This week, lawmakers in the Czech Republic advanced a bill aimed at reforming the country’s drug laws, allowing for the legalization of marijuana possession and home cultivation, as well as the medical use of psilocybin. The Chamber of Deputies passed the proposal on Friday, with a decisive vote of 142 in favor out of 159 members present.
The bill will now move to the Senate for further consideration, and if it receives approval there, it will be sent to the president, who has indicated support for the legislation. These changes are part of a broader set of amendments to the Czech criminal code, designed to reduce government spending on low-priority offenses, lower incarceration rates, and decrease repeat offenses.
Outgoing Justice Minister Pavel Blažek stated that this amendment will help distinguish between harmful criminal behavior and actions that should not be subject to legal penalties.
Under the new proposal, individuals will be allowed to possess up to 100 grams of cannabis at home and carry 25 grams in public. Additionally, the bill permits the cultivation of up to three cannabis plants, while growing four or five plants would be classified as a misdemeanor, and cultivating more than five would be a felony. Possession exceeding 200 grams would also incur criminal penalties.
Zdenka Němečková Crkvenjaš, a member of the Chamber of Deputies from the Civil Democratic Party, spearheaded the push for these reforms. She emphasized the bill’s importance in stopping the prosecution of seniors who grow cannabis for medicinal purposes. In her post-vote remarks on social media, she celebrated the outcome, asserting it marks an end to unnecessary legal action against those using cannabis for health reasons.
In terms of psilocybin, the bill will also permit its medical use, expanding treatment options available to patients.
The Czech Republic has already established a relatively progressive stance on cannabis, having legalized medical marijuana in the past. Since 2010, the country has treated possession of up to 15 grams of cannabis for non-medical use as a civil infraction rather than a criminal offense.
Several other proposals were discussed but not included in the current amendments, such as the creation of supervised drug consumption sites where users could consume drugs in a safe environment and receive testing for contaminants.
In related developments across Europe, Slovenia has recently introduced a bill to regulate cannabis for medical and scientific use, following the passage of two marijuana ballot measures by voters last year. This new proposal, from the Freedom Movement and The Left parties, aims to legalize cannabis extracts, plants, and resin by removing them from the list of illegal drugs, while still prohibiting THC unless for medical or scientific purposes.
Germany, on the other hand, is reviewing its recently enacted marijuana legalization law amid a shift in political leadership. Despite some conservative lawmakers seeking to reverse the law, the coalition government has not reached an agreement to do so. The legalization of possession and home cultivation for adults began last April, alongside the establishment of cannabis social clubs providing legal access to marijuana products.
These developments reflect a growing trend in Europe towards more liberal cannabis policies, with neighboring countries observing and adapting their regulations based on emerging practices and public health considerations.
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