Czech Mate for legal marijuana sales in the EU nation of Czechoslovakia

A draft strategy to tackle drug addiction in the country, which calls for establishing a legalized cannabis market and expanding treatment funding, was due to be reviewed by the Czech cabinet on Monday.

According to CTK, members of the Czech cabinet this week heard a draft plan to establish a controlled cannabis market and increase spending on drug addiction and treatment. According to Jindich Voboil, the national anti-drugs coordinator, a legalized cannabis market could net the government billions of kroner in taxpayers’ money.

The program is part of a plan to tackle drug abuse in the country by 2027. Then-Prime Minister Andrei Babi has fleshed it out, but his Anti-Drug Minister has yet to develop a strategy for how to proceed. Following the inauguration of Prime Minister Petr Fiala in October 2021, Voboil returned to the anti-drug position.

Fiala’s cabinet stated in its policy statement that the level of harm caused by drugs should be reflected in the regulation of these substances, which would also be reflected in the excise duties levied on these substances. New taxes on alcohol and tobacco are part of the plan. According to the study, the country has already received about CZK 60 billion in excise taxes on tobacco products and CZK 13 billion in alcohol-related excise taxes.

The draft proposal states that society loses CZK 150 to 180 billion annually to the health and other effects of addiction and early deaths, although gambling taxes now contribute CZK 5.1 billion to the state budget and CZK 4.9 billion to the city budgets per year .

HOW THE PLAN AFFECTS CANNABIS GROWERS/SELLERS

Marijuana growers would need a license before establishing a regulated market, and the law would specifically state who they could supply their product to. Drug coordinators from European Union member states met in Prague this week to start the debate on how the cannabis industry should be regulated.

The plan includes strict regulations on the sale of marijuana, taxing drugs based on their harmfulness, establishing a controlled marijuana market and increasing government spending on addiction treatment and prevention.

The upcoming regulations should apply to both production and distribution. The new regulations should set the maximum amount of narcotics that legal marijuana products can contain. Certain shopkeepers could also be licensed, according to Jindich Voboil, the Czech Republic’s national drug coordinator.

Not every kiosk will sell marijuana. The coordinator explained that there was a limit to the amount of marijuana people could buy and that buyers might have to register with the authorities.

The annual prevention amount, which is currently around 300 million crowns, is set to rise to one billion crowns.

A new regulation is also planned by Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Malta and Malta. Germany needs a rule proposal by the end of the year, as Voboil noted.

Voboli stated that he will support Czech companies. They grow marijuana and make extracts; there are about 100 of them here. Perhaps even before the Czech Republic has a controlled market, Czech companies should be allowed to export. It will depend a lot on whether we talk about it or not. It is comparable to medicinal cannabis. It is a market in Germany that is estimated at 10 billion euros. It doesn’t benefit any Czech company at all, he continued.

CANNABIS INDUSTRY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Although it is illegal to use cannabis recreationally in the Czech Republic, it has been legal for personal use since January 1, 2010 and for medical use since April 1, 2013.

Cultivating more than five plants is considered a civil offense, as is possessing more than 15 grams of dried cannabis for personal use. Possession of less than 15 grams and less than five plants has been legal since January 1, 2010. A guilty verdict can result in a fine of up to CZK 15,000, although most convictions result in far smaller fines. It’s easy to get marijuana from sporting events and pubs. However, cannabis is still illegal, and possession of more than a certain amount can result in a year in prison. The minimum sentence for human trafficking is two years in prison and the maximum sentence is 18 years in prison, while sentences of 10 to 18 years are imposed only in the most serious cases. In the case of small trades that do not result in a significant profit, a suspended sentence or other type of penalty is usually imposed.

MEDICAL CANNABIS

On December 7, 2012, the Czech Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that would have legalized the sale of cannabis as a medicine on prescription in pharmacies. One hundred and twenty-six lawmakers voted in favor, while only seven were against (twenty-seven others abstained and forty-six were absent from the vote). The draft law was approved by the Czech Senate on January 30, 2013. 81 senators were present, and 67 of them voted for legalization while only two were against (five senators abstained and seven absent from the vote). In addition, the measure stipulated that in the first year “to ensure standards” only cannabis from abroad would be allowed for sale. Sales can then ramp up to include carefully regulated, registered local production thereafter.

Medical cannabis has been legalized and controlled in the Czech Republic since the law came into force on April 1, 2013. By law, 180 grams of dry matter may be collected monthly by prescription from a qualified physician and submitted electronically.

FINAL EFFECT

The Czech Republic is considering a plan to regulate and authorize the sale of cannabis. The country may take note of the many European countries that have already legalized cannabis, as the country is also looking to reap the economic benefits of legalizing the drug by generating revenue in the form of taxes for the nation. However, the plan will still come with its regulations as the country is not trying to simply make the drug available to everyone in any quantity.

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