In recent months, the debate surrounding the legalization of cannabis for recreational use it is back in the limelight, not only in Italy but also within the European borders. Some countries, including Malta and Luxembourg, have made significant progress in this direction while the new German government has a large evaluation project on its agenda that should lead, as early as next autumn, to a bill for legalization.
This new trend is anything but impromptu; a recent study, in fact, has shown that over half of European citizens are in favor of decriminalizing the use of cannabis derivatives for recreational purposes. This is what is reported by the site Bloomberg.com, according to which it is a "clear signal for entrepreneurs and investors looking to capitalize on the growth of the industry".
According to Alastair Moore, founder of Hanway Associates, a marijuana research agency, the expansion of the European cannabis pharmaceutical market and the explosion of CBD-containing wellness products has changed the collective perception of public opinion. . "The narrative around cannabis"- Moore commented -"now it is no longer so much about alarmism. This shift from reticence to acceptance is a good sign for entrepreneurs and investors entering this market".
Data on European countries
Although, in general, more than half of European citizens (55%) are in favor of legalizing cannabis (as much as 80% approve the sale through government-controlled and regulated channels), the percentages change significantly from one country to another. . In Portugal, for example, a large section of the resident population is in favor of legalization; surprisingly in the Netherlands there is the most pessimistic attitude towards the prospect of regulating or decriminalizing the use of cannabis for recreational purposes (only 47% expressed a positive opinion). The figure is surprising not so much in an absolute sense as because in the Netherlands the recreational use of substances derived from cannabis - despite being widely spread - is simply tolerated, i.e. it is not legalized but not even considered explicitly legal (within certain limits).
As mentioned, Germany is among the countries where the executive has announced its intention to undertake the regulatory process for the decriminalization of cannabis. This is an eventuality that would have considerable consequences, both from an economic and a political point of view; in the event that one of the major European powers decides to legalize cannabis, a sort of domino effect could be triggered for which many other countries would be pushed to do the same or, at least, to concretely evaluate the possibility of decriminalizing the recreational use of derivatives cannabis.
The situation in Italy
Italy is also among the countries where public opinion is generally in favor of legalization. Compared to the past, however, concrete steps have been taken during the last legislature to try to implement at the regulatory level the changes necessary for the decriminalization of the personal use of cannabis. At the moment the so-called 'Perantoni bill', which passed the discussion in the Chamber of Deputies and passed to the Senate, is being examined by the chambers. Before the formation of the new executive, however, it is difficult to hypothesize what the fate of the text will be, since the political parties have expressed rather divergent positions.
At the same time, there is already a type of in our country legal cannabis, other than pharmaceutical; these are hemp derivatives (produced pursuant to Law 242 of 2016) a low THC content, also available online through specialized e-commerce such as products-cannabis.it. Under current regulations, the maximum permitted rate must not exceed 0,5%, a concentration so low that the possibility of psychotropic effects is minimized.
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