The Italian government wants to place Diet Cannabis under a monopoly

The Italian government is cracking down on "light" cannabis again.

After having twice attempted to ban it through bills, along with a directive from the Ministry of the Interior ordering searches of all stores—presenting it as an effort to raise awareness among retailers—the Meloni government is changing its strategy and seeks to impose a monopoly.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the Italian government has in fact submitted an amendment to the fiscal authorization bill to the Finance Committee which, in addition to «a system requiring authorization from the Customs Agency for marketing,» provides for a ban on online sales, a ban on sales to minors, a ban on advertising, and the same taxation as for cigarettes.

A Monopoly on "Soft" Cannabis

The bill thus provides for the establishment of «a tax system on the cultivated parts of hemp» intended for use in «products to be smoked or inhaled.» Its sale would be restricted primarily to «monopoly retailers» or specialized retail outlets holding a monopoly sales license. Distance sales would also be prohibited, as would vending machines and advertising.

Marketing and sales could only take place through 'authorized tax warehouses,» with »special due diligence measures« in place for tax warehouses authorized to manufacture.

Finally, the same smoking bans that currently apply to cigarettes—such as those in enclosed spaces—will also apply to CBD cannabis, and warning labels about the health risks of consumption are also being considered.

If the Italian cannabis media DolceVita While acknowledging the need for effective regulation, he regrets that stores already selling «light» cannabis are excluded from the plan and that the high tax rate risks «cutting the sector off at the knees.» On top of that is a fundamental issue: the sector has endured years of lawsuits, with legitimate businesses labeled as drug traffickers. According to the media outlet, “the least it deserves today is an acknowledgment of the mistakes made so far by politicians, who want to cover up their own errors by starting with a clean slate.”.