The government of the Czech Republic published a draft cannabis regulation bill on Wednesday that does not contain the previously announced regulated cannabis market, reported Expats. According to the Czech Pirates party, which supports legalization, the draft is a "compromise version" that they intend to further negotiate to include issues such as a pilot testing of a regulated market.
The proposed legislation contains rules for legal growing, operation of cannabis clubs, licensed sales as well as exports and taxation. There are also restrictions on production, sale and a proposal for the registration of consumers, small cultivators and cannabis clubs.
"We have agreed on the self-cultivation of a limited number of plants. This will mean decriminalization for adults who grow a small amount of cannabis for their own use,” said Jindřich Vobořil, who is the national coordinator for drug policy. He added that the proposed measure, which has not been reviewed by the government and parliament, will also contain the possibility of creating so-called cannabis associations, through which members can share their crops.
Jan Bartošek, the first deputy chairman of a Christian-democratic political party in the Czech Republic and the Chamber of Deputies, commented "We have long opposed the idea of marijuana becoming part of retail and wholesale trade, but we don’t see the point in unnecessarily persecuting people who grow a few plants for their own use," However, the party does not intend to accept cannabis clubs.
The draft bill comes some nine months after the Czech Cabinet announced a regulated cannabis market as part of the national plan to address addiction problems.
Vobořil, who helped write the bill, cited Germany, Malta, the Netherlands and Luxembourg as having similar approaches. Vobořil argued that a regulated cannabis market would enable better control and prevention and would also stimulate the country’s economy.
Currently, marijuana is decriminalized in the Czech Republic though recreational use remains illegal. Medical marijuana has been legal for more than 10 years.
While Pirates member of parliament Klara Kocmanová, the Safe Cannabis Association, CzecHemp and Legalizace.cz welcomed the draft, Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný shared concerns about the potential increase in users as well as having to expand addiction treatment and prevention programs.
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Photo: Benzinga edit with images by 2857989 on Pixabay, and Rodrigo Ardilha on Unsplash
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