Whilst Slovenia strikes ahead with a invoice to legalize clinical marijuana, some lawmakers imagine that’s only the start. That’s why contributors of the Freedom Motion, The Left, and the Social Democrats are stepping at the fuel, having offered a brand new invoice to legalize adult-use hashish, in accordance to Marijuana Second.
The proposal from the Balkan country stems from a modern and public health-oriented point of view, spotting grownup hashish use as a sound private selection, particularly in a context of rising public reinforce.
In particular, this draft law would:
- Permit adults to develop as much as 4 hashish vegetation consistent with particular person, with a family cap of six vegetation.
- Permit other folks to possess as much as seven grams of dried hashish in public, and as much as 150 grams at house consistent with grownup, with a most of 300 grams consistent with family.
- Allow hashish sharing inside of those limits: advertisement gross sales or financial alternate would stay prohibited.
- Ban smoking within the presence of minors.
- Impose a THC blood prohibit of three nanograms consistent with milliliter (ng/mL) for drivers. Fines would get started at €300 and escalate to €1,200 relying on THC stage. Then again, if any individual was once discovered with 3 ng/mL of their blood however displays no indicators of impairment, they would now not be penalized.
One specifically cutting edge facet of the invoice is its coverage of employees’ rights: employers would now not be allowed to behavior regimen drug exams for THC with no justified reason why. This clause safeguards non-public, accountable hashish use outdoor the place of work.
A legitimized hashish coverage type, similar to alcohol
Despite the fact that it’s now not mentioned outright, the invoice seems to undertake a an identical good judgment to that used for felony elements like alcohol and tobacco.
Somewhat than criminalize or pursue customers, the way is to normalize accountable grownup use, control its parameters, and save you the state from punishing behaviors which are already socially popular.
As Nataša Sukić, a member of parliament from The Left birthday party, mentioned: “In line with analyses, hashish is not more bad than different already legalized medication, comparable to tobacco and alcohol.”
That is no small element. By way of permitting house cultivation, decriminalizing cheap ownership, and getting rid of consequences for private use, the federal government is spotting what international reform advocates have lengthy argued: prohibition has failed. In reality, it has deepened stigma and fueled the illicit marketplace. Now, Slovenia turns out in a position to take a unique trail.
Public opinion is on board
The Slovenian public seems in large part supportive of this shift.
In a couple of non-binding referendums held in June 2024, citizens had been requested their opinion on hashish get entry to. 67% voted in choose of permitting sufferers to develop clinical hashish for private use, whilst 52% supported the concept that all adults -regardless of clinical status- will have to be capable to develop and possess marijuana at house.
Despite the fact that those effects didn’t raise felony weight, they marked a primary cultural shift. As Sukić defined: “We’re enforcing the desire of the citizens.” And in a celebratory tone, Sara Žibrat, a parliamentarian with the Freedom Motion, echoed that sentiment in a now extensively shared social media put up: “We were given it! Virtually.”
First comes clinical, then grownup use
Previous this yr, the Nationwide Meeting additionally handed law to legalize hashish vegetation, extracts, and resin for clinical and medical use, after overriding a Nationwide Council veto.
This framework grants get entry to to hashish for sufferers coping with critical prerequisites like epilepsy, more than one sclerosis, most cancers, and different persistent sicknesses —at all times below clinical supervision and tightly regulated.
In an respectable commentary, the Freedom Motion made the targets transparent: “To give protection to sufferers and hashish customers from unverified merchandise at the black marketplace, allow uninterrupted clinical hashish provide to sufferers and cope with present felony shortcomings within the box of hashish use for clinical and medical functions.”
In brief, Slovenia’s newest hashish push displays a non-commercial legalization type, focused on public fitness, private freedom, and hurt aid.
Not like nations that experience opened regulated advertisement markets —like Canada or positive U.S. states— Slovenia is charting a direction that prioritizes house cultivation, secure get entry to, and appreciate for person autonomy.
Significantly, this initiative isn’t being pushed by means of company lobbying, however reasonably by means of direct voter sentiment and lawmakers responding to it.
With this transfer, Slovenia now joins a rising wave of Ecu nations rewriting their hashish insurance policies —Germany, Malta, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic amongst them— signaling that the continent could also be at the verge of a broader shift.
Revealed first on El Planteo.
