Access To CBD Products Is Spreading Across Europe
For all the delay and all the obfuscation about all things cannabis, even in Germany, there are signs this Christmas that things are changing faster (at least unofficially) than anyone could really predict.
Cannabis reform has come to the European continent this year in a big way, even if the first initial gains were small. There are more patients than ever before and in more countries, and even though “CBD” still remains a dirty word to some, there are clearly signs afoot that the market for these products is happening whether regulators want it or not.
CBD stores are opening in Germany, and even advertising on the sides of streetcars. In Frankfurt (far from the hipness of Berlin) two opened this fall in the middle of the city.
Right before Christmas hemp rum was found in a mainstream German grocery store, and imported to Germany not from Jamaica, but from the UK.
Such unusual hybrids are also still the norm in this market.
It probably won’t be much before 2021 that Germany again takes up the question of recreational reform. But in the meantime, other products are finding their ways in, slowly but surely.
Beyond streetcars, medical cannabis advertisements are appearing in medical-only publications, and even further for generic, white-label kinds of medication. The battle for pharmacists and doctors is clearly on.
The Battle For The Soul And Market Entry Of Cannabis Is On In Europe
For all the drama, and all the noise, it is clear so far that the cannabis industry has barely broached the continent, on any front. That said, it has made landing.
2020 may not bring any great strides forward, but don’t knock slow and steady progress, which is happening just about everywhere.
There are also clearly markets that will drive others. Germany will continue to be a powerhouse, on all fronts, just because of the insurance question and its economy. With Britain brexiting, look for all kinds of experiments on the recreational front, although don’t expect the NHS to massively step up on reimbursements beyond GW Pharma product any time soon.
With 2021 clearly on the agenda however as a turning point year, the industry in Europe has, for all the retrenchments of the Canadians this fall, only one way to go. Up.
It is also clear, from the products now making their way onto German shore shelves, at least, that the creativity and entrepreneurial juice is just beginning.
Be sure to book your tickets to the International Cannabis Business Conference in Europe next year!
