CANNABIS NEWZ
BEYOND THE 50 STATES

The World Wire

Cannabis regulation, legalization and market news from 23 international markets — filed to the wire with the same editing and analysis as our US coverage.
TOP OF THE WORLD WIRE
Police lights seen through a chain-link fence at nightFILE — police lights · Tony Webster / CC BY-SA 2.0
CRIME · NEW ZEALAND

Vietnamese cannabis syndicate shut down in New Zealand

Portugal

7 on the wire
Aug 24MARKETPortugal medicinal cannabis exports surpass 66 tonnesJul 16REGULATIONInfarmed delays on license renewals cost Portuguese producers monthsJun 13CRIMEMedicinal cannabis trafficking ring exploited Infarmed regulatory loopholes, prosecutors allegeMay 11MARKETSpain, Czechia, Malta emerge alongside Portugal in Europe's cannabis supply chainApr 13MARKETGermany now represents 62% of Canadian cannabis flower exports; Portugal's share collapses

Germany

13 on the wire
Aug 23MARKETTilray boosts cultivation capacity, comments on Germany medical guidanceAug 23MARKETGermany cannabis imports hit record 67.6 tonnes in Q1 2026Aug 23MARKETGermany's cannabis boom driven by legal weed, rising importsAug 22REGULATIONGermany scales back cannabis legalization plans to focus on home cultivationAug 22MARKETGermany becomes Europe's largest regulated cannabis market

Thailand

11 on the wire
Aug 23CRIMENigeria intercepts N4.4 billion synthetic cannabis shipment from ThailandAug 18REGULATIONThai dentists face legal action for re-signing cannabis prescriptionsAug 10REGULATIONThai and Australian regulators to address cannabis frameworks at Agential Cannabis 2026Aug 6CRIMETwo Indian nationals arrested with 5.5 kg marijuana smuggled from ThailandAug 5CRIMEMan arrested with 207 kg of marijuana in Parsa

Netherlands

7 on the wire
Aug 21REGULATIONNetherlands seeks new medical cannabis supplierJun 9OPENINGVillage Farms commences Phase II cultivation facility in NetherlandsJun 8OWNERSHIPBig Tobacco takes stake in Netherlands' largest regulated cannabis growerJun 8OWNERSHIPUS tobacco giant enters Dutch cannabis legalization trialMay 11MARKETVillage Farms reports 171% growth on Netherlands exports and sales

Canada

24 on the wire
Aug 21MARKETCanadian cannabis retail sales hit $500M+ record in June 2026Aug 21MARKETMedicinal cannabis prescriptions rise 35% in CanadaAug 20MARKETDecibel Cannabis Q2 revenue rises on international sales growthAug 20CRIMECannabis facility near High River destroyed by fireAug 19OWNERSHIPAurora Cannabis strengthens UK supply chain through new acquisitions

Australia

9 on the wire
Aug 21CRIMEPolice discover £500k underground cannabis farm in AustraliaAug 17REGULATIONAustralia set to legalize growing of medicinal marijuanaJun 24REGULATIONAustralia opens consultation on cannabis cultivation rules ahead of 2027 sunsetJun 11OWNERSHIPK&L Gates advises Cannatrek on merger with Little Green PharmaJun 9REGULATIONAustralia sets world-first THC driving limit for medicinal cannabis users

United Kingdom

12 on the wire
Aug 20MARKETTilray expands UK production capacity to 275 metric tons annuallyAug 6CRIMEWoman guilty of £512,000 Thai cannabis smuggling plot to UKJul 20OPENINGRua Bioscience enters UK cannabis marketJul 20CRIMEThailand medical cannabis program fuels UK-bound smuggling operationsJul 9REGULATIONUK and Thailand step up cannabis border controls and enforcement

Malta

12 on the wire
Aug 20CRIMEMan sentenced to 15 years for possessing 54kg cannabis in MaltaJul 25CRIMESpaniard sentenced to 12 years for trafficking 21kg cannabis in MaltaJul 25REGULATIONMalta health authority calls for stricter laws on alcohol, noise and cannabisJul 11CRIMEThree arrested in Malta drug seizure including cannabis, ecstasy, cocaineJul 11CRIMETwo charged after 1.5kg cannabis package from Spain seized in Malta

Brazil

9 on the wire
Aug 20CRIMEBrazil reports surge in gourmet marijuana seizures from U.S.Aug 18REGULATIONUFV inaugurates Brazil's first active cannabis germplasm bankAug 9REGULATIONRapid Dose Therapeutics launches medical cannabis QuickStrip in Brazil after ANVISA approvalAug 3MARKETCannabis market in Brazil attracts new investmentsJul 31CRIMEBrazil court authorizes probe into Lula's son over medical marijuana dealings

New Zealand

16 on the wire
Aug 19CRIMECouple charged after growing cannabis near courthouse and police stationJul 29CRIMEPolice shut down illegal cannabis grow houses in Operation HarveyJul 28OWNERSHIPHigh Court refuses cannabis maker's injunction over rival's product guideJul 20CRIMEChristchurch man arrested after alleged medicinal cannabis licence breachJul 17MARKETKiwi medical cannabis firm secures largest distribution deal to date

Israel

9 on the wire
Aug 17OWNERSHIPIM Cannabis agrees to sell IMC Holdings and European-focused assetsAug 4REGULATIONIsrael reopens anti-dumping investigation into Canadian medical cannabisAug 4OWNERSHIPIsraeli medical-marijuana company plans Nasdaq listingAug 4REGULATIONIsraeli lawmakers set to decriminalize cannabis useJul 24REGULATIONIsrael cannabis legalization bill passes Knesset first reading

Spain

11 on the wire
Aug 7CRIMESpain arrests 78 in dismantling of major Western Mediterranean smuggling networkJul 31REGULATIONSpain's tobacco crackdown could eliminate cannabis clubsJul 28CRIMESpain intercepts cannabis shipment smuggled from MoroccoJul 13REGULATIONCuraleaf first to secure registration for standardized cannabis preparations in SpainJun 26CRIMEDrug traffickers arrested during international parcel post operation

India

11 on the wire
Aug 7CRIMEOdisha STF arrests three in interstate cannabis syndicate, builds drug databaseAug 6REGULATIONOdisha district launches 'Mission Zero' cannabis eradication initiativeAug 6CRIMETwo arrested with 5.5 kg marijuana smuggled from Thailand to IndiaJul 27CRIME2,800 cannabis plants destroyed in India enforcement actionJul 24REGULATIONHimachal Pradesh opens door to controlled cannabis farming

Morocco

11 on the wire
Jul 30CRIMEThree criminal networks dismantled, 100kg of cannabis seized in MoroccoJul 24OPENINGBluePearl Seeds produces first certified cannabis seeds in MoroccoJul 13MARKETUN report: Morocco overtakes western Europe in cannabis seizuresJun 15MARKETMorocco's medical cannabis industry continues expansionJun 8MARKETMorocco has produced over 140 therapeutic cannabis products, regulator says

Jamaica

7 on the wire
Jul 20REGULATIONJamaica government reviewing framework for religious cannabis useJul 16REGULATIONJamaica cannabis growers claim police harassment continues despite reformsJul 14CRIMEJamaica cannabis regulators warn growers of permit scamsApr 30REGULATIONJamaica growers association welcomes US cannabis reclassificationApr 21REGULATIONJamaica launches revised medical cannabis industry licensing system

South Africa

4 on the wire
Jul 16MARKETSouth Africa brings medicinal cannabis exports to desert valleyMar 6MARKETSouth Africa's hemp sector projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2040Feb 5REGULATIONSouth Africa proposes allowing personal cannabis possession of up to 2,000 jointsFeb 4REGULATIONSouth Africa seeks public comments on draft cannabis regulations

Switzerland

10 on the wire
Jul 8REGULATIONSt. Gallen launches postal delivery pilot in Swiss cannabis trialJun 17OWNERSHIPSanity Group secures Astrasana distribution agreement in SwitzerlandJun 16REGULATIONSt. Gallen to launch Swiss cannabis pilot trialMay 18CRIMEMan arrested in Switzerland with 50 kilos of cannabisMay 16REGULATIONSwiss parliamentary cannabis initiative delayed by SGK-N

Uruguay

3 on the wire
Jun 23REGULATIONUruguay moves to integrate medical cannabis into healthcare systemMar 16MARKETUruguay's legal cannabis industry erodes unregulated market shareFeb 8MARKETUruguay increases prices for legal cannabis

Czechia

2 on the wire
Jun 13REGULATIONCzechia targets synthetic cannabinoid substances in expanded drug banMay 11MARKETSpain, Czechia, Malta emerge as key players in Europe's cannabis supply chain

Mexico

5 on the wire
Jun 5CRIMEWarrants issued for Mexico couple accused of giving marijuana to childrenMay 5CRIMECDMX authorities arrest 4 after discovering nearly $1M in marijuana in egg cartonsMay 4REGULATIONMexico Congress faces pressure after four years without cannabis lawFeb 12CRIMEDrug smugglers use catapult to launch marijuana bales across Mexico borderFeb 11REGULATIONFederal judge dismisses marijuana businesses' lawsuit challenging CBP seizures of state-legal products

Argentina

1 on the wire
Jun 4REGULATIONArgentina reopens cannabis legalization debate

Colombia

1 on the wire
May 13REGULATIONColombian lawmakers approve marijuana legalization bill

Luxembourg

4 on the wire
Apr 14CRIMEPolice find 1,700+ cannabis plants in northern Luxembourg homeApr 12MARKETSynthetic cannabinoids found in legally sold cannabis in Luxembourg amid European safety concernsApr 1RECALLSynthetic cannabinoid detected in legally sold cannabis in LuxembourgMar 26CRIME123kg of cannabis intercepted at Luxembourg cargo center, declared as decorative cushions