Moderator_02

It does not help that Panama’s medical cannabis legalization has been tainted by accusations of corruption. According to one report, Canadian company Canna Med Panama, SA “was not only attentive to the debates in the National Assembly to approve Bill 153, which seeks to regulate the use of medicinal cannabis, but also sponsored a trip to Louisiana by five officials, some key in making decisions about the future business of the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.” Bill 153 was approved last August by the National Assembly and is pending signature by the country’s president. The new legislation established four license categories: importation of cannabis derivates, production cannabis derivates, cultivation, and research. In the case of license applicants who are natural persons, the new law requires them to provide their nationality, which logically suggests that foreign nationals may be granted licenses; the bill is silent on whether Panamanian residence is requires. As to legal persons, the bill requires that they provide their Public Registry information, without clarifying if this includes analogous information, such as that in a Secretary of State’s registry in the United States (though we’ll go out on a limb and suggest it’s not that hard to open a subsidiary in Panama). Regulations issued after the bill becomes law may provide additional clarification. Once the bill is signed into law, Panama will be in a somewhat odd situation: It will gave a legal regime for medical cannabis, but not one for hemp. Hopefully the situation can soon be rectified, with the passage of Bill 323. For now, there’s a key takeaway for cannabis advocates throughout Latin America and other emerging markets. In regions with deep inequalities, licensing programs may be seen as giveaway for powerful interests, if not properly framed and explained. As with all other areas of governance, transparency is key. Moreover, cannabis legalization efforts may garner broader support if they are seen as economic opportunity vehicles for regular citizens. Provisions that ensure a part of the reaped profits go to those most in need can help. Relatedly, cannabis businesses, in particular those from abroad, must be careful when it comes to involvement in local politics. Backlashes against perceived corruption may derail otherwise-positive initiatives and fuel resentment against participating parties. https://harrisbricken.com/cannalawblog/panama-set-to-have-legal-medical-cannabis-but-hemp-bill-stalls/

https://nypost.com/2021/09/22/solar-superstorm-could-prompt-internet-apocalypse-global-outages/

Moderator comment: The following is posted as an exception to CL policy because of the potential global impact of this solar flare super storm on power grids and communications infrastructure, including the Internet. https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/solar-storm-expected-to-hit-earth-soon-could-cause-power-grid-satellite-disruptions-agency_4043159.html

Great response. Thanks.

Glad you got the problem resolved. Out of curiosity, what was the problem and the solution? Welcome to Boquete. There are many positives about life in the Chiriqui highlands, with very friendly people and great weather among them. How did you come to select Boquete?

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/car-dignity-speech-backfires

https://www.power-eng.com/gas/aes-takes-100-percent-take-in-381-mw-panama-lng-fired-power-plant/

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/twisting-the-law-for-political-survival

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/cultural-storm-over-heritage-auction

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/quotpanama-papers-hearing-postponed-until-november-1

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/pfizer-covid-vaccine-safe-for-5-yr-olds-study

https://www.newsroompanama.com/travel/us-to-end-restrictions-for-vaccinated-air-travelers