When and where you can buy cannabis

WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN BUY CANNABIS

When and where can you buy it? cannabisAs soon as we talk about cannabis there is always the risk of dividing ourselves, even in a very clear and radical way, between those in favour and those against its use. liberalizationMuch better, then, to start from the facts, or rather from a fundamental fact: in Italy The sale of light cannabis has been legal since 2016, and this by virtue of a law (number 242) that is fully in force.

LEGAL CANNABIS IN ITALY

An important change for the sale of the cannabis For therapeutic purposes, a new law was introduced in September 2023, establishing that cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis extract containing more than 80 chemical substances known as cannabinoids, is a medicine that can only be prescribed with a non-repeatable prescription. That is, the prescription required for all medicines that present risks of toxicity, acute intolerance, addiction, and abuse by the patient. Cannabidiol (CBD), like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another substance contained in cannabis, are sometimes used as antiemetics and analgesics. But THC in particular may be responsible for the "imbecilic" and psychedelic effects typical of cannabis. Returning to the 2016 law, the provisions set a decisive limit for the sale of cannabis light in Italy. The limit is this: the sale is permitted for cannabis that has THC (the active ingredients that generate psychotropic effects) between 0,2% and 0,5%.

ALSO READ: Hemp oil, the properties of cannabis seeds. A perfect antioxidant.

CANNABIS ONLY IN PHARMACY

CANNABIS LIGHT LAW

When we talk about psychotropic effects, we're referring, and here we quote the Treccani Encyclopedia, to "substances that affect psychic functions." With what effects? The answer comes from the levels of cannabidiol (also called CBD) contained in marijuana, which, let's remember, is a derivative of hemp. And the cbd It does not induce a "high", but rather has a calming effect natural anxiolytic. Relax. And it replaces other types of drugs, very common and very present on the pill market, which are used precisely to control theanxietyWith these premises and the support of a law, a legal cannabis industry has emerged in Italy, involving approximately 1.500 companies, including retail outlets and online businesses.

To date, the law allows the cultivation of Sativa hemp seeds for the production of textile fibers or industrial uses, which must however be certified and traceable. In the food sector, it clarifies which foods can be derived from hemp, highlighting the importance of THC levels. For marijuana to be considered legal or "light," these must be between 0,2% and 0,5%. As for sellers, the law states that "The trader cannot be punished under Article 73 of Presidential Decree 309/1990 if he can document the legal origin of the inflorescences from legal cultivations, by virtue of the value of the presumption of legality of the documentation (fiscal and transport) accompanying a legal product.” And consumers themselves cannot be punished if they purchase and use traceable products with THC levels no higher than those considered legal.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THC AND CBD

The cannabis plant contains many cannabinoids, the main ones being THC and CBD. While THC, also called tetrahydrocannabinol, is responsible for the psychoactive effect of cannabis, CBD doesn't cause any high but has significant pharmacological effects. Extracted mostly from the flowers and buds, CBD is a potent cannabinoid. leavesCBD offers many benefits to our body, both physically and mentally. And unlike THC, it's legal. In fact, Italian law differentiates between the two active ingredients.

Here are some of properties attributed to CBD:

• Anxiolytic properties;
• Analgesic properties;
• Antipsychotic properties;
• Relaxing properties;
• Antioxidant properties;
• Neuroprotective properties.

HOW MANY GRAMS ARE ALLOWED FOR PERSONAL USE?

To avoid criminal charges, in Italy you can possess a maximum of 500 mg of the active ingredient in the case of cannabis, marijuana, or hashish. However, drug possession is an administrative offense even when it cannot be considered a crime. However, if the product is traceable "light" cannabis with a legal THC concentration limit, the user cannot be punished. The law states:

A consumer found in possession of light cannabis cannot be punished under Article 75, since this is the position of a person who freely enjoys a legal good, with the limit of 0,5% THC being the threshold below which cannabis does not have legally relevant psychotropic effects pursuant to Presidential Decree 309/1990..

TO KNOW MORE: Cannabidiol: What It Is and Its Therapeutic Properties

CANNABIS THERAPEUTIC USE

Another issue concerns the sale of the cannabis for therapeutic use. This type, in fact, has been legal in Italy since 2006. Furthermore, since 2016, thanks to the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense, the product has been made in the military chemical-pharmaceutical plant in FlorenceContaining 5%–8% THC and 7,5%–12% CBD, it is sold in pharmacies upon medical prescription. Since 2018, Cannabis FM-1 (13,0–20,0% THC and <1% CBD) has also been available. This type of cannabis is prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain and that associated with pathologies such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, side effects caused by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and HIV therapies. But also for the reduction of involuntary body and facial movements in Tourette syndrome, and as an appetite stimulant in patients with eating disorders or suffering from aids.

YOU CAN GROW THE CANNABIS? 

Cultivation for personal use only is a crime if the plant contains THC. But possession of hemp seeds or plants lacking the active ingredient does not constitute a crime. Furthermore, it is possible to cultivate cannabis sativa, which is included in the list under Article 17 of EC Directive No. 53 of 2002. The percentage of the active ingredient THC in the inflorescences must be minimal, between 0,2% and 0,5% (with a tolerance of up to 0,6%).

LEGAL HEMP LAW

Returning to cannabis that isn't intended for therapeutic use, once we've clarified what it is and how it works in Italy, it must be added that, as usual, we are very adept at navigating the quicksand of uncertainties, of discourses that mix scientific insights with pure propaganda, of judicial decisions that, in rapid succession, come and go in opposite directions. To avoid all this, and the various wastes From this, three essential things would be needed. First: a law that is clearer in those points where it is too ambiguous. Second: a politics that is responsible on such delicate and sensitive issues affecting citizens' daily lives, and do not engage in propaganda, one way or another. Rather, it should always focus on the general interests of the population and the principle, fundamental to good politics, of "knowing in order to decide." Third: a judiciary which, without invading the field, prosecute with the utmost severity anyone, without regard for anyone's rights, violates the law in this matter and attempts to profit from people's health. This, unfortunately, is not uncommon in Italy.