78% Of European Countries Have Legalized Medical Marijuana
Greater acceptance of cannabis has been steadily growing in Europe as the European Union has been making moves to legalize medical and recreational marijuana.
Out of the 27 EU countries only 6 are still classifying medical cannabis as illegal. Namely Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Sweden.
Recreational cannabis has been largedly decriminalized with the exception of Greece, Ireland, Poland, Romania and Slovenia and the above mentioned countries. In Germany, Malta, The Netherlands and Spain cannabis is completely legal.
Image credit: Biortica Agrimed
Australia To Follow in EU’s Footsteps?
The report was shared in a press release by Australian cannabis pharmaceutical company Biortica Agrimed. “The EU situation with respect to legalization can best be described as fluid, but evolving positively,“ said CEO Tom Varga.
“Even though EU law prohibits the commercial sale of cannabis, many countries are taking a more open-minded stance by legalizing it, starting with medical use and eventually moving to personal use, with Germany leading the charge. Out of the 27 EU member states, 21 have legalized medical cannabis, and 13 countries have either legalized or decriminalized its personal use,” he mentioned.
Cannabis is considered by “far the most commonly consumed illicit drug in Europe” according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction’s (EMCDDA). The report which surveyed 22.6 million people between 15 and 64 years showed that 8% of European adults have used cannabis within the last year while 1.3% of adults described themselves as ‘daily’ or ‘almost daily’ users.
Citing a need to better understand the needs of cannabis users, the report said that cannabis accounted for almost a third of all drug admissions in Europe. This further emphasizes the importance of legislation and transparency.
After Legalization Comes Reinforcement
Like Japan, the European market has been plagued with semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) and high-potency extracts and edibles which have been linked to acute toxicity presentations in hospital emergency departments.
In 2021, EU Member States reported a whopping 202,000 seizures of cannabis resin totaling 816 tonnes (up from 588 tonnes in 2020) and 240,000 seizures of herbal cannabis weighing 256 tonnes (compared to 157 tonnes in 2020). Spain made up 66% of these cannabis seizures in the EU, drawing attention to it as a key transit and production hub for trafficking.
Australia legalized medical cannabis in 2016 and is in the process of legalizing cannabis for recreational use, growing and supply federally. The Legalising Cannabis Bill 2023 was introduced by Greens Senator David Shoebridge on August 10, 2023 and is due for a second reading and debate.
“The EU has some top-notch nations, and Australia should definitely learn from them,” he said. “We have the chance to see how legislative frameworks have been built overseas, what’s worked, and what the Australian industry and lawmakers should steer clear of. Australia can definitely do better.”
“We are eager to continue sharing our global industry research with the Australian sector, as well as with our lawmakers and regulators. Together, we aim to cultivate an industry that we can all take pride in—one that prioritizes patient care, safety, and positive outcomes,” stated Varga.
