by David Vaillencourt
CEO and Founder at The GMP Collective, and Board Chair of S3 Collective
I recently attended and moderated a panel at the inaugural Global Cannabis Regulatory Summit, held in Washington, D.C. on March 26-27, 2025. Hosted by Artemis Growth Partners, Tenacious Labs, and The Liaison Group, the invite-only attendees represented 17 nations, including high-level government officials, UN treaty body members, regulators, investors, legal experts, healthcare professionals, researchers, insurance providers, trade association representatives, and executives from publicly traded cannabis companies.
The Summit was organized around two central pillars: medical vs. adult-use cannabis regulation, and the need for global harmonization and standardization. Sessions balanced education, problem identification, and the proposal of practical solutions.
Below is my summary of the key themes and takeaways from the event. The insights and views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of any individual speaker, organization, or event organizer.
A unifying message across nearly every session was the urgent call for harmonization and standardization. Regardless of whether the discussion focused on patient access, healthcare, investment risk, or regulation, stakeholders consistently recognized that global inconsistencies create confusion, risk, and inefficiency.
During a panel moderated by Dave Vaillancourt (S3 Collective), leadership from the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), ASTM International, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) highlighted how their organizations—collectively responsible for over four centuries of standard-setting across regulated industries—offer practical pathways to overcome these barriers.
Key Insight: Standardization bodies are uniquely positioned between conservative treaty organizations and fast-moving industry actors. They are the ideal neutral force to bridge global gaps.
There was broad agreement on the need to clearly delineate medical from adult-use cannabis, both in policy and practice. Under international treaties, cannabis is permitted for medical and scientific use, with each nation determining its own definitions. However, global models vary widely.
Unique attributes of various medical access models:
United States: Dispensary model for distribution, health care providers (HCPs) ‘recommend’. The latitude in which HCPs are allowed to recommend based on conditions varies greatly between states.
Canada: Medical cannabis is dispensed only by mail, with no advice allowed at adult-use stores. Of note, veterans medical cannabis is reimbursed by the national health care system.
Colombia: Considered a highly restrictive market in terms of patient access with a very limited patient enrollment (approx 1,000 adults), has resulted in an export-dominant market. The top 2 producers export >80% of all medical cannabis.
Brazil: Counter to Colombia, their program emphasized patient access, has lowered barriers to conducting clinical trials, and uses Sanitary Authorizations rather than the traditional approved drug pathway to ensure access to products.
Argentina: Prioritizes smaller operations and permissible social use
Mexico: Despite legalizing in 2017, no approved legal supply has been established
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Is prioritizing the local culture and embracing traditional cultivation and access as they develop their program.
France: A medical cannabis pilot program is now in its 5th year, and the costs of the medicines are reimbursed via their national healthcare system.
Czech Republic: Rescheduled before the UN, with first license being issued back in 2013
Malta (adult use): Oversight is predominantly through random testing of products at collectives and social clubs
Key Challenges
The cannabis industry must take responsibility for being at the forefront with science and self-regulation to mitigate emerging risks—especially around impact litigation and public health.
Key Point: Industry-led innovation must be paired with public accountability. Establishing and following recognized standards is a critical step in this process.
The Summit revealed a pervasive gap in education across the cannabis ecosystem:
Proposed Solution: Develop systems where educated healthcare professionals can work with governments to help establish national supply needs, quotas, and best practices—especially critical for maintaining treaty obligations.
As moderator of the Summit’s panel on standardization, the S3 Collective demonstrated how it operates at the intersection of industry, standards organizations, government, and research. As the leading global think tank, the S3 Collective provides the structure, data, and trusted leadership to accelerate solutions that benefit all stakeholders in the cannabis space.
Next Step for Stakeholders: Engage with standards bodies (USP, ISO, ASTM) and conveners like the S3 Collective to participate in the development of robust, science-driven frameworks that bridge global gaps in cannabis regulation.
A detailed report is being prepared by Prohibition Partners that will be published by the end of Q2 2025. This report will be a compilation of 3-5 page white papers for each panel summarizing the key points of the discussion with a focus on setting out key challenges and action steps to resolve.
The S3 Collective is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank committed to advancing the cannabis, hemp, and other botanical industries through collaboration, education, and standardization. Led by a diverse array of scientific experts and leaders, the S3 Collective is accelerating the scientific research needed to develop and improve Standards that will ensure consumer and patient safety.
For more information on how to become a corporate supporter, please contact Board Chair, David Vaillencourt at [email protected] or visit our website for more information at www.s3collective.org.
