Day: May 10, 2021

Green Shoots: Demand for CBD soars during lockdown

Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) and Centre for Medicinal Cannabis (CMC) have launched their report Green Shoots – Sowing The Seeds Of The New UK Cannabis Industry with a new assessment of the size of the UK consumer cannabidiol (CBD) market.

The sector is now estimated to generate £690 million in annual sales for 2021. This figure surpasses predictions made in the seminal market sizing study undertaken by the CMC in 2019 which estimated the market would be worth £526 million in 2021.

The report concludes that the UK now has the most evolved regulatory framework in the world for CBD, and other consumer cannabis extracts, citing recent interventions by the Foods Standards Agency – to regulate products as dietary supplements, and by the Home Office – to consider what are safe and tolerable levels of THC contained in products.

However, the report calls for more government intervention and investment to ensure that the UK optimises what it describes as ‘Britain’s quiet cannabis revolution’.

The report claims that, due to domestic restrictions on hemp cultivation and processing in the UK, the bulk of the profits for this industry are going overseas. This is because UK farmers must destroy the parts of the hemp crop which lucrative CBD is extracted from.

The report argues that the market represents a key growth sector for the UK and it is time for the government to adopt a proactive strategy to seize opportunities in the cannabinoids sector.

The report makes 20 recommendations drawing on a submission recently made to a new governmental Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform, established by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in February, to stimulate post-COVID economic growth.

The report authors call for:

  • A dedicated agency to licence and oversee the industry
  • A new centre of excellence to fund, synthesise and promulgate the best new clinical evidence to boost the UK’s nascent medicinal cannabis market
  • Urgent reform of licensing policy to steer and harness the emerging scientific evidence across the whole spectrum: from agri-science and plant genetics, to novel synthetics, new therapies and clinical trials.

Steve Moore – Co-Founder and Strategic Counsel to the CMC and ACI, said: “With new government support the accidental consumer cannabis revolution that has allowed CBD to become available on every high street in the UK could become permanent, nurturing hundreds of new businesses, thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in exports.

“It’s hard to imagine there many more industries that could benefit almost immediately from the proposals set out in our report.”

Paul Birch, Co-Founder of the CMC and ACI, added: “The size of this cannabinoid sector is now impossible to ignore. Today’s report reveals that sales of CBD products up to the year end of April 2021 are valued at £690m, almost a third higher than our last projection in 2019.

“Almost without notice and certainly by accident rather than design, the UK has improbably become the world’s second largest consumer cannabinoids market.”

Hink Differently!

Scottish entrepreneurs invest DigitalBoost Development Grant to help businesses

Scottish entrepreneurs Lee Fitzpatrick and Jake Murray have joined forces to create a digital enterprise with a difference. Funded with the support of the DigitalBoost Development Grant, Hink is on a mission to help businesses solve real problems, in a post-pandemic era, using the power of creative thinking.  

With the capabilities of supporting business owners and organisations of any size, across any industry, using a diverse mix of creative exercises and business tools, the Hink approach replaces open discussions and brainstorming with a structured process that leads to more ideas, clearer decisions, and better outcomes.  

Lee Fitzpatrick, Co-Founder of Hink, said: “2020 was a year of significant change, where even the smallest challenges have become difficult to navigate.

“We’ve been inspired by the resilient approach taken by business leaders and their teams during this period. Our workshops have been designed to facilitate the clear and creative thinking that is required, right now.” 

Hink’s workshops include Quick Fire Decision Making, Lightning Sprint, Lego Serious Play, and Design Sprint 2.0, provide an unbiased environment for teams to safely express and explore. Using creative problem-solving techniques to ensure that their workshops are interactive, and goal orientated, their aim is to deliver value and clarity for everybody involved. 

Lee continues: “We believe that matching the right person with the right problem, is the key to a successful workshop outcome. That’s why we’re growing a network of workshoppers from across the globe to help solve your business challenges.

“From culture and team building to brand positioning and product development, there’s no business problem we can’t solve thanks to our diverse team of Hinkers.” 

Funded by The Scottish Government in conjunction with Business Gateway, the £10m DigitalBoost Development Grant was launched in 2020, to help businesses do more online and support the Scottish Economy in these challenging times.

The grant was open to all businesses across Scotland who were looking to enhance their service or organisation using digital technology, platforms, and innovation. 

Effective decision making and creative problem solving can accelerate the growth of businesses and the team at Hink are dedicated to facilitating growth and change that will ultimately contribute to better business and a better world.  

Currently, all Hink workshops will be delivered remotely via Zoom through interactive software facilitating an engaging environment, however, the long-term plan is to bring businesses together physically in an inspiring and engaging environment, when it is safe to do so.  

Hink is currently offering free 45-minute support sessions for all businesses across Scotland, providing them with the opportunity to discuss their challenges, meet experienced workshoppers, and explore workshop solutions.

For more information visit www.hink.co 

It’s Ok to Ask: encouraging patients to ask about their treatment

People across Scotland are being encouraged to ask questions about their care and treatment so they can understand what is being recommended for them.

The campaign, ‘It’s OK to Ask’ is designed to  support patients and healthcare professionals in creating positive conversations about care and treatment.

NHS 24’s Head of Pharmacy, Dr John McAnaw says: “It’s happened to us all – you come out of a healthcare appointment realising the questions you forgot to ask, or worrying over the questions you wanted to ask but didn’t.

“This  new campaign encourages a little bit of forward planning around what you’d like to know about your care from your healthcare professional.

“Before an appointment or discussion, take some time to think about what you’d like to know about your treatment. Some handy questions are:

  • What are the benefits of my treatment?
  • What are the risks of my treatment? Are there other treatments I can try?
  • What if I do nothing?

“These kind of questions can help you feel more involved in decisions about your care, and give you confidence in following your healthcare plan.

“Your healthcare professional is happy to answer any questions you might have, as they know it’s better to have patients who are content and informed about their next steps, and simply by being more involved, you’ll be able to make better decisions for you about your own care.”

The campaign is supported by NHS Scotland and is supported by a radio and digital campaign.

Learn more at https://www.nhsinform.scot/oktoask.

Drivers support wider use of average speed cameras on motorways

… despite more than half admitting to breaking the 70mph limit

= Drivers prefer average speed cameras to fixed position ones

= 36% don’t stick to 20mph-limits

More than half of drivers (56%) admit to breaking the speed limit on motorways with a third (34%) of those confessing to having travelled at speeds in excess of 80mph, research from an RAC reveals.

Three per cent say their fastest speed on a motorway was over 100mph while 4% believe their top speed was 91-100mph. While the vast majority – two-thirds (66%) – state their highest speed on a motorway was 71-80mph, a quarter (27%) claim to have driven at 81-90mph.

When asked why they broke the speed limit on a motorway, most drivers (39%) said they were simply following the example set by other motorists, although three-in-10 (31%) say it was because they thought it was safe to travel faster than 70mph.

Other common reasons for speeding on a motorway were: nothing else being on the road (28%); the speed limit being inappropriate (27%) and feeling pressure from other drivers behind (26%).

In terms of what form of speed enforcement drivers think is best for ensuring speed limit compliance on high speed roads where the speed limit is 60mph and 70mph, 58% of the 3,000-plus motorists surveyed for the RAC Report on Motoring said they favoured ‘average speed cameras’ which measure speeds between cameras rather than at a single, fixed location like traditional speed cameras.

Nearly a fifth (18%) felt fixed position cameras are most effective while 12% said it was mobile speed traps, with a similar proportion not offering an opinion.

While average speed cameras are used on a number of A-roads, on motorways they are currently only used in sections of roadworks. More than half of drivers (54%), however, said they would like to see them used in general motorway conditions enforcing the 70mph-limit. Only a quarter (26%) disagreed with this idea, with 18% unsure.

Average speed cameras were also preferred by the majority of drivers for use on 40-50mph limit roads with 46% saying this, compared to 29% for fixed position cameras. On 20-30mph limit roads however, fixed position cameras came out top with 43% of drivers saying they were best and a quarter (25%) opting for average speed cameras, only just ahead of police officers operating mobile speed traps (21%).

While compliance on roads with lower speed limits is far better than the 54% who admit to exceeding the 70mph-limit, an alarming four-in-10 (39%) still admit to frequently disobeying 20mph limits. This rises to a third (33%) on 60mph country roads – statistically some of our least safe roads – and to 36% on 30mph urban roads.

Very worryingly, 11% of limit-breakers claim to have driven above 40mph in a 30mph zone while 10% have exceeded 30mph in a 20mph zone. In the case of the latter, 45% of those who speed at least occasionally say this is because they believe the limit is ‘inappropriate’ for the area or stretch of road in question.

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “Despite more than half of drivers admitting to regularly exceeding the 70-mph speed limit, road safety statistics clearly show that motorways are our safest roads.

“With so many motorists admitting to driving much faster than they should on the motorway, it was interesting to see such strong support for average speed cameras to be used more widely to enforce the 70-mph limit as opposed to just in roadworks, as is currently the case.

“We believe drivers see these cameras as being very effective at reducing speeds over longer distances and controlling traffic flow as well as being fairer than fixed position ones as they aren’t instantly punished for a momentary transgression.

“Our research shows speed limit compliance on all types of road has improved on previous years, but as our study was carried out during the pandemic we suspect this has partly been brought about by the reduction in the number of journeys carried out for the purposes of commuting – or for other business purposes – where drivers feel greater time pressure and may be more tempted to break the law by speeding.”

Forth & Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum meets tomorrow

Forth & Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum reconvenes tomorrow (Tuesday 11 May) at 1pm via Zoom.

For information on how to join the meeting contact Kate Barrett, EVOC Community Planning Development Worker on 0131 555 9100 or email: kate.barrett@evoc.org.uk

08.03.21-Forth-Inverleith-VSF-Draft-NotesDownload

Global Mercy: Scottish engineer announces world’s largest civilian hospital ship

Jim Paterson, the Glasgow born Marine Executive Consultant for Mercy Ships has announced that the Global Mercy ™ has now completed final deep water sea trials.

The Scot, who has served for more than 33 years with the charity described this as being one of the final milestones in the countdown towards the hospital ship’s delivery, equipping, maiden voyage and launch into service to sub-Saharan Africa by 2022.

Deep-water trials are designed to test the vessel during extended sailing time to ensure that all systems are fully operational and in line with strict standards and specifications. Tests include areas engine performance and fuel consumption, navigation and radio equipment, emergency systems, speed tests, maneuverability, engine, and thruster tests as well as safety evaluations.

Paterson, who studied Marine Engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “These deep-water trials represent a critical checklist before delivery of our new purpose-built ship to become the platform for service it is designed to be. 

“Trials systematically test operational aspects by putting the vessel through paces for a week at sea. I am pleased to say that the Global Mercy successfully passed every test,” he continued, “We are then left with some finishing touches in the interior, particularly the hospital area before we take delivery”.

Rob Corley, Chief Operations Officer, confirmed that after Mercy Ships takes final delivery of the vessel, the ship will make its maiden voyage to Belgium as a guest of the Port of Antwerp.  

While docked, the Global Mercy will complete several months of final outfitting and crewing.  This includes installation of medical equipment and IT systems as well as stocking the vessel with supplies through the Mercy Ships European Distribution Center in the Netherlands.

The visit to Europe will culminate in a final send-off from Rotterdam for the ship’s first voyage to Africa.  Mercy Ships also plans to hold an Africa commissioning event for the arrival of the Global Mercy in Dakar in early 2022,  at the start of the ship’s first field service in Senegal.

The purpose-designed hospital decks represent the unique heart of the ship, consisting of six operating theatres and hospital wards for 200 patients, laboratory, general outpatient, ophthalmology and dental clinics.  

The ship has space for up to 950 persons in port including 641 crew, comprised of volunteers from around the globe. The Global Mercy will be especially equipped with first-class training facilities to allow Mercy Ships to contribute to the sustainable support of essential surgical and related skills for local healthcare professionals when docked.

Mercy Ships expects to more than double the charity’s current impact with both life-changing surgeries and training of healthcare professionals during the anticipated 50-year lifespan of the vessel.

The Global Mercy  represents an international collaboration. With an overall length of 174-meters, a beam of 28.6 meters, and a Gross Tonnage of 37,000, the ship is a tailored Passenger Ship-class vessel.

As the first of its kind, the ship has undergone construction at Tianjin Xingang Shipyard, with project management by Stena RoRo AB of Gothenburg, Sweden, and construction design by Deltamarin of Turku, Finland.

The French ship brokerage company Barry Rogliano Salles (BRS) was instrumental in helping negotiate the contract. The new ship is classed by Lloyd’s Register in the UK who was in attendance to witness these important tests. It is flagged by Malta and will initially serve within Africa.

As the world’s largest purpose-built civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy has received wide attention from all over the world from the very beginning of its construction in 2015.

The Global Mercy has a design draft of 6.15 meters and a service speed of 12 knots.

The new vessel is the first ship built from design to implementation by the charity as all previous ships were adapted from other purposes.

The Global Mercy will join the current Mercy Ship, Africa Mercy in service to sub-Saharan and Central Africa. 

‘Scottish democracy is alive and well’

Local Government Information Unit comments on Holyrood results

KIM FELLOWS, Commissioning Editor, Local Government Information Unit Scotland, comments on the Holyrood elections:

The votes are counted and results declared for an unusual election following hot on the heels of an extraordinary year.

Local government has been at the heart of the response to the pandemic, working 24/7 for months and months. This year’s elections were a further example of how local government stepped up and delivered a safe election and protected democracy.

We must offer our thanks to staff that worked hard to deliver the results. Use of postal votes was at a record high and turnout in Scotland was also at a record high, leading some pundits to suggest that elements of this approach might be preserved. Also in Scotland, 16 year olds, refugees and asylum seekers were given the opportunity to vote, an inclusive approach.

SNP were declared as the winners with 64 seats out of a possible 129.  64 seats represents a workable majority for the SNP as from the remaining 65 seats a non voting presiding officer has to be elected.

This is a record fourth term and a strong showing for the ruling government.  In Wales, Labour recorded a record sixth win with 30 seats out of a possible 60, also a working majority.

This now confirms what many suggest, Scotland and Wales with their respective Parliament and Assembly represent different nations within the UK, nations with different political mandates. Boris Johnson is suggesting talks with his counterparts; I wonder what they will talk about?

The new Scottish Parliament with 64 SNP MSPs and a record 8 Green MSPs might look from the outside to be similar to the last one.

However, some facts for you to consider, SP21 has the highest number of women MSPs elected in its history at 45%, that increase is largely due to SNP 53%, Greens 63%, Labour 45%. 

As well as being more female, the MSPs are slightly younger. Also, voters returned women of colour and a permanent wheelchair user. These facts indicate a potential for Holyrood 2021 to be more representative of the people who voted for it and perhaps be more prepared to work together to deliver for Scotland.

It is always fascinating and a little amusing to watch and listen to London centric commentators describe the voting system for Scotland and Wales.

However, Krishnan Guru Murthy put it so well, “Judging the results by whether the SNP wins a majority seems rather a unionist prism.”

The Scottish Parliament system was designed to make getting a majority extremely difficult and that was a decision taken to encourage cross party, consensus political working to tackle the intractable policy issues faced by Scotland.

I know from personal experience that the delivery of a healthy school meals policy and legislation in the first Scottish Parliament was achieved by cross party consensus, not a single party majority. This was also the case for the smoking ban and more recently the groundbreaking period poverty private members bill.

Voters have spoken. The Alba project failed to gain a seat. George Galloway failed to gain a seat. These facts should not be forgotten when the London centric media try to comment on democracy and devolution in Scotland and Wales.

Scottish democracy is alive and well, the record turnout from people in Scotland has shown they are interested in who represents them and what their values are.

A number of councillors are now new MSPs and I have seen heartfelt pleas from colleagues to remember where they came from. In an election where local government barely got a mention, we at LGIU are waiting to hear what the new Scottish Government has planned. We will continue to bring you all the latest news.

After May 13th, when all MSPs take their pledges to the people of Scotland, we will want to know how the new government they put their trust in will deliver on the promises made and build a recovery for a fairer, just and inclusive Scotland.

First meeting of new parliament to take place on Thursday

The first meeting of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament will take place on Thursday 13 May.

Writing to party leaders following the weekend election count, the Parliament’s Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Ken Macintosh, has announced that newly elected MSPs will be sworn in on Thursday 13 May. The elections for the Parliament’s new Presiding Officer will also take place that day.

The Presiding Officer has the power to set the date under the Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Act 2021. In deciding on the date the Parliament will first sit, the Presiding Officer consulted with both the Electoral Commission and Electoral Management Board.

Further details of the Parliament’s first days will be issued early this week.

TEXT OF LETTER FROM PRESIDING OFFICER TO PARTY LEADERS

I am writing in relation to my role under Section 9 of the Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Act 2021 to “fix the day on which the Parliament is first to meet after the poll for the 2021 election”.

Following consultation with the Electoral Commission and Electoral Management Board, as required under the Act, I am pleased to announce that I am now able to fix the date of the first meeting of Parliament as Thursday 13 May, when newly elected Members will be sworn in and elect a new Presiding Officer.

Colleagues can expect to receive further information on the arrangements for both items of business from the Parliamentary Business Team in the coming days.

This date will now be made public and announced in the Business Bulletin.

I understand that this is a time of mixed emotions and fortunes for your parties and candidates. I would however like to take the opportunity to thank you for your support and co-operation throughout the last session and to also pass on my best wishes for whatever the next five years hold for you and your parties and for the Parliament.

Police appeal after van driver fails to stop after collision on bypass

Appeal to trace van driver who hit car on city bypass and drove off

Police are asking the driver of a white van which was involved in a minor crash with a black BMW on the A720, city bypass, just before the Old Craighall junction, to get in touch.

The incident happened at around 5.25pm on Thursday, 6 May as both vehicles were driving eastbound. The driver of a white Renault van has cut in from lane two to lane one and on doing so has hit the BMW, causing damage to vehicle and then continued on its journey east on the A720. The driver and his teenage passenger in the car were uninjured.

Anyone who was driving on the A720 on Thursday evening and could have dash cam footage of the incident, or who saw either vehicle prior too, or after the collision, if asked to contact officers.

The driver of the van is asked to contact police as soon as possible. Those who can help should contact Police Scotland via 101 and quote incident number 2417 of 6 May