Cannabis Legalization in Italy – Referendum on Decriminalization in 2022

Could cannabis legalization in Italy be in sight?

A new proposal to legalize cannabis for personal use while relaxing criminal sanctions is making waves in the land of love.

In just one week, #referendumcannabis has collected well over 500,000 online signatures. It is the first referendum ever to be held entirely online, writes a post on the campaign’s official Facebook page. Under Italian law, any campaign with more than 500,000 signatures will force a referendum.

“This success is explained by [many] Factors ”, says Italy Giuseppe Civati, founder of the Possibile party, and names the introduction of digital signatures as an important factor. “[It] seriously reduce organizational costs, ”he said.

Existing signatures are counted and verified before they are officially submitted to the Supreme Court of Cassation for approval. However, the organizers urge supporters to keep signing and are demanding new signatures before the September 30 deadline.

The current state of cannabis legalization in Italy

Currently, cannabis is technically legal in Italy. Although recreational consumption was decriminalized in 1993, criminal charges for cultivation and sale are high. Selling, buying and growing cannabis is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, which has tripled compared to 2006.

Among the country’s European neighbors, Italy’s legal stance on cannabis is more liberal than in countries like France or the UK. According to the European Drug Report 2021, cannabis accounts for 74 percent of drugs seized by law enforcement agencies in the European Union.

Earlier this month, Italy decriminalized small-scale cultivation for personal use. Other EU Member States such as the Czech Republic, Estonia and Portugal have also decriminalized cannabis use.

As soon as the referendum on the decriminalization of cannabis goes to court, after all the conditions have been met, the Italians could vote on it as early as spring 2022.

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