Last week, Italy decided to approve a reform that will decriminalize any home cultivation of cannabis for personal, adult recreational use.
The European country’s Lower House’s justice committee has approved home cultivation of up to four cannabis plants in each household. The next step to the process is a debate and ratification of the vote by the Upper House before. This is the remaining action necessary for this measure to become law.
Many people in support of the law change have expressed the necessity of allowing the people of Italy (or the world in general) to grow cannabis for all of its medicinal and therapeutic uses.
Image via @weedinitaly on Instagram
Political Parties and Cannabis in Italy
Mario Perantoni of the Five Star Movement political party said that “The cultivation of hemp at home is essential for patients who must make [medical and] therapeutic use of [cannabis] and who often do not find it available, as well as to combat the [cannabis black market] sale and the consequent criminal behavior.”
However, the politicians of the center-right have strongly opposed the measure, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera. Fortunately, there have been enough factions backing the reform.
Italian Legislation and Laws Surrounding Cannabis
Thirty years ago, Italian legislation prohibited farming or selling any part of a cannabis plant. But two years ago, Italy’s Supreme Court ruled that growing small amounts of weed at home for private usage was legal. Contradicting court decisions in place since the 90s have thrown the law into a pool of uncertainty.
Currently, the court declares that laws surrounding narcotic drugs shouldn’t include micro cultivations in someone’s home for their personal use.
This has triggered calls for extended legislation from cannabis advocates and animosity from people identifying as conservatives.
However, there was a change in law back in 2016 that led to a boom in trade for Italy. The allowance of cannabis with a psychotropic active ingredient, like THC, with levels below 0.6% to be sold in legal shops by Italian legislation is something that was a benefit for the country. So, the current measure should be seen as positive and beneficial for the entire country.
