Albanian Parliament Legalizes Medical Cannabis Cultivation

Albanian parliamentarians have approved a law legalizing the cultivation of medical cannabis, with 69 votes in favor and 23 against. The decision aims to allow controlled production of medical cannabis, despite facing some opposition. The move comes in the wake of Albania’s history as a hub for the cannabis trade in Europe. The details of how medical cannabis will be regulated are still unclear.

Albanian parliamentarians have approved a law last Friday that legalizes the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes. In general, the proposal was met with overwhelming support, although it faces fierce opposition from some quarters.

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Albanian Support Is Overwhelming, But Road Forward Unclear

The Albanian parliament voted 69 in favor and 23 against, allowing for limited and controlled production of cannabis. However, this decision was met with strong opposition from the opposition.

It is unclear how Albania will regulate medical cannabis, but the government believes that allowing the production of cannabis could increase tax revenues.

AP Notes Decision Remarkable Given Albanian History

As noted by the Associated Press, the enactment of this law is remarkable, considering the Albanian history as a “European hub of cannabis trade.”

In the past, cannabis cultivation flourished in Albania due to drug traffickers taking advantage of the lack of strong authority in the post-communist country.

Realization of a Decade-old Goal for the Socialist Party

Since coming to power in 2013, the leftist government of the Socialist Party, under the leadership of Prime Minister Edi Rama, aimed to eliminate cannabis cultivation as its main goal.

According to the Associated Press, over the next two years, the Albanian government destroyed millions of cannabis plants with a market value estimated at 7 billion euros (8.5 billion dollars), accounting for over two-thirds of the country’s annual GDP.

Prohibition Caused More Harm Than Good

In 2014, during an anti-drug operation in a southern village using armored vehicles, a police officer was fatally shot. The police came under fire from automatic rifles and rocket launchers from drug producers.

Albania remains one of the main corridors for the trafficking of hard drugs. The police continue to suppress isolated cases of cannabis cultivation, but much less frequently than a decade ago.

Albanian Legalization of Medical Cannabis

Albanian lawmakers began work on the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes last year, creating a draft law. However, the initial draft was vague and did not precisely define how the new program related to the medical use of cannabis would be regulated.

“This law aims to define the rules for the cultivation, production, and controlled trade of cannabis plants and their derivatives for medical and industrial purposes through licensed entities and under the supervision of the National Agency for Control and Supervision of Cannabis Plant Cultivation and Processing for Medical and Industrial Purposes and Production of Its Derivatives,” the draft Albanian law stated.

After the law’s adoption this week, it appears that little has changed. The regulation of medical cannabis use is still unclear, but the Albanian government believes that permitting limited cannabis production could increase the country’s fiscal income.

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(Featured image by Sadik Brika via Pexels)

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