Italy: police push for cannabis legalization

Groups representing Italian law enforcement agencies are throwing their full weight behind the parliamentary bill to legalize cannabis, in an effort to create Europe's first fully legal cannabis market. And the country's national anti-mafia agency and police union support the proposed bill, which is expected to reach Parliament later this month.

If the bill passes, Italians would be allowed to grow 5 cannabis plants, have up to 15g of weed at home, and carry 5g on their person. Cannabis would be sold in state-run stores, while non-commercial cannabis clubs would allow 50 members to exchange and share the cannabis they grow.

The Italian bill is the most progressive in Europe. Germany, which is a close second, is sticking to the Development of a medical cannabis market which is expected to be launched in the spring of 2017.

The most recent support for the Italian project came in August from the largest and most influential police union, the SIULP. The group’s Secretary General, Felice Romano, has expressed its support to the proposal in no uncertain terms.

«Certain substances are currently used for therapeutic purposes, and cannabis is cultivated by the Italian military. If cannabis were sold legally, it would be less dangerous and would not contain chemical contaminants or additives that cause more harm than the active ingredients [in cannabis].».

The support of the Italian police strengthens the pro-legalization stance of the National Anti-Mafia Directorate (DNA), the country’s anti-mafia agency, which takes a firm stance against prohibition. In April, Franco Roberti, a prosecutor and head of the DNA, stated that decriminalizing cannabis would deal a major blow to the Islamic State and the mafia groups that work together to smuggle hashish into Italy.

In a letter addressed to the government, the DNA stated that legalizing cannabis would lead to «a renaissance of the Italian judicial system.» The document highlighted three key points in favor of legalization:

• National and international criminal organizations, particularly the Neapolitan Camorra and the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta, now have a monopoly on the Italian cannabis market
• Afghanistan is the second-largest producer of cannabis destined for Italy, and the proceeds from these products finance terrorist groups such as ISIS
• Although Italian law enforcement agencies have had success in the fight against hard drugs, they have not been able to curb the demand for cannabis. Their efforts are widely viewed as a waste of money and resources.

However, despite the advantages it sees in a legal system, the anti-Mafia agency remains opposed to personal or collective cannabis cultivation. According to the DNA, such unlicensed plantations could represent a loophole through which the Mafia could once again infiltrate the market.

Carla Rossi, a professor of medical statistics and vice president of the Italian Council for Social Sciences, welcomed the recent signs of support for legalization. «The current law is a failure. We need to legalize the market, which is currently in the hands of criminal organizations.» The DNA has demonstrated a pragmatic and scientific approach that is not ideologically biased. This perspective is virtually nonexistent in Italy, with the exception of the DNA and a few internationally recognized scientists. But as the saying goes, no one is a prophet in their own country.”.

Via Leafly