Italian parliament voted to legalize the production and sale of a weaker form of cannabis and allow tobacconists and specialized shops to stock cannabis products which must not contain more than 0.5% of the psychoactive compound THC. It approved the amendment after a long-running row pitching former interior minister Matteo Salvini against small business owners and the agriculture lobby.
Italy’s parliament adopted an amendment stating that “cannabis light,” cannabis with a THC content of less than 0.5%, can be sold freely in special shops from Jan. 1, 2020.
Hemp.im provides you with the most current and up-to-date marijuana news and covers wide-ranging topics including hemp and cannabis stocks; hemp products like hemp milk, hemp protein, hemp gummies, creams, buds, and extracts; hemp farming and countless additional hemp products and services.
The Italian parliament approved an amendment to the 2020 budget that finally legalizes the production and sale of “cannabis light” after months of uncertainty for farmers and traders of this fashionable product in the country.
The amendment states that this type of cannabis, with a low presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main active substance with psychotropic effects) of less than 0.5%, can be sold freely in tobacconists and specialized shops from Jan. 1. The only condition is that the THC limit is respected.
In December 2016, Italy approved the production and sale of industrial cannabis, which contains low levels of THC. The law inadvertently left room for entrepreneurs to sell low-THC cannabis, known as C-light or cannabis light.
Two years later, in May 2018, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League, launched a crusade against the proliferation of shops selling lightweight cannabis, which had been unleashed by the law passed.
The Court of Cassation subsequently confirmed that the sale and cultivation of cannabis were illegal. However, the same court asked the judges to verify whether the substance in question had narcotic effects and recalled that Parliament could intervene on the subject in accordance with the principles of the Constitution.
The amendment closed the controversy and avoided a crisis in the sector that had exploded with at least 2,800 shops and about 10,000 new jobs, most of them young.
“It’s the end of a nightmare. After the witch-hunt unleashed by Salvini, I had to fire 10 people and lost 68% of my turnover,” said Luca Fiorentino, founder of the company Cannabidiol Distribution.
Fiorentino said that a New York University study showed that the legal sale of lightweight cannabis reduced drug traffickers’ profits by at least €200 million.
The Union of Italian Farmers believes the measure is “appropriate” and that the land cultivated with cannabis in Italy increased from 400 hectares in 2013 to 4,000 hectares in 2018.
__
(Featured image by Fallon Travels via Unsplash)
DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Hemp.im, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.
This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.
First published in infobae, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.
Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Hemp.im assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Hemp.im is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.
A survey found that women comprise 61% of home cannabis growers, marking a diversion from…
Denmark plans to make its pilot medical cannabis program permanent following its success in treating…
Polish lawmakers have submitted a non-binding petition to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, urging cannabis decriminalization…
The UK medical cannabis market has rapidly grown since legalization in 2018, with private actors…
A new study involving over 23,000 participants in New Zealand found that 60% of people…
The French Ministers of the Interior and Justice announced a comprehensive plan to tackle organized…