The Czech Parliament to Debate Full Cannabis Legalization

After months of political deadlock, the Czech parliament will have to debate full legalization of cannabis, thanks to a surprise amendment to the draft law on self-cultivation submitted by a member of the Pirate Party. The change is expected to force the government to consider full regulation of the cannabis market.

The draft bill on the full legalization of cannabis in the Czech Republic, authored by former drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil, was prepared back in May 2024. Since then, it has remained in political limbo, as no politician has decided to submit it to parliament. Despite wide public and political support, the cannabis bill has stalled, mainly due to the opposition of the conservative KDU-ČSL party, which has consistently blocked discussion on the subject.

Groundbreaking amendment to legalize cannabis in the Czech Republic

In November 2024, the government approved an amendment to the penal code legalizing the cultivation of up to three cannabis plants and the possession of up to 50 grams of dried cannabis at home and 25 grams in public places. However, this was only a partial solution that did not include full legalization or regulation of sales.

The decisive moment was the final amendment submitted by a member of the Pirate Party, which unexpectedly added the issue of full legalization to the debate. This move caused tensions among the reform’s supporters, especially its author, Jindřich Vobořil. In his Facebook post, he criticized the leader of the Pirate Party, Ivan Bartoš, for not supporting his bill earlier and for submitting the amendment without informing the media and the public.

What is behind the amendment?

The amendment was prepared by the think tank Rational Addiction Policy in cooperation with criminal law experts. Its aim is to ensure that the changes to the penal code actually lead to the decriminalization of possession and cultivation of cannabis, and are not just symbolic changes. A key issue that has been highlighted is the low upper limit on the amount of dried cannabis that can be possessed – according to experts, the limit of 50 grams is insufficient, because experienced growers can get from 100 to 500 grams from a single plant.

For this reason, the Rational Regulation Association (RARE), which actively supports legalization in the Czech Republic, argues that the current limits could lead to further persecution of small growers by the police. “This means that the prosecution of acts without real social harm will continue, and taxpayers will continue to bear the costs of these actions,” said MUDr. Pavel Kubů, an expert on drug policy.

The Impact of Regulation on the CBD and Psychomodulating Substances Market

Meanwhile, politicians are also focusing on the new Psychomodulating Substances Act (PML), which will come into force in July 2025. According to its provisions, the sale of CBD and kratom will be subject to regulation , which has been met with sharp criticism from the cannabis industry. Opponents of the changes claim that the introduction of restrictions could destroy the Czech CBD market and force producers to close down. The protest campaign has gained momentum, with its participants appealing to the government to leave the current cannabis regulations unchanged.

The author of the bill, Jindřich Vobořil, and experts such as Dr. Tomas Ryska, argue that regulations are necessary because without them CBD could be banned altogether or classified as a novel food, which would involve a lengthy and expensive certification process.

What’s next?

Although the amendment has been officially submitted, no date has been set for a parliamentary debate. However, time is running out – the Czech parliamentary elections will be held in November 2025, which means that the future of the bill depends on the pace of legislative work. Supporters of legalization fear that if the bill is not passed before the elections, the new composition of parliament could block further reforms.

After years of political stalemate, the Czech Republic could become a leader in liberalizing cannabis laws in Europe. The amendment to the law will force a debate on full regulation of the market, but tensions among reform supporters and upcoming elections could affect its fate. Will the Czech Republic decide to fully legalize and create a modern system of cannabis regulation? The answer will be revealed in the coming months.

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(Featured image by Shelby Ireland via Unsplash)

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

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