Belgium: the PS introduces a bill to regulate cannabis

On September 13, the Belgian Socialist Party tabled a bill in the House of Representatives (the lower house of parliament) that would regulate cannabis in Belgium.

The text proposes two ways of accessing cannabis:

• self-cultivation on a strictly personal basis, with the maximum number of plants laid down by Royal Decree
• Cannabis Social Clubs (CSCs), which would operate under license from a Cannabis Control Authority.

The text aims to go beyond the current trivialization of cannabis, a consequence of the repressive system in place. Cannabis would of course be banned for minors. The new system would be evaluated at predefined intervals to allow for changes in legislation.

Failure of cannabis prohibition

The Belgian MPs behind this proposed law have noted that the’failure of the prohibition policy in force for over 50 years. As in France, the number of consumers in Belgium has risen sharply, particularly among younger people.

These consumers feed a black market that thrives, and a justice system that spends a lot of time and resources dealing with small cases, without prevention or risk reduction.

The first proposal to decriminalize cannabis in Belgium dates back to 2000. The PS was already behind it. Since 2003, possession of cannabis has no longer been punishable if strict conditions are met (major user, less than 3g on one's person, no more than one plant for personal consumption...). The application of the law in Belgium depends largely on the judicial districts. As far as CSCs are concerned, Wallonia is rather against them, while Flanders is in favor. enable operation Trekt Uw Plant and the existence of the Mambo Social Club.

The current proposal would therefore provide a legal framework for cannabis in Belgium. The full text can be be found here.