DDL Cannabis, remains in quarantine in Parliament: Government Absent to the needs of citizens

In  January 2019  , Senator Matteo Mantero proposed a  legal  cannabis bill  in order to legalize the cultivation, processing and trade of inflorescences, oil and derivatives of industrial hemp. Currently the proposal seems to be stalled, so much so that the traders in the sector are in a really uncertain situation in advising and protecting their customers.

If you were looking for the details on the cannabis DDL and the  updates to 2020 , you are reading the right article for you. We will tell you about the content of the bill and the progress that has (or has not) been made in the months following its publication.

What does the legal cannabis bill propose?

Senator Matteo Mantero 's  bill  would give people the opportunity to grow up to 3 female cannabis seedlings at home or in associated form (up to 30 members). It would also allow a maximum of  15 grams of  cannabis  to be held at home and 5 grams outside their home.

That's not all: the cannabis bill is also aimed at producers and  traders of legal marijuana ,   CBD oil  and CBD hashish . In fact, it provides for the regulation of the cannabis market with very low THC content and the products deriving from it, authorizing the sale for food use and the raising of the THC limit up to 1%. Mantero also talked about it on his personal Facebook profile, stating that more than 70% of Italians would like to legalize cannabis . 

Why is cannabis legalization important?

The main reasons are 2:

• first and foremost the clear reduction in the sale of marijuana, 
• secondly, the profits of the state , since marijuana would be taxed, benefiting the Italian economy - currently in severe crisis -. 

The possibility of having an absolutely legal product at hand would lead consumers to use only safe and excellent quality products. You should know that over 90% of the cannabis samples from the black market analyzed during a study had various harmful substances.

It is sadly known, in fact, that drug dealers (to gain weight and to increase the psychotropic effects of a poor quality product) cut the grass with other substances , that is, they add chemical components to the buds, including rat poison, ammonia, wool glass and much more. 

As a result, the herb, from a natural product and without major side effects, can become dangerous. We do not doubt that much of the polls on the negative effects of cannabis may have been biased, at least in part, due to the foreign substances present in the product.

In Italy, cannabis and  hashish consumers  are about 5 million, so it is essential to guarantee their safety by giving way to the production and legal trade of these soft drugs.

Regarding the economy, Senator Mantero said that Italy should take an example from countries that have legalized cannabis on almost the entire territory, such as California, Canada, Spain, Holland and other states. The results of these countries speak for themselves: the number of cannabis users does not grow after legalization, but  the state coffers grow and those of the black market are reduced.

And it seems that even the National Anti-Mafia Directorate is convinced that making cannabis legal would only bring benefits to our country.

The 2015 report of the National Anti-Mafia Directorate.

You must know that the DNA (National Anti-Mafia Directorate), in its 2015 annual report, stated that the State would save almost 800 million euros from the elimination of the crime of production and sale of soft drugs. This amount is spent each year in judicial and public order and security proceedings to combat the sale of cannabis and hashish. These economic resources could instead be invested in combating the sale and use of hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin and other extremely dangerous drugs. But where are we with the approval of the  legal cannabis bill  ?  

Why is the legal cannabis bill still stopped?

The reason is simple: the proposal took place  when both the 5 Star Movement and the League were in the government,  as Matteo Salvini resigned on August 20, 2019 while the cannabis bill was proposed in January 2019

. was rejected by both the Lega and Forza Italia, and the amendments to law 242/2016 which authorized the production and trade of cannabis light (and products derived from it) were rejected in the Senate. It will not surprise you to know that Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, before being elected President of the Senate, belonged to Forza Italia. Be that as it may, the situation as of 1 August 2020 is completely stalled  


 : we wait for Matteo Mantero or another far-sighted senator to make a new proposal (or take up the old one) on the legalization of cannabis, hashish and legal weed  and we cross our fingers.

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