Italy Struggles To Set Regulations For Home Grow
The European country is struggling to create regulations and guidelines for home grow after Italy’s top court decriminalized cannabis in late December 2019
In a sign that Covid might have slowed but cannot indefinitely delay the progress of cannabis legalization across the continent, and even in some of its most conservative countries, a committee of the Italian Senate (the Justice Committee of the Chamber of Deputies) has voted to allow Italians the right to grow up to four cannabis plants at home.
This move comes “only” 21 months after the Court of Cessation, the equivalent of the Supreme Court, ruled that the “crime” of cultivating narcotic drugs should be changed to allow small amounts of the plant grown at home and for the exclusive use of the grower. While the delay absolutely had to do, partly, with Covid, not every politician is copacetic about this kind of cannabis reform. Indeed, right-wing League Party leader and former interior minister Matteo Salvini stands fastly opposed to the idea. “Drugs cause harm, forget about growing them or buying them in shops” he said in a statement issued shortly after Italian lawmakers signalled their intent to let this legislation progress for both amendments and the full consideration of the 630 deputies in plenary session.
How Popular Is the Idea of Home grow In Europe?
Home grow is a perennially sticky wicket just about everywhere the regulated if not medical cannabis industry has begun to cultivate if not distribute. In Canada and the United States, such enterprises seeded the basis for the industry to begin. It is not a right, however, that can exist unimpeded by some kind of regulation, even in Canada, where regulators are concerned now about such cannabis entering the commercial market.
In Europe, these issues have not been widely legislated, although it is clear that Italy is leading the fight on this aspect of reform. It is also not likely to be the last country where this right is won by patients, and in court.
The Impact on The German Discussion
Within the German cannabis industry there is a great deal of discussion about how the upcoming elections might change the state of cannabis reform in the country. With several countries all around Deutschland now clearly moving forward on more progressive reform, beyond this development in Italy, it is likely that some kind of progress is in the offing.
What that will look like, however, particularly in the aftermath of patient lawsuits not only for access but cultivation, is anyone’s guess.
Stay tuned. The worm is certainly turning.
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