First official harvest of medical cannabis in Italy

Colonel Antonio Medica, nicknamed "Colonel Mary Jane," has completed the first part of his rather unusual mission: grow medical cannabis for the country. The Italian military has announced that the first shipment of 1,600 5-gram jars of medical cannabis is ready to be sent to Italian hospitals and pharmacies that need it.

Italy has allowed medical cannabis since 2007, but the country was importing cannabis from the Netherlands at prices that were too high for Italian patients—up to 35€ per gram—which made the medication unaffordable and drove patients to turn to the black market. The government therefore stepped in and decided to grow the cannabis domestically to lower the retail price, with a target of €5 per gram.

It takes the Italian military 90 days to go from seed to packaged product. 4 crops are expected each year, for a total of 32 kg of weed.

The next step for medical cannabis in Italy will be for growers to develop different plant varieties to treat a wider range of conditions. The Ministry of Health also hopes to triple production—up to 100 kg per year—to better meet patient demand, although patients already believe this will not be enough.

Regardless of supply and demand, the domestic cultivation of cannabis in Italy marks a significant step toward the end of cannabis prohibition in Western Europe. Many voices are calling for the legalization of cannabis, including the police for whom this would be an effective way to combat organized crime.

This development in Italy effectively paves the way for a domestic cannabis industry in a country known for the extreme care it takes with its culinary, fashion, and automotive products. Perhaps soon the clichés of the Vespa and Italian ice cream will be accompanied by a big green bud 😉