From 1 June 2024, Kyrgyzstan plans to introduce mandatory marking on all types of fuel products. In particular, it is looking to mark gasoline and diesel fuel – sold exclusively at filling stations – with irremovable molecular markers.

In this country case study, Tim McIntyre, Senior Director Excise Control, Canadian Bank Note Company, describes the journey to legalisation of recreational cannabis in Canada, including the launch of an excise regime for a brand new market.

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has revealed that the country’s fuel marking and quality monitoring programme has led to a drastic reduction in fuel adulteration, from 30% in 2015 to less than 0.5% this year.

The governor of California, USA, has approved a law to eliminate single-use plastic RFID tags for tracking and tracing marijuana plants.

As the first G20 nation to legalise recreational cannabis, Canada is well-placed to set the regulatory blueprint for the world. But there are still kinks to be ironed out, including a call by operators for a single national excise stamp to replace the current provincial stamps.

Metrc, one of the two leading providers of technology systems for the regulation of cannabis in the United States, has announced the launch of its sustainable radio frequency identification (RFID) plant tags, designed to reduce waste while maintaining durability and RFID efficiency.

Globally, revenue authorities are broadening their range of excisable goods to widen the tax base and generate more tax revenues.

In late August 2022, a series of enforcement actions by California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) pushed the amount of illegal cannabis seized passed the $1 billion mark.

The market for legal cannabis is growing, and California, the largest regulated cannabis market in the United States, ranks first among states that are taking in more cannabis taxes than alcohol taxes.

Canada’s 2022 budget has proposed potential changes to Canada’s federal excise tax system for cannabis, including allowing licensed cannabis producers to transfer excise duty stamps between them.