Business
Does Canada’s shrinking medical cannabis market offer lessons for other nations?
Canada’s regulated medical cannabis market has dwindled significantly from its peak, declining well before recreational marijuana legalization in October 2018 and continuing that downward trend as adult-use sales displaced purchases through regulated medical channels.
Experts say factors behind the medical market’s decline include:
- The convenience of shopping at adult-use stores.
- Challenges for doctors in authorizing medical cannabis.
- A lack of tax advantages for medical cannabis clients and producers.
- THC potency limits that apply to both recreational and medical cannabis products.
Those issues might offer lessons for other nations and jurisdictions that legalize medical marijuana first, followed by adult-use legalization.
In Canada, spending on medical cannabis products peaked about a year before recreational cannabis sales began, reaching 161 million Canadian dollars ($120 million) in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to Statistics Canada data.
The most recent data shows medical marijuana sales totaled CA$109 million in the second quarter of 2022, after hitting a low of CA$104 million in the first quarter.
“Right now, what’s happening is the patients, they just give up and they just go buy something” from an adult-use store, said Brett Zettl president and CEO of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-based medical cannabis company Zyus Life Sciences, which is preparing to go public via a reverse takeover.
“And so, they’re self-medicating without any medical oversight whatsoever.”
Canada was the first major global economy to legalize recreational cannabis at the federal level.
However, mature marijuana markets in the United States such as Colorado have exhibited a similar dynamic, with medical markets shrinking after recreational legalization.
Those trends raise the question of whether a similar medical market decline could occur in Germany, Europe’s biggest cannabis market, if that country follows through on its adult-use legalization plan.
Some Germans pay out-of-pocket for medical cannabis, and that subset of the market stands to be affected by adult-use legalization, said Deepak Anand, a board member of nonprofit advocacy group Medical Cannabis Canada and a consultant on marijuana regulations for several international governments.
However, Anand said roughly 40% of all German medical cannabis prescriptions are reimbursed by the public health system.
“I don’t think that the trajectory that we’ve seen in legal markets where, basically, post-(recreational) legalization we see medical sales have declined, will necessarily continue in Germany,” Anand said.
‘The hassle factor’
Canadians wishing to access medical marijuana products such as dried cannabis, edibles, oils or topicals through the government’s system require an authorization by a physician or nurse practitioner, allowing them to buy cannabis directly from licensed producers for mail delivery.
Home medical cannabis cultivation is also permitted, as is sourcing supply from a designated grower.
Only about 42,000 individuals produced medical cannabis for themselves or others as of the end of 2021, according to Health Canada.
In comparison, there were roughly 257,000 registrations to buy cannabis from a commercial producer (individuals can register with more than one producer).
Several factors might explain why the Canadian medical marijuana market has declined from its 2017 peak, according to Zettl, a longtime presence in Canada’s regulated MMJ industry.
Ahead of recreational legalization in October 2018, Zettl said, Canada’s medical cannabis patient population included both “true medical users” and some recreational users.
“They would try to get it legitimately and then still use it recreationally,” Zettl explained.
Now, he said, using the formal medical marijuana stream has become inconvenient compared to buying cannabis at an adult-use store.
Zettl also believes doctors might not want to spend time filling out medical cannabis authorization paperwork and that physicians who authorize cannabis for too many patients could face unwanted audits by medical-certification bodies.
“People just don’t want the hassle factor,” Zettl said. “The doctors don’t want the hassle factor.”
Other medical marijuana challenges
Cannabis consultant Anand cited some other factors contributing to the Canadian MMJ market’s decline.
“Pre-(recreational) legalization, there were a number of challenges with respect to form factors,” Anand said.
New forms of cannabis, including edibles, hit the market after adult-use legalization, but medical marijuana products are subject to the same regulations as recreational cannabis – including THC limits on products such as edibles.
Holding “medical and recreational cannabis to the same standards, with respect to putting on limits for high THC, for example, that is a mistake,” Anand said.
He believes Canada has been so focused on recreational legalization that “not only have patients been ignored, but also regulatory policy has been ignored to a large extent.”
“And what we saw, and what we’re seeing is, patients are going to the legacy or the illicit market to be able to access their products,” he continued.
The affordability of cannabis was another historical challenge for the medical market, Anand added.
“Obviously, we’ve seen that improve post-(recreational) legalization.”
Canada offers little in the way of preferential tax treatment for registered medical cannabis clients, although it does permit registered patients to claim medical marijuana expenses on their annual tax returns.
Patients pay retail taxes on medical marijuana purchases, as they would at a recreational store, and producers pay the same excise taxes as they do for adult-use cannabis.
That “just doesn’t make sense,” Anand said.
“We don’t charge tax on any other pharmaceutical products in Canada.”
Finding growth again
Anand called for policy changes to get Canada’s medical marijuana market growing again.
“Allowing pharmacies to be able to dispense medical cannabis is a no-brainer – that should be immediate,” he said.
“Eliminating tax should be another immediate step that we want to take, and eliminating potency limits.”
Canada’s federal Cannabis Act is currently under review, and the Canadian cannabis industry is hoping for reforms.
The government lists the “impact of legalization and regulation of cannabis on access to cannabis for medical purposes” as one of its “key themes” for the review.
Zyus’ Zettl said the government is using “this recreational-style act to oversee and regulate the medical side – and it’s basically coming at a massive disservice for the medical usage, both on the doctor side and the patient side.”
In terms of finding growth in Canada’s medical marijuana market, Zettl said Zyus is developing three cannabis drug-product candidates and hopes to eventually receive formal Drug Identification Numbers (DINs) from Health Canada.
He said such products could “become the holy grail,” because they could be included in insurance company prescription-drug formularies and doctors could prescribe them without worrying about scrutiny from their regulators.
Zettl acknowledged that achieving DINs for herbal cannabis products is a long-term goal.
“So medical cannabis in the meantime, though, has to find ways to appeal to the individuals who are really, truly using it medically and provide some kind of reason for them not to just give up and start just buying (from recreational stores).”
Agriculture & Life Sciences
Canada’s Cannabis Industry Urges Government to Support Growing Export Market
BuzzBuzz Cannabis Business News — 24 November 2025
Canada’s cannabis sector is calling on federal and provincial governments to recognize its fast-growing export potential and extend the same support other regulated industries receive. Industry leaders warn that Canada is losing its early global advantage due to slow regulatory processes, lack of trade promotion, and limited access to government-backed financing.
Canada’s medical-cannabis exporters now generate more than half a billion dollars annually and ship products to major markets including Germany, the UK, Australia, and Poland. Despite this, cannabis remains largely absent from Canada’s official trade and export strategies.
Industry Calls for Streamlined Export System
Paul McCarthy, President of the Cannabis Council of Canada, says the country has everything required to dominate the global medical cannabis trade—except government alignment.
“Our requests are simple,” McCarthy said. “Expedite Health Canada’s export-permit process, integrate cannabis into federal export programs like Global Affairs Canada trade missions and CanExport, and ensure provinces include cannabis in their export strategies.”
He stressed the need for mutual recognition agreements with importing countries to eliminate redundant testing and documentation. Access to Export Development Canada (EDC) and Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) services also remains off-limits to cannabis exporters, placing them at a steep disadvantage.
“This industry does not just need permission to operate,” McCarthy added. “It needs to be treated like every other legitimate contributor to Canada’s trade objectives.”
Competitors Are Moving Faster
McCarthy warns that while Canada pioneered medical cannabis standards, other countries are rapidly advancing with more flexible and export-friendly systems.
“Faster approvals, lower compliance costs, and active government-backed strategies are helping other nations catch up,” he said. “Canada’s regulatory friction is already costing us global market share.”
Export permits currently must be issued for each shipment—a process that can take weeks—and Canadian testing standards often differ from international requirements, forcing companies to repeat expensive compliance checks.
High Tide CEO: Canada Needs a National Export Strategy
Raj Grover, CEO of High Tide Inc., says Canada risks surrendering its leadership if policymakers remain inactive.
“Canada developed the world’s most advanced cannabis regulatory system and contributed $76.5 billion to GDP since legalization,” Grover said. “But without a National Cannabis Export Strategy, we will lose ground to Australia, Israel, Portugal, and other emerging competitors.”
He noted that Canada’s industry table created by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has not met in more than a year—an opportunity wasted.
Grover urged the federal government to introduce domestic GMP certification and potency standards to streamline international market access. “Canadian producers must currently get GMP approval country by country. It’s duplicative and costly. Canada should be setting global benchmarks, not chasing them.”
Germany: A Key Market for Canadian Firms
High Tide recently expanded into Europe with its majority acquisition of Germany’s Remexian Pharma GmbH, giving the company a direct import and distribution channel in Europe’s largest medical-cannabis market.
“Our German strategy is already structured for success,” Grover said. “Through Remexian, we can supply premium medical cannabis at the lowest possible price, helping meet Germany’s quality and cost demands.”
Grover also warned that U.S. companies are already purchasing Canadian firms to stage their own international expansion—another sign that Canada’s leadership position is slipping.
Government Response Remains Limited
In response to industry concerns, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson said the Trade Commissioner Service “continues to support exporters of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes that have obtained Health Canada permits.”
However, industry leaders argue that this support is minimal and does not include key tools such as trade missions, export credits, or bilateral agreements that other sectors routinely receive.
A Closing Window of Opportunity
With medical-cannabis exports already exceeding $500 million annually, industry executives say Canada must act quickly to preserve its competitive edge.
As McCarthy warns, without coordinated government support, Canada risks losing high-value pharmaceutical manufacturing, research investments, and thousands of skilled jobs.
And as Grover’s expansion into Germany demonstrates, the industry is moving forward—but whether Canada moves with it may determine if the country remains a global leader or becomes a pioneer that let others capitalize on its breakthroughs.
Business
A Tipping Point for Cannabis: President Trump Champions CBD & Cannabis Science on Truth Social
When the President of the United States shares a video about the life changing potential of hemp derived CBD on his personal social media platform, it is more than news, it is a cultural shift.
For decades our government lied to us about cannabis. It demonized the plant, waged war on its users, and filled prisons while allowing pharmaceutical companies to flood the nation with addictive and deadly drugs. For over a century we have been fighting uphill, not just for legalization, but for truth, for science, and for the right to heal ourselves naturally.
Now in 2025, the most powerful political figure on Earth is using his own voice and platform to talk about the endocannabinoid system and the science backed benefits of CBD. That is monumental. It is validation for everyone who has fought, been arrested, been silenced, and been dismissed for telling this truth. The President’s video post is already being described as a pivotal moment in cannabis history, and President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social is trending across platforms as advocates celebrate the breakthrough.
The Science Behind the Endocannabinoid System
The video begins by introducing something most people, including many doctors, still know little about, the endocannabinoid system. Discovered in the 1990s, the ECS is a network of receptors and signaling molecules that works as the body’s master regulator, coordinating communication between major systems like the nervous, immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.
The roots of this discovery go back much further. CBD was first isolated in 1940 by American chemist Roger Adams, but it was Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli organic chemist, who fully elucidated the chemical structure of CBD and identified its stereochemistry in the 1960s. His pioneering work not only opened the door to modern cannabinoid science but also earned him the title “Godfather of Cannabis Research.” It was this foundation that led to the identification of the endocannabinoid system itself decades later, revealing how cannabinoids interact with our physiology on a fundamental level.
The ECS is now widely recognized as a vital part of human biology, with extensive research supported by the National Institutes of Health. When functioning properly, the ECS acts like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring every section plays in harmony. As we age, the system weakens. That imbalance is linked to inflammation, chronic pain, cognitive decline, sleep problems, and many other conditions associated with aging.
Mainstream medicine often addresses these issues with pharmaceutical band aids, dangerous and addictive drugs that treat symptoms rather than root causes. Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise help, but they only partially support the ECS and do so slowly over time.
Hemp Derived CBD: A Game Changer for Aging
Here is where the science gets exciting. As the video explains, the ECS can be restored much more quickly with hemp derived CBD. Strengthening this system naturally helps the body regain balance, reducing pain, improving sleep, lowering stress, slowing disease progression, and even extending healthy lifespan.
It is not theoretical. One in five seniors is already using CBD to manage pain, arthritis, cancer symptoms, sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s, and more. Despite decades of research and acknowledgment from institutions like the National Institutes of Health, most physicians receive no training on the ECS. There are still no FDA standards for CBD products on the market. If that were the case for any other class of medicine, it would be considered malpractice.
The World Health Organization has confirmed CBD’s excellent safety profile and non addictive nature in its critical review report. The result is that millions of older Americans are suffering unnecessarily when a safe and natural solution exists.
Hemp derived CBD is a powerful first step in restoring balance to the endocannabinoid system, but it is only part of the picture. Research shows that full spectrum cannabis extracts, which include a broader range of cannabinoids and terpenes, can work even more effectively. Complete concentrated cannabis oil, containing the full spectrum of natural endocannabinoids, may deliver the most profound results for certain patients. Expanding access to these therapies will be essential if we want to unlock the full healing potential of this plant.
The Economic and Social Impact
The video cites a powerful figure. A PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis estimates that fully integrating cannabis into the healthcare system could save the United States nearly 64 billion dollars annually. These savings reflect reduced pharmaceutical dependency, fewer hospitalizations, improved chronic disease outcomes, and enhanced quality of life for aging Americans. You can read more about PwC’s research on healthcare innovation here.
It is a financial argument, but it is also a moral one. Why should our elders endure pain, anxiety, and cognitive decline when nature has given us tools to help them live longer, happier, and healthier lives?
A Call to Action: Finish What the Farm Bill Started
The message concludes by crediting the 2018 Farm Bill, championed by President Trump, for legalizing hemp and laying the groundwork for today’s CBD market. The Farm Bill was just the first step.
Now the call is for bold next moves.
- Educate doctors about the endocannabinoid system
- Include CBD under Medicare coverage
- Provide clear federal standards for CBD quality and dosing
These steps would constitute the most significant senior health reform in modern history, one that would transform aging and cement a powerful legacy for any administration that makes it happen.
What This Means for Future Cannabis Medicine
For those of us who have been in the cannabis community for decades, this is not just another news story. It is a signal that our movement is winning. A conversation that was once criminalized and censored is now being amplified by the President of the United States on his own platform.
It means the science is undeniable. It means the truth can no longer be buried. It means the wall of prohibition is cracking, not just legally, but culturally, scientifically, and politically.
It also means that everything we have been fighting for at 420 Magazine since 1993, education, access, healing, and justice, is finally moving full steam ahead. The President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social moment is proof that science and policy are finally converging.
Business
New Mexico cannabis operator fined, loses license for alleged BioTrack fraud
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
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