Cannabis Clubs and Growing Cannabis at Home in the Czech Republic: New Draft Presented

The Czech government presented a draft cannabis regulation bill on Wednesday that does not include the previously envisaged regulated cannabis market, but is a significant step in drug law reform. 

The Pirate Party, which has traditionally been a strong supporter of cannabis legalization, said the bill was a “compromise version” and plans to negotiate amendments to the bill. 

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Cannabis clubs and home cultivation – what does the new project include?

The bill provides for rules regarding legal cultivation, activities of cannabis clubs, licensed sales, exports and taxation. Restrictions on production and sale, as well as registration of users, small growers and cannabis clubs, were also proposed. These are places where people could legally use marijuana.

Jindřich Vobořil, the anti-drug coordinator who helped draft the bill, refers to Germany , the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Malta as countries taking a similar approach. The Pirate Party wants to discuss expanding the bill to allow pilot programs to legalize marijuana for adults.

“ Only legally available cannabis can effectively reduce the illegal market and accessibility to at-risk groups such as minors. The main benefit would also be multi-billion contributions to the state budget. ” – said the Pirate Party.

Decriminalization vs. legalization: What does it mean for Czechs?

Currently, cannabis is partially decriminalized in the Czech Republic, but its recreational use is illegal. Partial decriminalization means that you can receive a fine of up to CZK 15,000 for possessing up to 15 grams of cannabis or up to 5 flowering plants. 

Medical cannabis has been legal in the Czech Republic since 2013, and doctors are allowed to prescribe up to 180 grams of dried hemp per month to patients. Growing cannabis is, in theory, decriminalized as long as the flowers are not harvested or further processed, making it a misdemeanor to a crime. The country has one of the more liberal approaches to cannabis in Europe, allowing citizens to grow up to five cannabis plants at home for personal use. The use of cannabis for medical purposes has been legal in the Czech Republic for 10 years.

Although some points of the bill met with consensus, political debate continues, especially regarding cannabis clubs. Last April, the government unveiled plans for a regulated market that would allow recreational consumption of up to 5 grams per day and legalize cultivation and distribution in cannabis clubs.

“ On behalf of the Pirate Party, we have long advocated for responsible cannabis regulation, following the example of many other countries. It has become clear that, like alcohol prohibition in the US in the last century, the current approach of criminalizing cannabis is not working. Users are not decreasing, the state is just spending more and more resources on repression. I am glad that thanks to us, the topic was actually opened at the government level for the first time and we managed to agree on the first steps. But it can’t just stay with them,” said  MP Klára Kocmanová from the Pirate Party, adding that negotiations on the regulated market are still ongoing.

Further discussion on broad regulation

Despite the enthusiasm of some members of parliament and pro-legalization groups, there are concerns about the potential increase in the number of users and spending on addiction treatment and prevention programs. Groups such as Safe Cannabis Association, CzecHemp and Legalizace.cz have praised the project, pointing to the end of punishment for personal use of cannabis, but at the same time pointing to the lack of provisions for a tightly regulated market.

The bill is part of the Czech government’s plan to combat addiction. It assumes that regulation of addictive substances will correspond to their harmfulness. The government is also seeking to implement policies based on a “scientifically proven and sustainable approach to risk prevention and harm reduction” in the fight against addiction.

The bill under consideration may be a turning point in the Czech drug policy, opening a new chapter in the country’s history. Introducing changes to cannabis law not only has the potential to change the public perception of cannabis, but also contribute to better control and prevention of drug use.

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(Featured image by Yash Lucid via Pexels)

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First published in FaktyKonopne. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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