2020 has been a year of firsts, not least for the cannabis industry. There have been some major positive developments along with some setbacks too.

A ruling from the European Court of Justice (CJEU) opens up the French market for CBD, and sets the stage for a regulatory U-turn from the European Commission on novel foods.

The team at First Wednesdays (FW), part of The Hanway Company, has been working to create a map of the leading companies in the European medical cannabis ecosystem.

Recently-announced plans by the European Commission to regulate CBD from hemp flowers as a narcotic will have far-reaching consequences for the European CBD industry. We break down what the potential decision means for EU and UK companies, and what possible flashpoints for reform lie ahead.

With both economic and environmental arguments overwhelmingly in its favour, it looks as though it is only a matter of time before policy is aligned to allow UK farmers and businesses to extract the full potential of this crop.