Italy Walks Back “Cannabis Light” Industry

You may have heard of light beer, but what about light cannabis? Recreational cannabis is not technically legal in Italy. However, the country decriminalized possession of small quantities of cannabis, up to 1.5 grams of low-THC marijuana, for personal use. The result? What is known as the country’s “cannabis light” policy.

The country’s “cannabis light” policy has been prevalent, even going so far as to usher in a “green gold rush.” The international marijuana market has exploded in the country, where hundreds of pop-up stores sell low-THC marijuana by the pouch. However, the blooming marijuana market may be about to go bust thanks to new plans by the Italian Prime Minister to stamp out the cannabis crop.

Italy Looks Beyond the Flower

In 2016, Italy relaxed possession laws, decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use. The legislation aimed to help restore Italy as one of the EU’s top industrial hemp producers. However, the result was an explosion of cannabis culture. Storefronts quickly emerged, selling low-level THC products. The law also allowed the sale of cosmetics and other products made with hemp, like cannabis-infused pasta and gelato.

Today, the cannabis light policy is just a part of everyday life for Italians. That may be about to change. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is looking to make some strategic policy changes. One of the most significant shifts to Italian policy may be the rolling back the country’s “cannabis light” initiative. The measure is part of a more extensive plan by the arch-conservative coalition to return to more traditional ideals concerning public morality and social structures.

Meloni’s government is concerned about the cannabis light policy, saying that the original 2016 law is too “lax.” Instead, the government wants to ban all products deriving from hemp flowers, potentially devastating the country’s thriving hemp industry. Local entrepreneurs are voicing their concerns and are furious with the potential policy shift. Changing the law could cost the country thousands of jobs and potentially millions of euros in investments. One individual who founded a company that grows and sells cannabis products says the government is attempting to wage a war on a substance that is not a drug.

Say What?

Technically, hemp and marijuana are the same plant. They are part of the cannabis family. However, hemp plants contain .3 percent or less of the psychoactive compound THC by dry weight. Marijuana plants contain more than .3 percent THC, depending on the strain. The Italian government’s anti-drug department says products made from hemp flowers are akin to recreational drugs. In a statement, they say hemp “could pose risks to public safety or road safety,” hence the need to ban the sale of these products despite the law being in effect since 2016.

Hemp producers and cultivators say the flower has a negligible psychotropic component and remains vital for many industrial markets, including food, textile, and cosmetic supply chains. One hemp lobby company says that upwards of 70 to 80 percent of the income from hemp cultivation comes exclusively from the flower, the most potent part of the plant.

This dramatic policy shift could have significant economic implications for the hemp industry and the country as a whole.

A Government Shift to More Conservative Policies

The proposed ban on hemp flowers is part of a larger conservative movement in the country that includes stricter security measures that clamp down on demonstrations and place tough new restrictions on prison protests. The broad measure has already been approved by the lower house of parliament in Italy and now goes before the upper house of the Senate.  

Critics of the proposed bill say that Prime Minister Meloni has intentionally reserved the most radical positions for her final two years in office, pushing conservative social issues on policies like surrogacy, drugs, and demonstrations. Proponents say it is time to revise the 2016 law because it is too vague and sanctioned the sale of “cannabis light.” The 2016 law stipulates hemp should not be smoked or eaten but makes no mention of hemp flower. Government officials say the law created a legal gray area. Hemp flowers can be labeled as a “collector item” to get around the fact that the law says the flower should not be consumed but that the packaging isn’t fooling anyone. They say a clarifying amendment is necessary.

What the Advocates Say

Cannabis advocates say the hardline shift makes little sense. One virologist and senator with the Democratic party says in a statement, “Cannabis light contains a very small amount of the active ingredient in marijuana. It has no psychotropic effect. It is used for pain relief, relaxation, and as an anxiolytic.” 

The senator goes on to suggest that removing hemp flower from the cannabis supply chain would be devoid of scientific logic, especially since the European Union approved hemp cultivation. Countries like France and Switzerland have gotten into the hemp cultivation game. In other words, banning the flower and potentially limiting hemp production in Italy could significantly hurt the country as others turn to those EU countries to get the hemp materials and products they need. Today, estimates show that roughly 90 percent of Italian hemp gets exported. Moreover, the hemp industry employs nearly 10,000 full-time workers.

Owners of cannabis light shops say that the proposal would be “economic suicide” and worry about the fallout for themselves and others in the hemp industry. Investors in the hemp industry also feel a sense of dread and uncertainty about the policy change. However, the government continues to suggest that the flower ban and removal of “cannabis light” will not affect Italy’s hemp industry.

Read More Cannabutter Digest!

Cannabutter Digest works hard to keep you up-to-date on the latest cannabis-related news in the United States and across the globe. For more news, recipes, and product reviews, please bookmark our site and visit often to find curated cannabis content. We write long-form pieces every Tuesday and Thursday, with short hits coming on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays!