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Study: Most Czechs want easing of laws on cannabis
76% of citizens agree with the regulated sale of cannabis to persons over the age of 18
Radio Prague (Czech Republic)
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Most Czechs would favour an easing of the current legalisation on possession and cultivation of cannabis, suggests a study by the firm Behavio for the group Charta 420, who support calls from the national anti-drug coordinator, Jindřich Vobořil, for soft drug liberalisation. The survey indicates that two out of three Czechs agree with the decriminalisation of cannabis and the regulation of the sale of marijuana to adults. One-quarter of those questioned said they would leave current law in the area in place, while 3 percent want tougher regulations on drug use, the study suggests. (See also: Poll: Most people would relax laws on possession and cultivation of cannabis) -
Regulated cultivated cannabis experiment delayed again; could start in 2024
The investment costs for those growing the cannabis have also increased "exponentially" due to inflation and increased construction and energy costs
NL Times (Netherlands)
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said that the experiment in regulated cultivated cannabis will be postponed again. He expects that "as it stands now" only legally produced cannabis will be able to be sold in coffeeshops in eleven municipalities in 2024, and that it is not possible to launch the project during the second quarter of 2023 as previously announced. He does want to try to begin with a "start-up phase" in a smaller number of municipalities. The government intends to adopt a position on the legalization of cannabis in 2024. Due to the postponement of the experiment, the research report on this will not be ready by then. That is why Kuipers and Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz will look over the situation and draw whatever conclusions they can on the basis of the information available at that time. -
Law aiming to clear simple drug convictions expected next year
Dates for expected public consultation yet to be given
Times of Malta (Malta)
Friday, December 2, 2022
Malta won’t see a bill that introduces a path to clearing simple drug convictions from people’s criminal records until sometime next year. A spokesperson for the ministry of equality and reforms said that a public consultation would be “kickstarted in the coming months, with the aim of presenting legislative amendments next year”. Last year, parliament approved a sweeping cannabis reform, which, along with decriminalising cannabis for personal use, allowed anyone with a criminal record for cannabis possession to have it struck off. In June, Prime Minister Robert Abela said the government was seeking to consult with stakeholders on the possibility of extending that forgiveness to any person with a simple drug possession conviction. -
Légalisation du cannabis : des failles à tous les étages
Les autorités judiciaires réclament une «révision en profondeur» du projet de loi qui vise à légaliser la culture et la consommation de cannabis à domicile
Le Quotidien (Luxembourg)
Mardi, 29 novembre 2022
«Est-ce que la légalisation envisagée ne posera pas plus de questions pratiques qu’elle n’en résoudra, notamment par rapport aux contrôles du nombre de plants autorisés pour la culture par une communauté domestique?» C’est Brigitte Konz, la présidente du tribunal d’arrondissement de Diekirch, qui résume le mieux les nombreuses interrogations énoncées dans les avis rendus par les autorités judiciaires sur le projet de loi visant à légaliser partiellement le cannabis récréatif au Luxembourg. La liste des «difficultés et incongruités» mises en avant notamment par le parquet général est longue : contradictions, inégalités de traitement, manque de clarté, oublis, grave erreur de logique ou encore porte grande ouverte aux abus. Bref, la ministre de la Justice, Sam Tanson, est renvoyée à ses études. -
Basic legislation proposal on legalizing cannabis should be ready by March 2023
Thanks to the controlled sale, the state could receive billions of crowns annually in taxes
ČTK (Czechia)
Friday, November 25, 2022
A basic legislation proposal for introducing a regulated cannabis market in Czechia should be finished by the end of March, the country’s National Drug Coordinator Jindřich Vobořil said after a meeting of experts. The proposal should lay the foundations for the rules of handing licenses to producers, distributors and sellers, as well as to the formation of so-called cannabis clubs and the cultivation of cannabis. The idea is to "create three principles of regulation". This should cover licensing, cannabis clubs and self-growing. The so-called substantive plan should be in place by the end of the first quarter of 2023. The proposal should then be discussed by coalition politicians and the government. Work would then continue on drafting specific paragraphs. -
Poland: Cannabis for everyone?
Poland has some of Europe's most restrictive drug laws. But lax medical marijuana rules have healthy people lining up for prescriptions
Deutsche Welle (Germany)
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
The distribution and use of cannabis for medical purposes became legal in Poland in 2017. By 2021, doctors across Poland were writing roughly 3,000 marijuana prescriptions a month. But how many monthly prescriptions go to patients who really need medical marijuana, and how many to others faking illness in order to gain access to cannabis? "That's hard to say," explains Andrzej Dolecki, chairman of the Free Hemp movement, one of the oldest organizations in the fight for the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana in Poland. "Rules for medical cannabis are very liberal, not because politicians designed them that way but because of their amateurism." (See also: Polish activists advocate for cannabis legalisation) -
High hurdles face Germany's cannabis legalization plans
The German government is moving towards legalizing marijuana, creating an entirely new industry in the country. But the effort faces significant challenges, including European law
Der Spiegel (Germany)
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
The legalization of cannabis is a prestige project for the current coalition government. Berlin doesn't just intend to decriminalize the substance, but also wants to regulate its cultivation and distribution, to change regulations on legal limits for driving and, to advance health and youth protection regulations. However, there are doubts in Brussels as to whether the German plans are consistent with EU regulations. Current EU law requires member states to criminalize all activities relating to the trafficking of cannabis – from production to preparation and distribution to sale. The Commission has also hinted at a loophole: EU law does not lay down any requirements for the personal use of cannabis; that is a matter for the member states. Whether that is broad enough to get the green light from Brussels for the entire legalization plan is questionable. -
Activists fear medical cannabis companies want in on recreational market
MaltaToday understands that a medical cannabis company has already reached out to the government over its intention to “know the way forward” on recreational cannabis
Malta Today (Malta)
Monday, November 21, 2022
Established medical cannabis companies could be looking to set their foot in Malta’s flegdling recreational cannabis market, according to sources. Releaf, the NGO that led the campaign to legalise recreational cannabis, fear that the sacking of the Authority for Responsible Use of Cannabis’s first director could lead to the dealer-driven black economy for cannabis poised for a takeover “an equally profit-driven market run by a few friends in high places”. Mariella Dimech was sacked after 10 months in the job, with not one single licence for the non-profit cannabis ‘clubs’ having yet been issued. Dimech complained that she had been left without a functional office, staff, budget or political strategy with which to carry out her job. (See also: McKay appointment a ‘direct insult to the spirit of the law’, says Releaf Malta) -
New York has $750m worth of cannabis stockpiled that growers can’t sell
Cannabis farmers have ‘an unclear path to market’ as the state has yet to approve retail dispensaries
The Guardian (UK)
Saturday, November 19, 2022
A strong smell of weed hangs over many New York neighbourhoods, the result in part of cannabis decriminalization in 2019 – but cannabis growers in the state are at an impasse when it comes to getting their crops to market. Almost 300,000 pounds of the drug, worth as much as $750m, from last summer’s production at 200 state-licensed farms are stockpiled, without a place to be sold and in danger of deteriorating, according to a Bloomberg report. Distribution issues are to blame. Although the New York City has vape shops selling marijuana and CBD products on almost every street, and there are mobile weed vans on Times Square, New York’s office of cannabis management has yet to approve retail dispensaries. (See also: New York approves firms to build first social equity marijuana dispensary storefronts days before key regulators meeting) -
Anutin calls for patience as debate over hemp bill drags on
With the new ministerial announcement in place, the control of recreational cannabis use will slightly improve while the country waits for the cannabis and hemp law
The Bangkok Post (Thailand)
Thursday, November 17, 2022
A new announcement categorising flowers or buds of the cannabis plant as "controlled herbs" is a temporary measure to curb the proliferation of recreational cannabis use in Thailand while the deliberation of the bill on cannabis and hemp continues to drag on, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said. This latest announcement is only one of the many small legal measures being used to control the recreational use of cannabis that has increased rapidly following the decriminalisation of cannabis in June. The problem of the increasing recreational use of cannabis continues while Thailand waits for the cannabis and hemp bill -- an all-in-one legal mechanism to ensure better control of cannabis use in the country and limit it to medicinal purposes -- to be passed into law.
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