Leading supplier of therapeutic grade nutraceutical cannabis and hemp products, Creso Pharma (ASX: CPH), has delivered its second shipment of hemp protein to one of Slovakia’s largest bakeries, Pekarne Liptovsky Hradok,s.r.o. (PLH).

The 700 kilogram shipment followed the delivery of 500 kilograms in mid-August, and has effectively created an additional revenue stream for the vertically integrated group.

CPH’s Hemp Industries division is looking to forge a long-term relationship with PLH, resulting in increased shipments of hemp protein and other hemp seed based products.

However, it is early stages in this relationship, so investors should seek professional financial advice for further information if considering this stock for their portfolio.

Cigarette and alcohol use among 15- and 16-year-olds is declining across Europe but the numbers using cannabis are growing, an EU survey shows.

The Espad report for 2015 includes most EU countries, but not Germany or the UK, and data for Spain is incomplete. 

In 2015 "current smokers" accounted for 21% of those surveyed, and the highest total was in Italy (37%). 

In 1995-2015 those using alcohol in the past 30 days fell from 56% to 47%. Top in cannabis use were the Czechs (37%).

That figure for Czech teenagers reporting a lifetime experience of cannabis was higher than the level in the US - 31% in comparable surveys. 

Since 1996, two dozen states have approved medical marijuana laws in the U.S. The most recent was Pennsylvania, which passed medical marijuana legislation just last month. We've also witnessed four states legalize the sale of recreational marijuana.

For medical marijuana patients, approval of the drug at the state level means possible new pathways to treatment. Though each state typically differs on what diseases and disorders qualify, glaucoma, epilepsy, and most terminal cancers are ailments that commonly fit the bill. For the states themselves, legalization is primarily motivated by the additional revenue-generating potential. Since marijuana is taxed, medical marijuana provides a way for states to funnel extra money to schools or law enforcement.

Leslie Bocskor is an investment banker and founder of Electrum Partners, an advisory services firm specializing in medical and recreational cannabis, and ancillary businesses. Bocskor was recently named most valuable member of the year by the ArcView angel investor network. But he's not just an investments guy. He also has an artistic side. He helped create the Figment Project - an international arts festival held in three countries - and he once acted as a regional organizer for Burning Man in its early days.

The global tide concerning marijuana legalization is slowly turning. Amsterdam, with its famous coffeeshops where smoking cannabis is OK, was once the international city most associated with legally smoking marijuana. But more countries are passing legislation either decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana in some form. In fact, almost half the states in the United States have legalized marijuana somehow — with more likely to follow suit. 

Members of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), KOPAC and Dioscorides Global Holdings (DGH) were joined by the Minister of Health for the Czech Republic recently to announce the establishment of a new research center, the International Cannabis and Cannabinoid Institute (ICCI) – intended to foster evidence-based exploration with a modern scientific approach to refine the therapeutic applicability of cannabis-based medicines in the Czech Republic. ICCI will identify, coordinate and support global research priorities for the advancement of cannabis and cannabinoid treatments through a multidisciplinary evidence based approach that incorporates innovative tools and approaches.

On Friday the 16^th of October 2015 Sensi Seeds’ daughter company HempFlax opened a brand new factory in the Alba region of Romania. A new and very special chapter for the company that aimed to relaunch the hemp industry 20 years ago, and is successfully doing so.

Dutch group HempFlax has invested EUR 5 million in hemp growing and processing in Romania, where it opened its first factory in October. The factory is located in Alba county, in central Romania.

Hemp growing and processing has been increasing in Romania in recent years, as the processed hemp is mostly exported and used in various industries abroad. Several local and international producers are looking to revive this industry.

Before 1989, Romania was the fourth largest hemp exporter worldwide, but the cultivated surfaces went down dramatically after 1990, reaching a few hectares in the early 2000s.

Romania appears on all international drug trafficking routes say specialists at the highest level of the European Union. At the annual conference of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction held this week in Lisbon, Romania was represented by Antena 3.

Sonia Simionov, was the only Romanian journalist invited to take part in the declarations relating to the latest data from the European market and drug trafficking.