The Czech Republic’s cannabis legalisation project remains stuck in political and legislative limbo, as the rumour mill surrounding its future moves into overdrive.
Since May, the coalition government has been deliberating whether to become the only country in the European Union to pursue a comprehensive adult-use cannabis retail market or follow in Germany’s footsteps and opt for a more conservative, paired-back framework.
While local news sources have suggested that the coalition parties are close to coming to an agreement to pursue the latter and move ahead with only home cultivation, sources speaking to Business of Cannabis say that nothing has yet been officially confirmed.
With the summer recess now nearly over, ‘the real fight is just starting’, with proponents of a full commercial market fighting to find political allies to raise the full bill and progress it to inter-ministerial discussions.
A number of Czech news publications have suggested that the country’s cannabis legalisation is likely to be significantly scaled back.
According to Echo24.cz, the coalition, currently at a stalemate over the bill, continues to disagree on the extent to which cannabis access will be liberalised.
While numerous reports suggest that all other parties, alongside the Prime Minister, are generally in favour of full legalisation, the KDU-ČSL (Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People’s Party) continues to fight the bill at every turn.
One thing they have agreed on is the legalisation of self-cultivation, allowing up to three cannabis plants to be grown and possession of up to 600g for personal use in a person’s residence.
Despite this widely published potential scaleback, National Drug Coordinator Jindřich Vobořil’s bill including a full commercial market remains unchanged, and is still ‘sitting outside the government’s office’.
These reported negotiations, Business of Cannabis is informed, do not mean that full legalisation is fully off the table.
However, the bill is currently ‘stuck’ in limbo, and needs either the Prime Minister or another leader of the coalition parties to raise it.
Once that’s done, the draft bill would go through interdepartmental discussions, allowing each ministry to review it and provide feedback. After that, there would be revisions based on these suggestions before a final draft is presented.
While the Prime Minister is understood to be personally open to full legalisation, it remains low down the list of political priorities for him.
Meanwhile, the head of the Pirate Party, which has been the driving force behind full legalisation since getting into coalition, is currently in the middle of a political firestorm.
Ivan Bartoš, thought to be the most likely leader to push the full legalisation proposals to the next step, is currently fighting calls for his resignation over his handling of his party’s ‘flagship policy’ to digitise the country’s construction management system.
Speaking to ceskatelevize.cz, Mr Vobořil suggested that allowing only cultivation would continue to push medical cannabis patients into the illicit market and mean the bill’s key aim of reducing harm would have failed.
“There are a number of people who simply cannot grow it because they are in a wheelchair or have some other handicap. Perhaps most of those who use it are like that. It is precisely for these medicinal purposes that we are actually still pushing these people into the illegal market,” he said.
Chairman of campaign group Rational Regulation (RARE), Robert Veverka, said in a statement: “Political compromises cannot be made on such a fundamental social issue as the regulation of cannabis.
“Reforming not only cannabis policy, but drug policy in general, is primarily a technical issue and requires comprehensive, not piecemeal cosmetic changes. In order for the stated intention of the government’s programme statement on addiction issues to be truly fulfilled, it is necessary to approach it responsibly, which is certainly not the case with the currently discussed proposal for cannabis regulation.
“While the government coalition’s intention to allow adults to grow their own cannabis may be a noble one, it is also half-hearted and certainly insufficient.”
It comes just weeks after Mr Vobořil, the architect of the bill, announced plans to step down from his role as drug coordinator at the end of this month.
Now, over 70 experts and figures in drug policy and prevention from 27 countries have written an international letter to the Czech government expressing their support for him.
The letter, signed by 76 global drug policy experts, praises Mr Vobořil for his rational, science-based approach to drug regulation, emphasising his advocacy for harm reduction and his involvement of drug users in policymaking.
Mr Vobořil has been recognised for promoting the regulation of the drug market based on the harmfulness and addiction potential of substances, advocating for regulated access to less harmful drugs over outright prohibition. His work has been particularly focused on prevention, treatment, and reducing harm rather than punitive measures.
The letter also expresses shock that Vobořil was pushed out of his position by private interests but acknowledges his significant contributions to the field. It calls on politicians worldwide to learn from Vobořil’s achievements and urges the Czech government to continue valuing his expertise.
Additionally, the Association of Addiction Service Providers (APAS) has voiced concerns that his departure could jeopardise the coordination of drug policy and the functioning of addiction services in the Czech Republic. They highlighted the importance of a finalised addiction law that could secure stable funding and effective prevention services for years to come and urged the government to address it urgently.
The post Czech Cannabis Bill Stalled as Political Battle Heats Up, But Hope Remains for Full Legalisation appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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Since May, the coalition government has been deliberating whether to become the only country in the European Union to pursue a comprehensive adult-use cannabis retail market or follow in Germany’s footsteps and opt for a more conservative, paired-back framework.
While local news sources have suggested that the coalition parties are close to coming to an agreement to pursue the latter and move ahead with only home cultivation, sources speaking to Business of Cannabis say that nothing has yet been officially confirmed.
With the summer recess now nearly over, ‘the real fight is just starting’, with proponents of a full commercial market fighting to find political allies to raise the full bill and progress it to inter-ministerial discussions.
What happened?
A number of Czech news publications have suggested that the country’s cannabis legalisation is likely to be significantly scaled back.
According to Echo24.cz, the coalition, currently at a stalemate over the bill, continues to disagree on the extent to which cannabis access will be liberalised.
While numerous reports suggest that all other parties, alongside the Prime Minister, are generally in favour of full legalisation, the KDU-ČSL (Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People’s Party) continues to fight the bill at every turn.
One thing they have agreed on is the legalisation of self-cultivation, allowing up to three cannabis plants to be grown and possession of up to 600g for personal use in a person’s residence.
Despite this widely published potential scaleback, National Drug Coordinator Jindřich Vobořil’s bill including a full commercial market remains unchanged, and is still ‘sitting outside the government’s office’.
These reported negotiations, Business of Cannabis is informed, do not mean that full legalisation is fully off the table.
However, the bill is currently ‘stuck’ in limbo, and needs either the Prime Minister or another leader of the coalition parties to raise it.
Once that’s done, the draft bill would go through interdepartmental discussions, allowing each ministry to review it and provide feedback. After that, there would be revisions based on these suggestions before a final draft is presented.
While the Prime Minister is understood to be personally open to full legalisation, it remains low down the list of political priorities for him.
Meanwhile, the head of the Pirate Party, which has been the driving force behind full legalisation since getting into coalition, is currently in the middle of a political firestorm.
Ivan Bartoš, thought to be the most likely leader to push the full legalisation proposals to the next step, is currently fighting calls for his resignation over his handling of his party’s ‘flagship policy’ to digitise the country’s construction management system.
Speaking to ceskatelevize.cz, Mr Vobořil suggested that allowing only cultivation would continue to push medical cannabis patients into the illicit market and mean the bill’s key aim of reducing harm would have failed.
“There are a number of people who simply cannot grow it because they are in a wheelchair or have some other handicap. Perhaps most of those who use it are like that. It is precisely for these medicinal purposes that we are actually still pushing these people into the illegal market,” he said.
Chairman of campaign group Rational Regulation (RARE), Robert Veverka, said in a statement: “Political compromises cannot be made on such a fundamental social issue as the regulation of cannabis.
“Reforming not only cannabis policy, but drug policy in general, is primarily a technical issue and requires comprehensive, not piecemeal cosmetic changes. In order for the stated intention of the government’s programme statement on addiction issues to be truly fulfilled, it is necessary to approach it responsibly, which is certainly not the case with the currently discussed proposal for cannabis regulation.
“While the government coalition’s intention to allow adults to grow their own cannabis may be a noble one, it is also half-hearted and certainly insufficient.”
It comes just weeks after Mr Vobořil, the architect of the bill, announced plans to step down from his role as drug coordinator at the end of this month.
Now, over 70 experts and figures in drug policy and prevention from 27 countries have written an international letter to the Czech government expressing their support for him.
The letter, signed by 76 global drug policy experts, praises Mr Vobořil for his rational, science-based approach to drug regulation, emphasising his advocacy for harm reduction and his involvement of drug users in policymaking.
Mr Vobořil has been recognised for promoting the regulation of the drug market based on the harmfulness and addiction potential of substances, advocating for regulated access to less harmful drugs over outright prohibition. His work has been particularly focused on prevention, treatment, and reducing harm rather than punitive measures.
The letter also expresses shock that Vobořil was pushed out of his position by private interests but acknowledges his significant contributions to the field. It calls on politicians worldwide to learn from Vobořil’s achievements and urges the Czech government to continue valuing his expertise.
Additionally, the Association of Addiction Service Providers (APAS) has voiced concerns that his departure could jeopardise the coordination of drug policy and the functioning of addiction services in the Czech Republic. They highlighted the importance of a finalised addiction law that could secure stable funding and effective prevention services for years to come and urged the government to address it urgently.
The post Czech Cannabis Bill Stalled as Political Battle Heats Up, But Hope Remains for Full Legalisation appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
Continue reading...