guidelines on control requirements for medical and scientific cannabis and discusses the implications and important issues for consideration.

Memo to the INCB

By Vicente Sederberg LLP
Dec 1, 2020

Read the memo VS delivered to the International Narcotics Control Board, which contests current international controls of CBD preparations and discusses the potential impacts of reform.