Italian Senate blocks legalization of cannabis light

Back in the grey zone for light cannabis companies in Italy. Senate President Maria Casellati has blocked legalization in a last-minute U-turn.

The Italian Parliament had given the green light to the legalization of cannabis light in Italy by approving an amendment to the 2020 budget late last week. Yesterday, in the budget adoption committee, the President of the Senate finally declared the amendment «inadmissible» for technical reasons, a decision without appeal.

League leader and former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini applauded the decision of the Senate president, a member of the center-right Forza Italia party, an ally of Salvini's League, who has «avoided the shame of having a drug-dealing state».

«This amendment is not about drugs, it's about farmers. Small businesses that employ 12,000 people. Applauding this defeat for 12,000 families is a slap in the face to Italian agriculture», said declared Matteo Mantero, M5S senator and author of the amendment.

Matteo Mantero accused the President of the Senate of having taken this decision on the basis of her «political influences», but she replied that it was a «purely technical» decision.

«If you think this measure is so important for the majority, then propose a bill,» Maria Casellati told members of the Five Star Movement (M5S), which rules in coalition with the center-left Democratic Party (PD).

«I have asked President Casellati to schedule a bill on industrial hemp during the first useful session,» a declared Senator Matteo Mantero. «I hope in January.»

Last May, the Italian Court of Cassation more or less authorized the sale of cannabis light, by giving judges the discretionary power to take into account the «narcotic effect» of the products sold when making decisions. As CBD does not produce a psychotropic effect, the grey area remained. The current bill was intended to clarify this decision by authorizing the sale of hemp flowers up to 0.5% THC.

Cannabis production in Italy rose from 400 hectares in 2013 to 4,000 hectares last year. Italy now has around 2,000 light cannabis stores and 1,500 new processing and distribution companies, employing 10,000 people and generating 150 million in sales in 2018.