Rome’s Supreme Court of Cassation ruled on Friday that “growing and consuming cannabis at home is not a crime”. A landmark decision in Europe. By authorizing cannabic autarky, Italy continues to sow the seeds of full legalization, which some predict will blossom in autumn 2020.
Growing ganja, in small quantities and for personal use, “does not harm public health or feed the illegal market”: tThese are the conclusions reached, not without insight, by the judges of Italy’s highest court in the field. The decision was taken on December 19 and made public last Friday.
Hailed by the majority (Democratic Party), with the support of the M5S (Italian counterpart of La France Insoumise), the initiative was unsurprisingly reviled by the two main opposition parties (Forza Italia -right- / La Ligue -far right-).
By planting Guiseppe Conte’s government among consumers, with the help of a Court of Cassation made up of a majority of judges loyal to the Prime Minister, the government’s number one intends to pursue his pro-well-being, pro-ganja, progressive as well as anti-mafia crusade. And it could well be the final blow to the hard-line anti-cannabis stance of an Italian right-wing that continues to camp on positions from another century.
Home growing, the Trojan horse of legislation?
While the measure (which has yet to receive parliamentary approval before it can be definitively enacted into law) will have no spectacular effect on the average weed smoker with little botanical inclination, it is nonetheless excellent news for all ganja-enthusiasts, green thumb or not.
Authorizing the production and consumption of weed at home “in reasonable quantities” (from 4 to 6 plants, i.e. 400 grams of weed every two months) means telling our fellow citizens that full legalization is just around the corner. It’s also sending a domestic political signal, but above all it’s forcing other neighboring countries to adopt a more progressive policy towards this beautiful plant.
And in this respect, the initiative is most ingenious. By bringing weed into people’s homes and not into the marketplace, the Cour de cassation and the government have immediately dismantled three of the anti-cannabis totem arguments. Firstly, it cuts short the alarmist rhetoric about the dangers of the “weed/hard drug” escalation. Unless Uncle Luigi is planting fields of Coke… Then by invalidating any accusation of financing the mafia.
Finally, by declaring that cannabis “did not represent a danger to public health” (unlike alcohol), the health argument being regularly (and wrongly – miners aside) raised by the opposition.
Italy is not alone in its policy of gentle legalization. The city of Cambria, Australia, has also just authorized the cultivation of cannabis at home and the possession, on one’s person, of a maximum of 50 grams.
“A necessary first step before considering regional legalization,” said Andrew Barre, head of the Australian Capital Territory government.
Hopefully, other governments will follow suit.
Alexis.
