Marijuana Business Magazine September 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | September 2019 72 B usiness prospects are permitted at the discretion of legislators and regulators around the world. So anyone interested in capitalizing on the overseas cannabis industry must pay close attention to those legal and regulatory developments—and perhaps even participate in crafting the rules. Here are seven countries to keep an eye on as they roll out new regulations or update old ones. And check mjbizdaily.com/intl often for new updates from these and other countries. – Matt Lamers Growing Momentum Canada Jamaica Colombia  Switzerland Lesotho Thailand New Zealand CANADA The government unveiled final regulations in June to permit the sale of adult-use marijuana edibles, extracts and topicals later this year. Experts predict that will eventually lead to a multibillion- dollar, federally regulated industry. Will the new market explode out of the gate, or will it get off to a snail-paced start like Canada’s first round of legalized products in 2018? COLOMBIA A draft decree is in the works that could substantially modify certain aspects of the current medical cannabis framework. The Ministry of Health published the draft for public consultation at the end of May, and the comment period had ended. The timeline for the publication of the final version is uncertain. JAMAICA Businesses here are eagerly waiting for the Cannabis Licensing Authority to publish its regulations for the export of medical cannabis. Some companies are banking on exports being a big part of the sector.