Czechia's plans to legalize cannabis
Buy up to 5 grams per day, but register in a database first
The draft new proposal, which the government will debate this month, will also make it legal for firms to grow and sell the drug for recreational purposes.
With the symbolic "420" celebration just a week away, cannabis smokers in Czechia may have a new reason to smile. Czechia plans to introduce a new, regulated cannabis market allowing people to consume up to five grams of cannabis recreationally per day, and legalize the growth and distribution of the drug.
Seznam Zprávy reports that under the government’s new plans, consumers would need to register in a database, and growers and sellers would need to pay annual fees. According to the state’s anti-drug policy coordinator Jindřich Vobořil and the Pirate Party, which is part of the current coalition, the proposal could earn the government around CZK 2 billion per year.
The regulation is still in its draft form and will be debated in parliament this month. If approved, it could be implemented as early as next year.
At present, the possession of small amounts of cannabis in Czechia is decriminalized, but smoking it recreationally is technically still illegal. Cannabis for medicinal use, often in the form of cannabidiol (CBD), has been legal and regulated since 2013.
The cannabis black market is growing across Europe. In the Czech Republic, we seem to have reached its ceiling, and I don't see many other options to prevent its functioning other than to take its demand and put it in the hands of legal sellers. (Anti-drug policy coordinator, Jindřich Vobořil)
More money, greater control
Aside from generating income, Vobořil says that the aim of the strictly controlled market is to increase consumer protection while ensuring that the cannabis produced is safe. The government also wants better control of the quantity of cannabis on the market.
The anti-drug coordinator claims that around 1 million people use illegal cannabis in various forms in the Czech Republic every year.
