Is CBD Legal in Italy
È CBD olio legale in Italia?
Cannabis regulations in Italy
Italy has had a tempestuous relationship with cannabis over the past few decades. In 1990, the Iervolino-Vassalli law saw newly classified ‘soft drugs’ including cannabis carry far lighter, non-criminal penalties. However, in 2006, Silvio Berlusconi introduced the Fini-Giovanardi law which reclassified cannabis to be on par with cocaine and heroin – implementing far harsher penalties for any cultivation, distribution or personal use of the drug. Interestingly this law was deemed unconstitutional in 2014 and cannabis was again reclassified as a ‘soft’ drug in the eyes of the Italian legal system.
The Radicali Italiani Movement announced plans to introduce a bill that proposes the full legalisation of adult cannabis use. This newly submitted bill, if accepted, would see cannabis shift from a decriminalised substance to a fully legal one.
Medicinal Cannabis In Italy
Italy legalized cannabis for medical use in 2007, with many caveats. To grow the plant legally requires special authorization from the Health Ministry’s narcotics office, which means dealing with the country’s infamous bureaucracy. As a result, no private entrepreneur managed to set up a business, and the drug had to be imported from abroad, making it prohibitively expensive.
A 2014 legislation abolished the previously long bureaucratic process required to obtain a cannabis prescription, making cannabis freely available to patients with a prescription from primary care physicians.
Since access to medical care here is considered a constitutional right, in 2014 the government assigned the task of growing medical-grade cannabis to the military.
the army makes only one strain of cannabis, called FM2, which is low in THC,
According to an investigation by the magazine Internazionale, imported cannabis can cost up to $84 a gram. By contrast, the army-produced cannabis costs $7 a gram
Italy has a federal medical marijuana program. This program emphasizes the cultivation of marijuana and its recommendation by physicians. Unlike most countries, Italy allows patients to purchase their medical cannabis at licensed pharmacies.
An ongoing challenge with Italy’s medical marijuana program is supply and demand. Pharmacies import medical weed from the Netherlands, which has led to prices as high as $44 per gram. In response, the government has initiated a movement to grow medical marijuana, which would then be offered at little or no cost to patients.
Italy’s medical marijuana history began in 2013 with the legalization of medical cannabis. Before that, users were subject to criminal penalties, including fines. In some cases, carrying medical weed could lead to a suspension of your driver’s license or passport.
Patients across Italy can now take advantage of telemedicine. Since the early 2000s, providers of the necessary infrastructure for telemedicine have been working to build a comprehensive network throughout the country so every patient — whether they’re in a rural or metropolitan area — can speak with a knowledgeable physician.
Several conditions qualify for medical marijuana in Italy, including:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Chronic pain
- Glaucoma
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Nausea
For some of these symptoms, like nausea, they must result from chemotherapy, radiation treatments or HIV/AIDS. Doctors can only write prescriptions if past medication has been ineffective for the patient.
Italy uses prescriptions. Approved physicians can write prescriptions for patients who qualify for medical cannabis, and patients can then have their prescription filled at a licensed pharmacy. Prescriptions can be for either edible or smokeable forms of medicinal weed.
Prescriptions for medical cannabis in Italy are only for edible and smokeable forms of medical weed, which makes lotions or creams an unavailable option for patients.
The military cultivates 100 different varieties of cannabis plants.
Hemp regulations in Italy
In the 1940s, Italy was said to be the world’s second-biggest producer of industrial hemp, but after World War II, the country adopted a different approach to the cultivation of hemp, banning the business completely.
But a government directive released on 14 January 2017, on production and commercialization of legal marijuana, demonstrated a considerable political and ideological shift in perspective.
No authorization is required for cultivating hemp with a maximum THC content of 0.2% with a tolerance level up to 0.6%.
It means that communication to the nearest police station (State Police, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza) through a complaint form, is no longer necessary.
Although it is no longer mandatory, the orientation is to communicate it anyway to avoid any problem.
The only obligations for the grower is to keep the seeds’ invoice and technical documents for a period of no less than twelve months.
The percentage of THC in the analyzed plants can fluctuate from 0.2% to 0.6% without causing any problem for the farmer. Any checks will be performed by a single authority and always in the presence of the farmer, and the inspectors are required to issue a sample taken for possible counter-checks. In the event that the percentage of THC exceeds the threshold of 0.6%, the judicial authority may order the seizure or destruction of the crop, but also in this case “the farmer’s responsibility is excluded”.
Importing industrial hemp into Italy for commercialisation must not only abide by national rules but also by European regulation.
This Act applies to hemp cultivation of the accepted varieties entered in the Common catalog of varieties of agricultural plant species, in accordance with Article 17 of Council Directive 2002/53 / EC of 13 June 2002
Is CBD Oil legal in Italy
CBD Oil is Legal in Italy as long as the product has less than 0.6% THC. High CBD cannabis strains are also available in Italy in smokeable form, commonly called Cannabis Light.
REFERENCES:
https://www.ilsicilia.it/cannabis-terapeutica-lappello-a-musumeci-la-regione-siciliana-la-produca/
https://www.marijuanadoctors.com/international-patients/italy/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4328738/
https://mamamary.io/blogs/le-news-di-mamamary/italy-legal-cannabis-light-legale-italia