Cannabis: The current situation in Italy

 

A survey conducted by Ipsos in 2015, 83% of Italians believe soft drug laws are ineffective, 73% are in favor of legal cannabis, and 58% think legalization would benefit public finances . In terms of consumption, 25% of people aged 15-19 admitted to using cannabis for recreational purposes at least once in 2014. Furthermore, according to a 2018 report by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction , Italy ranks third in the European Union in terms of cannabis use .

THERAPEUTIC CANNABIS

To date, thanks to the bill recently approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the doctor can prescribe herbal medicines based on cannabis for pain therapy and other medical uses. The prescription must be disposable, therefore the duration of the treatment must be indicated, which cannot exceed three months, and the cannabis-based drugs prescribed by the doctor  will be paid by the national health service , through an allocation of 1.7 million euros. . The whole process of cultivation, preparation and distribution to pharmacies remains entrusted to the State , and precisely to the military chemical pharmaceutical plant in Florence, even if importation can be authorized in case of need.the regions, on the other hand, have the task of monitoring the prescriptions. 

The Superior Health Council recommended that "measures to prevent the free sale of the aforementioned products be activated in the interest of individual and public health and in application of the precautionary principle". The opinion of the CSS, which was requested by the former Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) , the only agency in charge of doing this, has officially evaluated all available evidence and is issuing scientific recommendations on the therapeutic value and harm related to cannabis. In detail, WHO calls for the removal of the whole marijuana plant and cannabis resin from List IV, the most restrictive category of a 1961 drug convention signed by countries around the world .

CANNABIS LIGHT

In recent years, the production of hemp for industrial use has seen a resurgence in Italy thanks to new technologies and innovative applications involving cannabis plants. In particular, hundreds of new businesses have started growing cannabis in different regions, following the entry into force of broader requirements in 2016 regarding the cultivation of cannabis plants with THC levels between 0.2% and below. to 0.5% , with an estimated cultivated area of ​​400 hectares in 2013 to almost 4000 hectares in 2018 .

In 2016, the “cannabis light” law 242/16 eliminated the need for authorization to plant certified cannabis seeds with low THC levels.

The law also requires farmers to keep certification receipts for up to one year , however the use of cannabis leaves and buds for edible products is still not fully understood. The potential revenues from the sale of legal marijuana in Italy are estimated at over 40 million euros in 2018, and 150 million in 2020, not to mention a potential of over 150,000 jobs generated.

In addition to increasing revenues for the state, the cannabis light sector has reduced revenues from the illegal cannabis market by 10% . It is estimated that  the value of the illegal cannabis market in Italy is estimated at between 7.2 billion and over 30 billion euros, while the value derived from the potential tax revenue deriving from the legalization of cannabis is estimated at between 5.5 and 8.5 billion. of Euro. Furthermore, the potential increase in GDP resulting from a legal cannabis market in Italy is estimated to be between 1.30% and 2.34%.

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