Italian Committee Approves Measure to Legalize Recreational Cannabis
218 members of Italy’s parliament have signed on to a measure to legalize recreational cannabis which was given approval yesterday by the Intergrupo Parlamentare Cannabis Legale, a cross-party committee of lawmakers. The proposal now goes to Italy’s full 945 member parliament for consideration.
If approved into law, the measure would allow adults in Italy to possess and cultivate cannabis for recreational purposes, while legalizing cannabis retail outlets, and cannabis social clubs where up to 50 people can cultivate the plant as a group.
Among the backers of the measure are members of the Five Star Movement, the Greens, and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Democratic Party.
“We think that in Europe and in Italy it makes sense to work to follow the example of countries that first switched to a system of full legal regulation of the production, sale and consumption of cannabis, adapting its features to our social and legal context”, the committee said in a report.
Italy’s parliament is expected to start debating the measure this month.
– TheJointBlog
David
Fantastic! I’ve spent a lot of time in Milan and the Piedmont over the years. Although it’s widely known that Italy has one of the most corrupt governments in Western Europe. I’ll bet they pull marijuana legalization off much cleaner than any off the over- taxed and over-regulated American States. Of course doing it better than Washington State is not a very high bar for Italy to beat. When I think of Washington’s abject failure at marijuana legalization, I think about who’s ran the ship aground: Huey, Dewey and Louie.
D-Tom
Really surprised to see this. Some douchebag from an EU agency said US-style legalization was not likely. Britain went from decrim to its tabloid-driven “skunk” panic and reclassification to a Class B drug. Sweden with its prohibitionist nanny state. France with their wine-soaked hypocrisy. Reefer Madness in the Old World. Even the Netherlands tightened things up over the years, some of their cafes are now members only and nobody there is allowed to grow it still. All to keep a violent criminal underground well funded, of course. You should see a drug dealer lose his shit in the Netherlands when a coffee shop steals his customers. Yay prohibition!