Italian President pardons medical cannabis grower

Italian President Sergio Mattarella, has officially pardoned a retiree who grew cannabis to relieve his pain.

The 63-year-old man had appealed to the President after his appeal to Italy’s highest court was rejected. The head of state agreed to overturn his sentence of five months in prison and a fine of 800 euros.

A native of the province of Trento in northern Italy, the man was growing a small number of cannabis plants for personal and medical use.

HIV-positive and suffering from diabetes, hepatitis, and liver damage, he could no longer take his usual medications because the side effects were too dangerous, so he chose to turn to cannabis, which’Medical use is permitted in Italy since 2007. Medical cannabis must, however, be prescribed by a doctor and dispensed at pharmacies, which import it from the Netherlands or Canada or who buy their own supplies in the Italian Army.

Legal medical cannabis, however, is very expensive and does not meet demand, in terms of quantity, quality, or variety. Reforms are underway to make it more widely available for free at a pharmacy and increase its production.

Growing cannabis for personal use remains illegal in Italy, although some provinces further south allow for some flexibility. This is the first time a home grower has been «authorized» to grow cannabis for medical purposes.

The man had was initially acquitted, as the judge ruled that his use of cannabis was purely medical, «and not a narcotic.» A second judge overturned the verdict on appeal, a decision upheld by the Italian Supreme Court. His last hope was a presidential pardon, which he received and which we reproduce below.