With a population of 80.6 million and nearly 140k square miles, the country of Germany is roughly 85% the size of California, and contains over double the population. As medical cannabis laws across Europe become liberalized and attitudes toward adult recreational use continue to soften, Germany is now poised to be the next big thing in the European cannabis market.

Düsseldorf City Council on Wednesday took the next step in its plan to legalize the regulated sale of recreational cannabis to over 18-year-olds, taking advice from experts in psychology, crime and economics during a consultation at City Hall.

Representatives from other city councils interested in pursuing similar schemes, including Cologne and Münster, were also present at the meeting.

Dr Armin Claus, a child psychologist specializing in youth addiction, voiced concerns that legalization could reduce young people's awareness of the dangers involved in taking this drug.

"The more people who take the drug, the more socially acceptable it becomes, and the less it is seen as a possible danger," Claus said.

The cannabis industry has been trending lower since the election with market sentiment in negative territory following the appointment of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions as United States Attorney General.

The recent pullback has been associated with weaker-than-average trading volume and we are monitoring this trend on an industry-wide and a company-by-company basis. The lighter trading volume has had a significant affect on cannabis stocks as the average stock spread has expanded (difference between a stock’s buy and sell price) and we continue to monitor this trend closely.

Canopy Growth Corporation ("Canopy Growth" or the "Company") (CGC.TO)  today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire MedCann GmbH Pharma and Nutraceuticals (MedCann), a German-based pharmaceutical distributor who has successfully placed Tweed-branded cannabis strains in German pharmacies.

MedCann has proven its ability to navigate the complex regulatory environment for cannabis importation and distribution in Germany . With a highly experienced leadership team, led by Dr. Pierre Debs , it has established itself as a leading cannabis importer and distributor within Germany where the cannabis industry still relies solely on imported products.

“We’re very proud to be hosting medical cannabis research,” Dr Václav Trojan, head of the Faculty of Agronomy of Mendel University in the Czech Republic, told a group of representatives from some of Europe’s most exciting cannabis organizations who had convened for a three day seminar arranged by the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI) and run by Americans for Safe Access (ASA).

Mendel University, located in the city of Brno, has been researching medical cannabis since the government made it legal to do so around two and a half years ago. The first European seminar of Patient Focused Certification (PFC) was held there last week.

Although the United Nations international drug treaties have upheld an official prohibition against marijuana, the marijuana industry has spread across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

As people are celebrating the legal sale of marijuana in the US, the burgeoning cannabis industry has gone from a curiosity to a bonafide booming market.

A new report by a leading marijuana industry investment and research firm found that legal cannabis sales jumped 17%, to $5.4 billion, in 2015 and they will grow by a whopping 25% this year to reach $6.7 billion in total US sales.

According to an INC.com report, there are also sizable and completely legal industries outside of the US, like Israel's 10-year-old medical industry. As governments from Germany to Australia to the UK are on the verge of legalising some form of marijuana, the global opportunity is coming into focus.

The move follows decriminalisation of cannabis in Nevada, California and Massachusetts, passed in votes on 8 November.

Berlin is on course to at least semi-legalising marijuana after a cross-party movement agreed on a ground-breaking pilot scheme.

The capital’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the Left Party have agreed on a “controlled distribution of cannabis to adults” project.

Cannabis possession is illegal in Germany, although people found with less than 15g are often not prosecuted.

Following months of negotiations and various offers, Germany-based Bayer has finally sealed the deal with Monsanto, purchasing the seed giant for $66 billion. The merger is reported to be the largest all-cash deal on record.

The purchase means a lot of things, and none of them good for consumers. For one, it strengthens the monopolization of the world’s food supply. It also means more genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and chemicals to be doused on them.

Now, some are predicting the merge could also mean the takeover of the marijuana industry. Monsanto has an intimate business relationship with Scotts Miracle-Gro, “a convicted corporate criminal– and Scott’s Miracle-Gro is trying to take over the marijuana industry,” according to Big Buds Mag.

Hemp beer is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. More and more supermarkets and wine shops in Germany and the Czech Republic, in particular, stock hemp beer which is no big surprise as these are two well-known beer loving countries. However, is that the only reason that the popularity of hemp beer is on the rise there?

After all, cannabis and alcohol share a turbulent relationship. Research shows that alcohol increases the concentration of THC in the bloodstream and as such, many people feel that booze and cannabis is an unpredictable combination that often goes south.