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Una oportunidad para transparentar el mercado de medicamentos en Perú y el Reino Unido

por Julio Clavijo

Las enfermedades no esperan, pero los gobiernos parecen no entenderlo. En Perú y Reino Unido, el acceso a medicamentos y la aprobación de nuevas alternativas se mantienen como uno de los principales problemas del sector de la salud.

Cada año, en el Reino Unido, la agencia regulatoria de medicina y productos de salud (MHRA por sus siglas en ingles), aprueba docenas de medicinas para su uso a nivel nacional. Esto incluye las nuevas medicinas patentadas y las genéricas de bajo costo.

Sin embargo, luego de Brexit, la MHRA tendrá más trabajo en este proceso debido a que la agencia europea de medicamentos (EMA) dejará de hacerse responsable de algunos de los pasos de aprobación de medicamentos innovadores para Reino Unido.

De igual forma, en Perú, los obstáculos y costos relacionados a la formalidad para acceder al mercado de medicamentos es sumamente elevada, con una excesiva tramitología y un sistema desactualizado y turbio que deja a los pacientes en la oscuridad sin alternativas de manera oportuna para su salud. En la actualidad, se calcula que US$200 millones de medicamentos informales se mueven en el Perú de acuerdo con un estudio encargado por el ComexPerú.

Adicionalmente, alrededor del 55% de los medicamentos adulterados son vendidos en establecimientos farmacéuticos debido a la falta de acceso a información y trazabilidad en los procesos, de acuerdo a lo reportado por la Dirección General de Medicamentos, Insumos y Drogas (Digemid).

La falta de transparencia y acceso a la información sobre los diversos medicamentos disponibles, al igual que su origen, trazabilidad y estado de aprobación de patentes, se encuentra entre las principales causales de los problemas que vive el sector salud, tanto en Reino Unido como en Perú.

Durante el 2019, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) adoptó una resolución que insta a los gobiernos de sus países miembros a promover la transparencia en sus mercados farmacéuticos y de la salud, incluyendo la solicitud de dar acceso público a mayor información acerca de las medicinas disponibles y en desarrollo. Esta resolución, procura eliminar aquel secretismo que actualmente existe en la industria sobre su oferta disponible y las patentes o nuevos tratamientos que se encuentran en estado de aprobación para el uso general de las personas con problemas de salud.

La tendencia internacional hacia la transparencia y acceso público a la información vía la digitalización debería ser una oportunidad para resolver algunos de estos problemas. Entre estas mejores prácticas, se incluye información sobre el estatus de los medicamentos en sus distintas fases de aprobación, producción y tiempos para su disponibilidad en el mercado. En este sentido, Canadá demuestra ser un excelente ejemplo.

La regulación canadiense de medicamentos permite el oportuno acceso a la información para los usuarios y pacientes sobre sus alternativas dentro del sistema de salud para evitar problemas de acceso y adulteración de los medicamentos disponibles. La legislación vigente también permite que el Estado sea el principal responsable al liderar un proceso más transparente y funcional dentro del proceso de aprobación de medicamentos para consumo en el mercado.

Otras mejores prácticas incluyen también a Singapur, que posee un sistema abierto de información al igual que otros países desarrollados. En dicho sistema, a través de la digitalización de los procesos de aprobación de los medicamentos, el Estado revisa de manera eficiente la situación de patentes y aprobación de medicamentos previo a su comercialización.

Este tipo de iniciativas permiten que los mercados funcionen de mejor manera, evitando la adulteración de medicamentos, reduciendo los costos de comercialización y los precios de venta al público.

Un gobierno abierto y una cultura de acceso a información de manera transparente con los pacientes y usuarios del sector debería ser priorizada como política de Estado tanto en Perú como en Reino Unido. De igual forma, Italia y Francia también se encuentran entre la lista de países que carecen de una base de datos de fácil acceso sobre la oferta, origen, disponibilidad y patentes de medicamentos en sus respectivos países.

El acceso a la información y transparencia en el mercado de medicamentos aceleraría el proceso de aprobación de medicinas genéricas de bajo costo, que podrían salvar de manera inmediata una cantidad importante de vidas. Por este motivo, se vuelve indispensable que los usuarios y los pacientes tanto en Perú como en Reino Unido, soliciten la implementación de una base de datos en línea de acceso público que permita conocer en tiempo real el status y disponibilidad de los distintos medicamentos disponibles. Esto reforzaría una cultura de prevención y permitiría a los pacientes, profesionales de la salud, proveedores de la industria farmacéutica y establecimientos farmacéuticos acceder a información relevante para evitar problemas de desabastecimiento, abuso de precios o adulteración de los medicamentos utilizados.

En este sentido, se puede encontrar ejemplos como Amazon, TripAdvisor y Ocado, donde se puede acceder a información detallada y clara sobre cada producto. Algo similar se podría hacer en el sector salud, es decir, que el usuario pueda encontrar información fidedigna sobre medicamentos, su disponibilidad, origen y estado del medicamento en caso de patentes de una forma amigable y comprensible. En tal escenario, resultaría imperativo que la administración pública traiga consigo mayor transparencia e información en tiempo real a los pacientes y profesionales de la salud. Cualquier retraso en nuestros sistemas de salud se traducen en una reducción en la calidad de vida y en pleno siglo XXI conocido como la era de información nos merecemos algo acorde a los tiempos que vivimos.

Originally published here.

The Consumer Choice Center is the consumer advocacy group supporting lifestyle freedom, innovation, privacy, science, and consumer choice. The main policy areas we focus on are digital, mobility, lifestyle & consumer goods, and health & science.

The CCC represents consumers in over 100 countries across the globe. We closely monitor regulatory trends in Ottawa, Washington, Brussels, Geneva and other hotspots of regulation and inform and activate consumers to fight for #ConsumerChoice. Learn more at consumerchoicecenter.org

Cannabis Conclave in Davos im Jahr 2020

Zum zweiten Mal in der Schweiz mit genauen Legalisierungsvorstellungen

2019 gab es eine Premiere auf dem Weltwirtschaftsforum in den Schweizer Gefilden um Davos. Menschen aus dem Cannabis-Business und Experten auf dem Gebiet luden zum geselligen Stelldichein ein und besprachen in exquisiter Atmosphäre die abgeschlossenen Entwicklungen und die Zukunft der Cannabis-Branche. Auch in diesem Jahr bot sich in Davos die Gelegenheit, mit den Geschäftemachern des speziellen Sektors und mit aufgeschlossenen Personen aus der Politik ins Gespräch zu kommen, um die Weichen für eine bessere Zukunft zu stellen. Dass es endlich an der Zeit für eine zeitgemäße Anpassung in der Drogen- und Gesundheitspolitik ist, bewies die Cannabis Conclave in Davos im Jahr 2020 erneut.

Auch im Jahr 2020 brachte die Cannabis Conclave verschiedene Führungskräfte der Cannabisindustrie, einige globale Investoren sowie politische Entscheidungsträger und internationale Medien zusammen, um die weltweite Legalisierungsdebatte – sowohl für Freizeit- als auch für medizinisches Cannabis – angemessen voranzutreiben und die wachsende Legitimität und Reife der legalen Cannabisindustrie hervorzuheben. Am 23. Januar fand das besondere Event statt, das unter anderem von dem North American Affairs Manager des Consumer Choice Center David Clement initiiert wurde. Im Gespräch mit dem Medical Cannabis Network gab Clement einige Details bekannt, die ihn zu seinem Engagement führten, welches er vor, während und nach den Tagen des Weltwirtschaftsforums benötigte und benötigen wird. „Sowohl auf internationaler als auch auf nationaler Ebene ist das Hauptproblem in der Thematik, dass die Gesetzgebung nicht auf Verbraucher oder Patienten ausgerichtet ist. Legalisierungsgesetze, ob im medizinischen Bereich oder bezüglich des Freizeitgebrauches, sollten immer den Zugang und die Erschwinglichkeit in den Vordergrund stellen. Leider ist dies in vielen Bereichen nicht der Fall. Es ist an der Zeit, dass internationale Gremien erkennen, dass der Krieg gegen Drogen ein Misserfolg ist, insbesondere wenn es um Cannabis geht. Ich denke, dass alle Länder in der Lage sein sollten, Cannabisvorschriften entsprechend ihren spezifischen Bedürfnissen zu erlassen. Trotzdem möchte ich alle Regierungen nachdrücklich ermutigen, den Krieg gegen Drogen aufzugeben und Cannabis zu legalisieren.“ Weiter führt David Clement an, dass es mehr Länder geben müsste, die sich dem Beispiel Kanadas annehmen und so zu einem internationalen Umschwung führen. „Die Legitimität der Branche kann dadurch gefestigt werden, dass weitere Länder die Legalisierung von Medizinalhanf und Freizeitgebrauch übernehmen. Kanada hat trotz seiner regulatorischen Fehler einen Kurs festgelegt, auf dem andere Länder diesem Beispiel folgen können. Wir sind zuversichtlich, dass in naher Zukunft ein Wendepunkt auf internationaler Ebene ansteht, wenn immer mehr Länder die Legalisierung übernehmen.“ Dass sich zumindest peu à peu etwas bewegt, ließ Clement dabei nicht unerwähnt. „Die großen Entwicklungen für Cannabis im Jahr 2020 werden neue Rechtsordnungen sein, die eine Legalisierung umfassen. Wir wissen, dass Luxemburg und Malta derzeit prüfen, wie ihr Legalisierungsprozess tatsächlich aussehen könnte. Ein großes Thema dieser beiden Länder ist die Frage, wie viel sie von Kanada lernen können. Wir hoffen beispielsweise, dass diese beiden Länder, obwohl sie die Legalisierung befürworten, eine Überregulierung von Cannabis vermeiden werden, wie sie in Kanada stattfand.“ Was er damit genau meint, führt der Affairs Manager des Consumer Choice Center auch an. „Nur durch patienten- und verbraucherfreundliche Vorschriften kann sichergestellt werden, dass die Legalisierung erfolgreich ist und der Schwarzmarkt verdrängt wird.“ Positiv wird David Clement auch dadurch gestimmt, dass die Welt nun mittlerweile ernsthaft zuhöre, wenn es um das Thema der Cannabislegalisierung geht – dies hätte ihm die Cannabis Conclave im Jahr 2020 in Davos bewiesen.

Der dort ebenfalls anwesende Stephen Murphy von Prohibition Partners sagte dazu in einem Interview mit Benzinga, dass es mit Cannabis erst jetzt vorangehe. Es fehlten derzeit noch die großen Marken auf dem Markt, sodass noch viel Platz für Teilnehmer übrig sei, die sich in dem vielversprechenden Geschäftsfeld versuchen wollen. Er betonte zudem, dass Cannabis zahlreiche Branchen abdeckt, darunter Getränke, Lebensmittel, Gesundheitswesen, Schönheitspflege, Wellness, Bauwesen, Textilien, Ingenieurwesen, Technologie, Tierpflege, Biokraftstoffe und sogar Bettwäsche. In den vergangenen drei Jahren, seitdem man seitens Prohibition Partners die Branche beobachte, habe dennoch bereits ein erstaunliches Wachstum stattgefunden, das nun weit über die damals fünf bis sechs existierenden Märkte reichen würde. Zudem gäbe es Hunderttausende von Menschen auf der ganzen Welt, die medizinisches Cannabis konsumierten, und man habe mittlerweile signifikante Beweise dafür, dass alleine diese Tatsache eine Umsetzung von neuen Gesetzen rechtfertige, sagte er. Man könne derzeit bestimmte Einstufungen benutzen, um den Zugang zu Cannabis in den unterschiedlichsten Ländern zu beschreiben. Es wäre daher eine sehr eingeschränkte und verzerrte Denkweise, wenn Menschen in Großbritannien verzweifelt an Cannabis zu medizinischen Zwecken gelangen wollten – dies aber nicht dürften, weil es von offizieller Stelle „nicht genug Daten“ gäbe – während in Israel und Kanada Personen damit schon lange behandelt werden. Immerhin habe man mittlerweile auch einen immer stärken Druck auf die unterschiedlichen Regulierungsbehörden feststellen können, welche allesamt eigene Gesetze, Richtlinien und Anträge zum Thema Cannabis besitzen. Es gäbe daher nun auch große Möglichkeiten für die Forschung und den allgemeinen Fortschritt, die die aktuell noch bestehenden großen Wissenslücken schrumpfen lassen könnten, welche global endlich unbedingt geschlossen werden müssten.

Legalize – worldwide!

Originally published here.

THAT’S A WRAP. DAVOS 2020 IS IN THE BOOKS.

January 29, 2020
By Consumer Choice Center
In Cannabis, Cannabis Conclave, Recent Media
0 comments

This was my third time in Davos and I was excited to meet and listen to business leaders, heads of government, NGO’s and senior journalists from all over the world. Would I learn something new this time? Would there be justified criticism? Would environmental or anti-globalist activists dominate this year’s agenda?

Some analysts doubt whether Davos has the power to deliver the inclusive and sustainable solutions people and planet are craving for in the next decade. And that it is time for action. Not just words. The WEF’s traditional response to the criticism that it is just too easy to freeride at Davos, is that it needs to be a neutral platform, open to conflicting views, even to those who are resistant to its goals. As the WEF’s founder Klaus Schwab says in the recent new documentary “Das Forum”, “If you were a priest in a church, you would want to make the sinners come visit you on a Sunday.”

For this year’s annual meeting, the WEF tried to put their money where their mouth was. On the one hand, it invited a panel of teenage activists including 17-year old Greta Thunberg to open one of its main sessions on the current climate crisis. On the other hand, the WEF warmly welcomed US President Donald Trump as an opening speaker with an endless bombastic re-election pitch.

While it’s easy to poke fun at Davos as a talkfest of the corporate elite, there are many more platforms in Davos than those official gatherings highlighted by mainstream media. While there are only 3,000 official participants, 30,000 others participate in side events. Below you can find my personal top five experiences – for what it’s worth.

1.“We have shown that we can stop election interference and ensure privacy” (Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook)

It was great listening to both Sheryl Sandberg and Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy Prime Minister who is now responsible for Facebook’s Global Affairs and its chief lobbyist. Sheryl Sandberg and Nick Clegg spoke at a private event in Davos and revealed that Facebook is rolling out a new “privacy checkup” to 2 billion people to see how their data is being used.

Despite stories about hacking, lack of diversity and other issues in the industry, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is optimistic about the potential of technology to improve people’s lives. She told attendees at a private event in Davos that the world is “in a clearly new and much more complicated age.” She said that while Davos historically focuses on economic security, she wanted to talk about how Facebook was chipping away at the problem.

“We are democratising access for small businesses,” Sandberg said, citing an economic report that said 25 million small businesses led used Facebook apps, like Marketplace. The report also said Facebook created 3 million jobs in European economies.

While he acknowledged that Facebook did not know enough about removing bad content or preventing election interference in 2016, Clegg said. “We have shown in the elections since that we can stop election interference and ensure privacy.” Clegg was also clear in calls for greater government oversight. “We think there needs to be more constraints on companies like ours and more standards that we can all adhere to so we can decide together what is political speech, what is content that should be reviewed, what is privacy that individuals should have.” he said.

Despite what Sandberg called “major challenges” that Facebook is facing, she told attendees, “We think we are making progress because we are coming together and we continued willing to try our best to do more,” said Sandberg. “But when you give a voice to 2,8 billion people, some bad things will always happen.”

**2. “The cybersecurity workforce is still too male and pale” (Jim Alkove, Chief Trust Officer Salesforce)**

At the Invest in Flanders dinner, we had an interesting conversation with Jim Alkove, the Chief Trust Officer at Salesforce. Responsible for broad information management, privacy, fraud, abuse and reliability, he is the ambassador for the number one value at Salesforce, which is trust.

Jim Alkove explained how cybercrime is now a 5.2 trillion dollar threat to the world economy over the next 5 years. That’s the size of the economies of France, Italy and Spain combined. The good news is that a lot of this impact can be mitigated by an uptake in simple security hygiene like patching systems, software updates and implementing multi-factor authentication for users. The latter is often perceived as a pain for affluent users. But when we all first started using safety belts in cars, there were also a lot of people finding it inconvenient. Ultimately, we all know it is for the better.

Currently we are facing a cybersecurity skills shortage, equivalent to 3,5 million workers shortage worldwide by 2021. It is still a male and pale workforce. Salesforce is looking into how they can democratize the skillset and bring in a more innovative and diverse workforce into cybersecurity. They want to address the largest talent pool as they can, not just by traditional educational vehicles. That’s why Salesforce has built a cybersecurity Academy on their on-line learning platform. This allows everyone to come in and gain the skills they need to upskill and reskill into new jobs in cybersecurity.

3. **“Let there be light” (David Cohen, CEO Fluence)**

For the 2nd year in a row, I joined the Cannabis Conclave, organised by the Consumer Choice Centre. They organised their summit again high up in the mountains, so I took the cable car to listen to the insights by some of the leading cannabis executives. The growing cannabis industry – both for recreational as well as medicinal use- is clearly one of the sectors to watch in the coming years. Participants were not only from the cannabis industry, but also included global investors, business journalists and policymakers. The Consumer Choice Centre wants to use this event to fuel the legalisation debate globally and show the legitimacy and maturity of this growing legal industry.

It was encouraging to see that investors, thought leaders, researchers and public policy makers from all around the world (from Canada to Luxemburg to even China) are contributing to the growth of the cannabis industry. They ultimately serve consumers who are loudly demanding change to legal systems, health care and global sentiment. A better understanding of cannabis’ benefits has only helped as data and preliminary research continue to change the minds of even the most skeptical of skeptics.

One of the keynote speakers was David Cohen, CEO of Fluence by Osram (the German lighting company). In his illuminating keynote, he stressed the benefits of using LED lighting for cannabis growers. In the US -where it is legal to grow cannabis in an increasing number of states- 75 % of cannabis growers are now hinging lighting purchases based on energy efficiency and light intensity. His insights about the use of LED lighting confirm that the cannabis industry is taking a long-term approach for a stable, sustainable and profitable industry.

4. **“In essence, we are fueling a generation of change-agents” – (Noella Coursaris-Musunka, CEO and founder Malaika)**

One of the most impressive sessions I attended, was a panel discussion full of strong women. Organised by the Global Citizen Forum and the Global Fund, this event wanted to explore the transformative power of education and healthcare and lay the groundwork of even greater impact. I was particularly impressed by Noella Coursaris-Musunka, the founder and CEO of Malaika. Founded in 2007, Malaika is impacting thousands of lives in the DRC through enhanced access to education, healthcare and clean water. establishing a community-driven model that can be replicated on the global stage.

Malaika’s mission is to empower Congolese girls and their communities through education and health programs. This grassroots non-profit operates in the village of Kalebuka, in the Southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Lubumbashi, DRC) and has changed an entire community.

An educated girl will increase her future earnings by approximately 10-20% for each additional year of schooling and will reinvest most of it back into her family and community. These are key factors in a nation’s socio-economic development, and yet girls still face immense obstacles in obtaining an education in the DRC. Malaika mobilizes resources so that these girls can receive the best schooling possible, providing them with greater choices, opportunities, and the capacity to make informed decisions.

Malaika’s goal is to build the leadership capacity of each individual student so that she gives back to her community and has a positive, long-term impact on the future of the DRC. “In essence, we are fueling a generation of change-agents” said Noella Coursaris-Musunka. At the same time, Malaika impacts the surrounding community through recreational and life skills programming for adults and children, as well as essential infrastructure development. With the exception of the locally hired Congolese teachers and support staff, Malaika is operated by pro bono experts and volunteers from the public and private sector.

5. **“Never eat alone” (inspired by Keith Ferrazzi)**

For the third year in a row, we hosted a small dinner discussion in Davos, right after the traditional Belgian power reception with the Belgian PM Sophie Wilmes and King Philippe.

We enjoyed a warm evening reconnecting with old and new Belgian friends and 2 fellow Dutchmen. At the same time this allowed us to escape the speed dating madness of the Davos mountain. Itwas an informal evening with policymakers, business executives and opinion makers where networking took a backseat to fellowship and joy and a welcome opportunity to disengage from the hectic fervor of Davos.

What does it take to transform Flanders, Belgium or Europe in a more dynamic region? How do we create more wealth? How can we provide an answer to the challenges of the 21st century? In order to tackle these matters, we brought together a selected group of business leaders, policy makers and opinion leaders during a convivial Swiss dinner for an open discussion.

Concluding: nearly every conversation in Davos concerned either climate action or sustainability. That was made easier because going green is now profitable a lot of the time. The drivers for companies to become more sustainable are coming from everywhere – the science, initiatives from governments and regulators, increased consumer pressure and demands from investors. The best-prepared businesses see opportunities as well as risks and are preparing accordingly.

Never underestimate the power of talk, something at which Davos Woman and Davos Man excel. Davos can be more than empty words and gestures, if it helps to create a consensus about the need for collective action to tackle global challenges such as climate change. That’s what Davos is all about. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s called influence.

Originally published here.

NOBL Completes Series A Funding Round At Davos, Altitude Investment Management Among Round Participants

Cannabis data and consulting company NOBL said Thursday it finalized its Series A fundraise at Davos and capital support of £1.25 million ($1.64 million).

Altitude Investment Management, Enexis AB and Artemis Growth Partners are some of the dominant cannabis investors who have supported the round.

“Closing our Series A with the caliber of investors we’ve brought in is indicative of our performance and reputation. We are proven to understand global markets, launch sector leading brands and operate tenacious companies that deliver month on month revenue growth” Co-Founder, Stephen Murphy, said in a statement at NOBL’s co-hosted Cannabis Conclave event in Davos.

NOBL offers a portfolio platform that contains some of the leading companies and brands in the industry, such as Atalis, European Cannabis Weeks, Prohibition Partners, NOBL Live and Cannabis Europa.

“We will continue to invest in talent and innovation while also enabling our operating companies to make smarter and more effective business decisions that will shape the future of the global cannabis industry in a meaningful and impactful way,” Murphy said.

Michael Goldberg, Partner at Altitude Investment Management, stated, “We have been collaborating with the team at NOBL over the last two years and are pleased to invest in this financing round as NOBL continues to shape the future of global cannabis through knowledge and intelligence with its superior data, insights, and networking opportunities.”

Davos 2020 Cannabis Conclave: Uncovering The Future Of The European Market

Medical cannabis in Europe has slowly been gaining traction, but there are still a number of hurdles around regulation that has a lot of catching up to do.

Speaking at the Cannabis Conclave event in Davos, Switzerland last week, Stephen Murphy of Prohibition Partners discussed medical cannabis policy and the importance of knowledge sharing across the continent.

Murphy said big brands have yet to enter the cannabis market, so less competition exists compared to other industries. The market correction offers a window of opportunity for new brands, businesses and ideas to be generated. He stressed cannabis covers numerous industries such as beverages, food, healthcare, beauty, wellness, construction, textiles, engineering, technology, pet care, biofuel and bedding.

“When we first started monitoring and identifying what’s happening in the cannabis space, there were five to six legal markets over the three years we have seen that grow,” said Murphy, who noted the CDB market in particular is really taking off.

“There are hundreds of thousands of people using medical cannabis across the world and we have significant evidence already in place that it justifies the implementation of legislation,” he said.

“I think we can put phases in place in terms of access levels to cannabis. The implication of medical cannabis’ availability in Israel and Canada when there are patients in the UK desperately trying to get access and cannot because ‘there is not enough data’ is very skewed thinking.”

Murphy said we have started to see a lot of pressure on regulatory bodies all of which have bills, policies and motions around cannabis. There are also major opportunities in R&D and there is a huge knowledge gap that needs to be filled.

Originally published here.

Cannabis Industry Gathers In Davos: ‘No Silver Bullet Gets Rid Of An Illegal Product’

The World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, took place this week and alongside the main event there was a cluster of small cozy cannabis gatherings hosted in the Alps.

Switzerland is one of my favorite countries for a business trip and this week I experienced the ultimate luxury which involved sipping champagne and discussing pot – and the vibe was very much on point.

Business leaders, financial heavyweights and leading politicians from all over the world gathered to discuss key issues revolving around climate change and sustainable business. It’s estimated around 119 billionaires and 53 heads of state attended this year.

The Cannabis Conclave was a huge hit the previous year – an event hosted by David Clement from the Consumer Choice Center. The event was well attended by hedge fund managers and regulators, attracting crowds from Canada, Switzerland, Europe, Israel and China. Many discussions centered around the rapidly growing cannabis industry and how conservative countries are also adopting the recreational drug.

Canada was the second country, after Uruguay, to make cannabis federally legal and as a result took a cautious and in some times instances took a limited approach that has stifled both product availability as well as distribution chains.

What Can We Learn From Canada?

One Canadian government official at Davos who asked to remain anonymous explained: “Our federal government downloaded key aspects to provincial and municipal counterparts that created a disparate and disconnected set of frameworks creating confusion and a wide variety of structures across the country.”

He explained there has been clear winners such as Alberta that has a robust retail and production framework while Ontario has continually been lambasted for a slow and painful rollout that has reduced the success of legalization in the key market in the country.

“As a result we have clear winners and losers and there is much to learn from our experience. As the frameworks and mis-steps are remedied as like any new industry there will be meaningful lessons to be learned,” he explained.

He went on to add no country charting new ground has everything right and in some ways the black market has remained as vibrant as ever whose diminishment was the core cause.

“No silver bullet gets rid of an illegal product, but only meaningful policy that suits the customer and their wallet is effective and the correct approach, market forces should be listened to,” he said.

The Hurdles Of Cannabis

Over champagne, the official added a meaningful lesson for America is to ensure there are no disconnects between states and the federal government that currently persist that has limited proper regulation across the country and in particular created technical and practical problems for the legal industry that continues to give breath and vibrancy to the illicit market.

Stephen Murphy, co-founder of NOBL, highlighted the cannabis plant remains a great unknown with only 3% of the plant meaningfully studied. He stressed there is huge potential of the remaining 97% from a health, economic and social perspective.

Originally published here.

Pot Industry Heads to Davos as Stocks Rebound: Cannabis Weekly

Tough times in the cannabis industry aren’t stopping its leaders from going to Davos.

For the second year in a row, there will be a Cannabis House in Davos, Switzerland this week alongside the schmoozing and speeches of the World Economic Forum. The 2020 offering promises to be “a little more formal and more professional” than last year’s, according to Jason Paltrowitz, executive vice president of corporate services at OTC Markets Group, one of the sponsors of the Cannabis House.

Cannabis House will feature a two-day conference focused on the themes of Davos 2020, including sustainability, climate change, social equity and impact investing.

The rout in pot stocks hasn’t dampened interest in the event, which will also include “a professional capital markets discussion,” Paltrowitz said.

The agenda has an international flavor, with speakers from Israel, Switzerland and Asia.

The goal is to get delegates from the World Economic Forum to pop in and learn about the industry, said Richard Carleton, chief executive officer of the Canadian Securities Exchange, another sponsor.

“What was particularly interesting to me last year was how many European institutional investors, everybody from family office managers, hedge funds, right up to some of the largest pension funds in the world” stopped by Cannabis House, Carleton said. “They hadn’t invested yet but were there to learn.”

Stock Rebound

Investors seemed to be in the mood to celebrate successes rather than punish failures last week.

Pot stocks ended the week significantly higher, with the BI Global Cannabis Competitive Peers Index up 15% and the Canadian-focused Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF adding 18%, its biggest weekly increase since August 2018. The gains came despite Aphria Inc.’s earnings miss and cut to its full-year guidance, which sent its shares down 8.6% on Tuesday.

Instead, investors focused on positive results from Aphria’s smaller competitor Organigram Holdings Inc. Organigram’s U.S.-traded shares surged 45% Wednesday after it reported positive adjusted Ebitda and revenue that beat the highest analyst estimate. That sent the entire sector rallying, and even Aphria’s shares ended the week higher.

Given how fast investors have been to punish missteps in recent months, could this be a sign that the sector has bottomed out?

There are positive signs in the capital markets too, according to data from Viridian Capital Advisors. In the first two weeks of 2020, seven capital raises worth a total of $250 million were completed. Although the number of deals was lower than the 15 done in the first two weeks of 2019, the average deal size was more than 2.5 times bigger than the same period of last year, Viridian said.

Events This Week

MONDAY 1/20

Cannabis House hosts “a global cannabis conversation” in Davos, Switzerland alongside the World Economic Forum, through Jan. 21
U.S. markets closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

WEDNESDAY 1/22

CannaWest addresses regulatory issues in the industry; the event runs in Los Angeles through Jan. 24

THURSDAY 1/23

A one-day Cannabis Conclave will be held in Davos, Switzerland

Originally published here.

Het rebelse kantje van Davos

Cannabis, blockchain, gaming: in het ‘officiële’ programma van het World Economic Forum kom je die zaken niet snel tegen. Maar Davos heeft ook een scherper, meer gedurfd randje.

Originally published here.

Low-battery warning fight

Microsoft’s carbon dating, Google in $1tn club, Logitech’s split keyboard

Don’t tell anyone, but my iPhone charger is hidden under some newspapers on my desk so that it’s less likely to go walkies when I’m not there.

I’ve always taken precautions, with people very eager to “borrow” this vital energy supply, and in future, I may have to bolt my chargers to the desk. The European Union just doubled the chances of me losing them this week when it revived the idea of universal chargers that would fit Apple, Samsung and any other smartphones.

Apart from the extra jeopardy I will face personally, the tech industry’s own selfish interests are in focus here. “The EU-enforced common charger is the enemy of progress” was the headline of a release from the corporate-backed Consumer Choice Center, which said any such move would undermine innovation and restrict competition. It echoed the argument when this last came up from Apple, which is the king of proprietary technologies and whose Lightning connectors are still cursed by anyone wanting to plug in a headphone jack.

I don’t buy their concerns. Where would we be without common USB and HDMI standards, and WiFi and Bluetooth, all with dongle-less backwards compatibility? I would happily trade a little innovation and commercial advantage for those invaluable conformities.

Of course, legislators are always behind the tech curve and the common charger debate would become moot if we all bought wireless charging mats that removed the need for hard connections completely. Then again, some companies are not being as innovative in taking us to that bright new future as they think they are. Apple announced its AirPower wireless charging mats in 2017, but had to cancel the product less than two years later after struggling to make one that worked properly.

The Internet of (Five) Things

1. Microsoft’s carbon dating The software shop has gone further than other tech giants in committing to become “carbon negative” by 2030 and offset all carbon emissions made since it was founded. The $1.2tn company also announced a $1bn innovation fund to tackle the climate crisis.

2. There’s another trillion-dollar tech titan Alphabet on Thursday became the fourth Big Tech company to reach a market capitalisation of $1tn. Apple was the first public company to achieve the milestone, in August 2018, and is now more than a third of the way to a second trillion. It was followed by Amazon, which has since fallen back below the 13-digit threshold, and then Microsoft. Meanwhile, Tesla’s soaring share price is giving short sellers the heebie jeebies.

3. Peacock proud of its free streaming strategy The last major streaming debut is also the cheapest. Comcast unveiled its NBCUniversal Peacock streaming service on Thursday and said it would be free for its existing cable customers when it launches fully in July. There will be live sports and news, a large catalogue of older sitcoms, and the service will primarily rely on advertising rather than the subscriptions favoured by rivals. “We like the idea of zigging when others zag,” said NBCUniversal chairman Steve Burke.

4. WhatsApp won’t rely on ads Facebook is dropping plans to show ads on its WhatsApp messaging service, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. WhatsApp disbanded the team working on integrating ads on to the platform recently and even the code they had created was deleted from the app.

5. Ad industry faces wrath of regulator The UK’s data protection regulator is braced to do battle with the country’s £13bn online advertising industry, saying it will start investigating individual companies that are in breach of European data protection law and enforcing it against them. The Information Commissioner’s Office said the ad industry had responded insufficiently to a six-month grace period to get its house in order.

Originally published here.

January 2020

Dear Friend of Consumer Choice!

The CCC is now entering into its fourth year and we’re excited to see more and more interest in our work.

Here’s a breakdown of everything our team has been up to since our last message:

Consumer Choice Radio!

Our North American team has launched a whole radio show dedicated to #consumerchoice. Consumer Choice Radio is broadcast on Saturdays at 10AM EST on The Big Talker 106.7 FM out of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Yaël and David will talk for an hour every week about pressing consumer issues that are happening around the world, and have interviews with entrepreneurs, innovators, and people leading the charge for more consumer choice.

Either tune in every Saturday or subscribe to our podcast or YouTube channel.

LISTEN NOW

This gets me to the next big item of this newsletter: Our third episode of the radio show will be brought to you from Davos, Switzerland. Six of us will observe what global elites are planning in the areas of consumer-facing issues.

2nd Cannabis Conclave Davos 2020

We will also host the second-ever Cannabis Conclave in Davos and expect another packed house!

The Conclave is a networking event that seeks to connect industry leaders, investors, and policymakers. The purpose of the event is to advance the legalization discussion internationally, for both medical and recreational cannabis.

GO TO EVENT

Davos: 21democracy

As part of our 21Democracy project, we will host a dinner with leading policymakers, liberal business leaders, consumers, law enforcement, and civil rights activists who will be will be sharing ideas on how we can deploy our resources to combat Chinese Communist Party power and influence in liberal democracies and on consumer choice globally.

LEARN MORE

During our week in Davos we will also attend other events on brand freedom (especially important given recent moves by Israel and Denmark to boost the black market by banning branding of vaping products), trade, meet policymakers, and make consumer voices heard in the debate.

Let us know if you or any of your friends will be in Davos. We would love to connect at 2,000 meters high!

Pharma Transparency Campaign

Our latest campaign is on drug transparency: We believe patients should have the right to know which drugs are available now and which ones will become available soon in their country. Therefore we started a media and social media campaign promoting this idea. You can read my piece in CapX here.

LEARN MORE

You might also like my thoughts on how we can bring down the cost structure of new life-saving drugs.

This week my colleague Bill will be at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin, Germany and see what’s in for consumers. The GFFA brings together leading voices in global agriculture. The CCC defends innovative agro-tech methods such as gene-editing, as means to improve the lives of consumers across the globe. You’ll be able to catch updates from Bill on our Instagram and Facebook stories. Bill also made it into Germany’s top daily newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, writing about lessons from the French Nutri Score labels.

Maria’s and my open letter to the EU Commission to give GMOs and gene editing a chance got picked up by The Scottish Farmer.

Event on GMO, Gene Editing and Climate Change

On February 3rd we will be co-hosting an event on the future of food in London, UK with our friends from the Genetic Literacy Project, Adam Smith Institute, and the British Conservation Alliance.

FACEBOOK EVENT

Legal Reform

Our push for legal reform in the United States keeps gaining ground.

Last month Yaël got published in the Miami Herald and Los Angeles Daily News on the various ways lawmakers should reform the U.S. legal system.

LEARN MORE

As you can see, we are starting 2020 at full steam ahead, pushing for choice in the fields of Digital, Transportation, Consumer Goods, and Health & Science.

Stay tuned for our February updates and please keep supporting our work!

DONATE

Fred Roeder

Veganistische of dierlijke mode: Wat is duurzamer?

January 9, 2020
By Consumer Choice Center
In Choice In Fashion, Fashion, Recent Media
0 comments

Veganistische mode is in. Een indicatie hiervan is de eerste Vegan Fashion Week, die in februari in Los Angeles in première ging. Maar door de toenemende populariteit van de trend neemt ook het aantal critici toe die dierenrechtenactivisten juist ervan beschuldigen niet duurzaam genoeg te zijn.

De “mythes” van veganistische mode ontkrachten

In februari 2019 kondigde de British Consumer Choice Center in een persbericht de start van de #ChoiceInFashion campagne aan. “We willen consumenten inlichten over dierlijke materialen en de mythes en urban legends ontkrachten over veganistische mode die door zelfbenoemde dierenrechtengroepen worden verspreid.” Consumenten zouden onder steeds grotere druk worden gezet om dierlijke producten te vermijden, betreurt de campagne. De CCC (die dezelfde afkorting hanteert als de Clean Clothes Campaign) vertegenwoordigt consumenten in meer dan honderd landen en vecht voor het behoud van een keuze voor consumentenproducten (niet alleen in mode) en tegen toenemende regelgeving.

“We houden de regelgevende trends in Ottawa, Washington, Brussel, Geneve en andere centra voor regelgeving nauwlettend in de gaten en informeren en activeren consumenten om voor het behoud van vrije keuze te vechten,” voegt het toe. Met andere woorden: de demonisering van dierlijke producten moet stoppen.

Bont wordt al decennia lang bekritiseerd

Het begon allemaal met bont. Ieder kind weet tenminste sinds de jaren tachtig dat bont niet hip is, of op zijn minst dubieus. Wie de straten van Duitsland in een nertsmantel durft af te struinen moet voorbereid zijn op vijandigheid. Gek genoeg heeft dit echter nooit in de weg gestaan van parka’s met ontelbare voeringen en afwerkingen van bont, vaak zonder dat de drager dit doorheeft. Volgens enquêtes blijkt dat men dat het nep bont betrof. Nep en echt bont zijn tegenwoordig moeilijk van elkaar te onderscheiden, maar textielmerken moeten opheldering geven. Het lijkt er echter op dat hoewel veel consumenten tegen bont zijn, ze zich nog niet daarnaar gedragen.

Dierenrechtenactivisten worden aandeelhouders

Om hier verandering in te brengen zijn dierenrechtenorganisaties al jaren confronterend bezig en hebben herhaaldelijk media-effectieve acties gevoerd in stadscentra, vóór de deuren van winkels, bedrijfshoofdkantoren of beurzen. Zo werden in Duitsland warenhuis Breuninger en luxe skimerk Bogner aangevallen voor hun gebruik van echt bont. In herfst 2018 gaf Breuninger toe aan de druk en maakte bekend dat het vanaf 2020 niet langer echt bont in het assortiment zou opnemen. Het nieuws werd zelfs uitgezonden op tv-zender RTL, en het toenemende succes spoorde dierenrechtenactivisten verder aan. Daarnaast nam dierenwelvaartsorganisatie PETA aandelen in verschillende modehuizen om ze van binnenuit – als aandeelhouder – te kunnen beïnvloeden op het gebied van materialen die in de collecties gebruikt worden. Zo werd PETA onder andere aandeelhouder van Canada Goose, LVMH en Prada.

Veganisten willen alle dierlijke vezels verbannen

Het betreft inmiddels niet slechts bont. Met de opkomst van de wereldwijde veganistische levensstijl – deels veroorzaakt door schandalige veeteeltpraktijken – worden alle onbewerkte dierlijke textielmaterialen op de zwarte lijst gezet – van leer, zijde en wol tot dons. Gruwelijke rapporten over dierenmishandeling hebben zoveel publieke druk veroorzaakt dat tal van modebedrijven niet alleen met veel tamtam het gebruik van bont of exotisch leer hebben verbannen, maar ook van mohair, angora en zijde. De lijst van merken wordt alsmaar langer, variërend van Chanel tot Esprit. Tegelijkertijd worden steeds meer veganistische collecties gekocht, bijvoorbeeld mij Marks & Spencer. Zelfs evenementen doen mee: Helsinki Fashion Week besloot leer te bannen.

Gebruik van exotische dierenhuiden betreft dierenwelzijn

Tegenwoordig zijn er echter dierenrechtenactivisten die precies het tegenovergestelde uitdragen. Ze voeren aan dat het economische gebruik van bepaalde dierlijke producten het voortbestaan van deze rassen verzekert en het oncontroleerbaar afslachten van wilde dieren voorkomt. Volgens hen is dit bijvoorbeeld toepasbaar op veel soorten exotische dierenhuiden. Deze dieren worden speciaal gefokt voor de productie van leer en worden daardoor nog niet met uitsterven bedreigd.

Toen Chanel het gebruik van reptielenhuiden in 2018 staakte als gevolg van publieke druk, werd het modehuis alsnog bekritiseerd. “In plaats van te werken aan verbeteringen, kiest Chanel voor de makkelijke weg,” zei Dr. Rosie Cooney, Voorzitter van de Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group van de IUCN Species Survival Commission volgens Business of Fashion. Zo blijkt het label “schuldgevoel vrij”dat veganistische mode graag hanteert echter verre van de waarheid.

Veganistische mode is slecht voor het milieu

En daar houdt het niet bij op. Voor zover de veganistische levensstijl de nieuwe mainstream is geworden nemen de beschuldigingen van milieuactivisten toe die in principe dierenwelzijn steunen maar niet het gebruik van synthetische materialen. Wat voor veganistisch “leer” doorgaat is vaak niets anders dan polyester of polyurethaan. Met andere woorden, een plastic vezel die ten eerste gemaakt is van ruwe olie en dus niet duurzaam. Ten tweede, het is niet biologisch afbreekbaar en dus vervuilt het onze planeet. Ten derde, het bereikt de voedselketen in de vorm van microplastics en ten vierde is het momenteel niet mogelijk schoenen te recyclen. Veganistische vervangingen voor wol zijn ook problematische: de synthetische vezel Polyacryl wordt gebruikt om een wolachtige look te realiseren.

Veganistisch betekent niet milieuvriendelijk

Men mag dus concluderen dat veganistische mode niet noodzakelijk een milieuvriendelijk of duurzaam alternatief is. We moeten kritisch blijven. Toch is de toon van veel actuele anti-veganistische campagnes irritant. Het veelvoorkomende argument dat veganistische mode gebruik maakt van plastic en het milieu vervuilt is even oppervlakkig als de algemene beschuldiging van veganisten dat dierlijke producten allemaal het product zijn van wrede veeteeltpraktijken. Geen van beiden is juist, want niet alle dierlijke vezels zijn per se milieuvriendelijker dan synthetische vezels, en niet alle dieren worden wreed behandeld. Wat daarom hinderlijk is, is dat de ethische en duurzame argumenten door elkaar worden gehaald en uitgebuit worden. Degenen die ervoor kiezen geen dierlijke producten te gebruiken doen dat om ethische redenen. En die redenen hebben niet per se te maken met milieubescherming.

Originally published here.

Time to give GMOs a chance?

If the European Union would take a more ‘science-led’ attitude to genetically modified crops, it could hugely reduce its use of pesticides.

According to ‘consumer advocacy group’ the Consumer Choice Center, it is time to reassess the existing EU regulation of biotechnology.

In an open letter to Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, the pro-GM campaigners emphasised the benefits of a ‘pro-consumer, pro-science and pro-innovation approach’.

“Faced with the issue of climate change, we should remain sensible in our effort to ensure the sustainable and effective functioning of European agriculture that works for all,” read the letter. “The right of consumers to choose should be respected and preserved at all costs.

“As the European Union seeks to drive down the use of pesticides, it shouldn’t turn its back on innovation in agriculture. Genetic modification, with its propensity to reduce chemical pesticide use by more than 30%, is an astounding solution to this pressing issue.

“With the help of gene engineering, we would be able to decrease our dependence on natural resources and minimise the use of fertilisers and pesticides.

“Consumers, farmers and the environment benefit from the application of genetic modification. Above all, enabling genetic modification is a great way to reduce the use of pesticides. Turning a blind eye to these possibilities is costly and harms consumer choice in the European Union.”

Originally published here.

Author: Consumer Choice Center

Una oportunidad para transparentar el mercado de medicamentos en Perú y el Reino Unido

Cannabis Conclave in Davos im Jahr 2020

THAT’S A WRAP. DAVOS 2020 IS IN THE BOOKS.

1.“We have shown that we can stop election interference and ensure privacy” (Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook)

**2. “The cybersecurity workforce is still too male and pale” (Jim Alkove, Chief Trust Officer Salesforce)**

3. **“Let there be light” (David Cohen, CEO Fluence)**

4. **“In essence, we are fueling a generation of change-agents” – (Noella Coursaris-Musunka, CEO and founder Malaika)**

5. **“Never eat alone” (inspired by Keith Ferrazzi)**

NOBL Completes Series A Funding Round At Davos, Altitude Investment Management Among Round Participants

Davos 2020 Cannabis Conclave: Uncovering The Future Of The European Market