Global Ganja Report

Legal cannabis sales are officially starting in Michigan on Dec. 1—but with a big emphasis on the "officially." Cannabis shortages and a dearth of licensed dispensaries mean that the Wolverine State's retail recreational program will be off to a less than flying start. Even last-minute abandonment of the planned firewall between the medical and recreational markets may be insufficient to salvage the situation.

This year has seen a disturbing nationwide outbreak of lung injuries, some fatal, which researchers link to vaping—either of tobacco products or cannabis concentrates. A regulatory crack-down on the vaping industry has ensued—but amid serious confusion displayed by politicians and media alike.

Boomers are using cannabis more, with many turning to the herb as medicine to deal with the challenges of advancing years. They are also the generation that began the demographic tilt in favor of legalization. And unlike the "Zoomers" of Generation Z, they are resisting the lure of extracts in favor of old-fashioned dried flowers.

There is a discomforting sense that Mexico is perpetually on the eve of cannabis legalization, as the country's Congress wins a six-month extension from the Supreme Court to pass a law freeing the herb. But foreign capital is already eyeing Mexico's emergent legal cannabis sector—even amid a terrifying escalation in the bloody cartel wars. 

The percentage of military veterans facing challenges from PTSD is staggering, but the Department of Veterans Affairs remains intransigent on allowing access to cannabis—the only treatment that provides relief for many. And there has been little progress on efforts in Congress to remedy the situation.

As a new law lifts restrictions on investment in Colorado's cannabis sector, many fear consolidation by big money—a concern uniting some small operators with cultural conservatives. But others see a growth opportunity for small enterprises.

Having cannabis removed from the federal list of controlled substances has long been the holy grail of legalization advocates. Several bills have now been introduced on Capitol Hill to do exactly that. Do any stand a chance of becoming law in the current polarized climate?

As the cannabis industry is embraced by corporate power and finance capital, the patenting of strains, products and applications is an increasing concern. But the international patchwork of legality makes for a confusing environment. Illegality has served as a paradoxical break on privatizing of varieties. Growers and advocates are devising means to protect the genetic commons in the new cannabis order.