Did the UN Just Force Albania to Legalize Medical Marijuana?

Albania urged to implement medical cannabis reform after UN criticism

Albania, a small country in Southeastern Europe, will be difficult to locate on a map for many. Albania is a coastal country that lies directly across from the Adriatic Sea. Currently, events in the small country are unique to discussions surrounding cannabis legalization.

Not long ago, Albania was ranked as the seventh worst country in the world for illegal cannabis deals. Now his government has decided to legalize medicinal cannabis in the country. The law aims to regulate the control of processing and cultivation of cannabis plants. I will also regulate the production of cannabis by-products for both industrial and medicinal uses.

The importance of legalization

The bill does not provide enough detail beyond its aim to regulate the cultivation and production of cannabis for medicinal purposes and export. Although additional details now released in press coverage revealed that licenses will be granted for 150 hectares of greenhouses and various covered and secured areas.

The license issued should also be valid for a maximum of 15 years. Businesses must also have a minimum working capital of $85,000, employ at least 15 workers, and pay the state a tax rate of $1.50 on annual sales of crops grown.

Regardless, the most interesting perspective on recent developments is that the draft law was introduced in particular by the high ranking Albania has achieved in recent UN reports on crime and drugs. The fact that Albania was literally named after the “Balkan route” for transporting heroin to western countries, as well as from Pakistan to Italy across the Adriatic, does not help the current situation.

As it stands, the bill will now be open for public reaction and comment, after which it will go to Parliament.

Meanwhile, opponents of the bill are disappointed and angry, claiming that recent developments are unpredictable and will only lead to more illegal cultivation. Enkelejd Alibeaj, leader of one of the two parliamentary groups and member of parliament, is now against the reform. In fact, he has accused the prime minister of being soft on the matter, even after the ex-home secretary is currently in prison alongside criminal groups for his involvement in the cannabis trade.

As it is, many criminal groups film their indoor cannabis cultivation to avoid detection and arrest. Around a third of the 8,328 Albanians charged with cannabis trafficking between 2013 and 2019 have been convicted.

In contrast, the Albanian government believes the recent development will allow it to better control its cannabis industry. Most importantly, the bill will bring in much-needed revenue from the sale of medical cannabis and revenue from exports abroad.

Eliminating the illicit cannabis market through medical reforms

While the Albanian government’s attempt at reforming medicinal cannabis is admirable and certainly long overdue, the law may not achieve its goal. But again, what legalization efforts have been carried out smoothly everywhere? That being said, neighbor North Macedonia is in a similar position.

The truth is that medical cannabis reform hasn’t been the windfall that many have wished for. This is mainly due to the so many complexities surrounding the export of this narcotic from the Balkans and non-European countries to the EU The Albanian government’s cannabis reform is the next step in an upcoming position.

The History of Cannabis in Albania

Large-scale cannabis cultivation is nothing new in Albania. In fact, large-scale cannabis cultivation became part of the Albanian economy in the early 1990s after the fall of the former Soviet Union. The small country turned to cannabis cultivation after the economy collapsed as a result of the war.

Although illicit cannabis cultivation was initially localized, a series of increasingly violent and powerful games eventually invaded the industry. Violence and illegal activities peaked in the country in 2016, the same year Albania was named the seventh largest illegal cannabis producer in the world.

With so much violence, international efforts were made over the following year to curb and shut down gang activity, but little was achieved. The only apparent difference is that most cannabis dealers have been pushed to remote locations using evasion techniques.

The Albanian government had also worked with international authorities and police forces to end the situation by military means. With the help of Italian reconnaissance flights between 2013 and 2019, the Albanian government’s efforts have yielded positive results.

Authorities were able to identify and inspect 613 hectares (1,514 acres) of land growing cannabis. A larger percentage of this land is located in Lazarat, a village in southern Albania that has been dubbed “Europe’s Cannabis Capital”. Albania is a country of only 2.9 million hectares, which is a huge amount of land used for cannabis cultivation.

In a country like Albania, it will certainly be interesting to see the impact of legalizing medicinal cannabis. This will be particularly revealing given that the issue of cannabis reform is also advancing on the international stage.

The recent UN Report on International Drugs and Crime was also controversial, as it contained claims of increased cannabis use and the rationale behind it. It appears that with Germany’s cannabis reform hearings concluding, it has now had a major impact on at least one country’s reform plan.

Conclusion

Albania’s plan to legalize medicinal cannabis is truly a bold move considering the country was once a haven of illegal cannabis cultivation.

If the law is passed, establishing a legal medicinal cannabis industry will surely create more economic growth for the country and its citizens. Certainly anything that helps the country to grow economically is good. However, the state must be careful enough to implement taws correctly to avoid negatively exploiting them. Although economic growth may be limited compared to other countries, the reform of medicinal cannabis in Albania will certainly help the country to some extent.

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