On April 1, 2024, Germany became the most populated country on earth to adopt a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure. The butterfly effect of Germany’s policy change has since spread to other parts of the European continent, with Slovenia and Czechia serving as the best examples.
Earlier this year, during the parliamentary elections in Europe, voters in Slovenia decided on two separate cannabis reform measures. The first asked, “Should the Republic of Slovenia allow the cultivation and processing of cannabis for medical purposes on its territory?” Approximately 66.71% of Slovenian voters answered “yes” to that referendum question.
The second question posed to Slovenian voters in June 2024 as part of the referendum votes asked, “Should the Republic of Slovenia allow the cultivation and possession of cannabis for limited personal use on its territory?” Approximately 51.57% of Slovenian voters approved the adult-use question, according to the final results.
The successful votes in Slovenia later culminated in the announcement at the recent International Cannabis Business Conference in Bled, Slovenia, that a cannabis reform measure will be introduced in the country by the end of this year. The announcement of the eventual measure came during Dr. Metka Paragi’s keynote speech. Paragi is a leading international microbiologist who currently serves as the Secretary for Health in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia.
“We fulfill our promise with full responsibility and prepare modern European legislation that will give our citizens access to safe and professionally supported hemp products for health and well-being,” Dr. Paragi stated according to local reporting by N1 SLO. “The current Slovenian legislation allows the use of hemp products for medical purposes, but it has never really taken off. In practice, this manifests itself to a very limited extent and with many obstacles.”
Modernizing Cannabis Policies
The cannabis reform movement in Europe is starting to coalesce around a common goal of modernizing cannabis policies to boost public health outcomes. The basis behind the goal is recognizing that adults are going to consume cannabis whether it’s legal to do so or not. Under prohibition policies, the cannabis products that people consume are completely unregulated, and there is often no way to know what went into making the products, including whether harmful pesticides and herbicides were used during the cultivation process.
Furthermore, under prohibition, the market is completely controlled by non-registered entities. In many cases, those entities are organized crime syndicates who will do anything to protect their profits, including committing violent acts against their competitors and members of communities in which they operate. They don’t have consumers’ health as their top priority, only generating profits. The more that European countries modernize their cannabis policies, the less control organized crime and gangs have over the cannabis market.
Another European nation that has trended in recent years towards legalization is the Czech Republic. Czechia is home to a thriving cannabis community and some very hard-working activists who have pushed for modernized cannabis policies.
The country’s Ministry of Justice recently announced it is proposing that adults should be able to cultivate up to three plants in their private residences. Additionally, the ministry is proposing that adults be able to possess up to 25 grams when away from their residences and up to 50 grams in their homes in the Czech Republic.
The proposal in Czechia involves setting the legal age at 21 years old, which would differ from the legalization models in Germany, Malta, and Luxembourg, all of which have set a legal cannabis age of 18 years old. Uruguay, which legalized cannabis in 2013, and Canada, which legalized cannabis in 2018, both have adopted a legal adult-use cannabis age of 18 years old. The proposed legal age in the Czech Republic would be in line with the legal age limit set in the 24 states in the US that have adopted recreational cannabis legalization.
Eventual cannabis policy modernization laws in both Slovenia and the Czech Republic would have to follow current European Union parameters unless EU agreements are updated before national-level enactment. As was learned via Germany’s legalization process, current EU agreements prohibit robust nationwide recreational cannabis commerce, such as what is currently in place in Uruguay and Canada.
The main components of legalization that are permitted under EU-law include home cultivation, cultivation associations (sometimes referred to as social cannabis clubs), and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials. Pilot trials are permitted under current EU agreements because they are research-focused, with recreational sales being permitted at a local level in order to help lawmakers and regulators be better suited when crafting national laws and rules.
Anyone who wants to find out more about Europe’s evolving cannabis policy and industry landscapes is encouraged to attend an upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference event where leaders from around the globe present and discuss the latest and best information from around the world.
