Italy eases 'personal use' cannabis limits

crummyrummy · Nov 14, 2006

All hail Italia

stuff.co.nz said:

ROME: Italy's government has doubled the amount of cannabis people can possess without risking prosecution and announced a major overhaul of the laws on narcotics use.

Causing an outcry from the centre-right opposition, but joy from campaigners for drugs liberalisation, Health Minister Livia Turco said the maximum amount of marijuana to be considered for "personal use" would be doubled to 1g in terms of its active ingredient.

That would allow for possession of up to around 40 joints, the health ministry said.

"I intervened so thousands of young people don't have to go to jail or suffer a criminal proceeding for smoking a joint," said Turco, a member of the largest government party, the Democrats of the Left.

Turco said the law, which will come into effect as soon it is published in Italy's official journal, was an interim step to a full overhauling of the drugs law passed by the previous government of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Parliament was suspended briefly after uproar broke out when one leftist member announced he had planted cannabis seeds in the chamber's gardens – a claim he later admitted was merely a provocation to the centre-right opposition.

"I've planted some marijuana seeds in the flower beds in the chamber of deputies' courtyard. And they've already started sprouting over the last few days," said Communist Refoundation lawmaker Francesco Caruso.

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Caruso, also a well-known figure in Italy's anti-globalisation movement, said he was just trying to advertise a pro-cannabis protest day on November 25 when activists will plant the drug in public places.

For decades, Italy has swung between liberal to repressive laws on drugs – an issue which sharply divides left and right.

Carlo Giovanardi, the centrist former minister who co-sponsored the law under Berlusconi that cracked down on drugs and which will now be revised, said Monday's measure would decriminalise the possession of 40 joints.

"We thought that around 20 joints was already a very generous limit to distinguish between personal use and pushing," he said.

"Raising the limit to 40 joints is a danger and deprived of any scientific basis. It's a mistaken and morally harmful signal to our young people."

Click to expand...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3860835a12,00.html

wonderboy · Nov 14, 2006

good to see. i was in italy this summer and that's cool. good to see another politician notices the amount of criminalization going on.

shockseventyfour · Nov 14, 2006

how large is one joint though? couldnt you justs rol huge blunts and say thats a joint?

Biida · Nov 14, 2006

I read through that far too quickly. At first I thought it implied that a person may safely carry up to 1g of bud, and then... Forty joints? Wtf?

I spent a moment or two in stitches over how ridiculous it is to think that anyone could roll 40 joints out of a gram of bud.

And then I realized what it really meant. D'oh! And I'm not even high!!!!

wonderboy · Nov 14, 2006

i think it means 40 grams of THC, would could potentially be in 40 joints weight of plant marijuana,... maybe?

TheMadcapSyd · Nov 14, 2006

Well considering Italy changes governments about every season, let's see how long this last.

Did you know if you were born in Italy, you'd have a 89% chance of being an MP at once point in your life.

borat · Nov 15, 2006

it means 1 gram of thc

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Italy eases 'personal use' cannabis limits

crummyrummy Brew Your Own Beer Lifetime Supporter

wonderboy the secret of your power!

shockseventyfour Member

Biida Member

wonderboy the secret of your power!

TheMadcapSyd Titanic's captain, yo!

borat Member

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Italy eases 'personal use' cannabis limits

crummyrummy Brew Your Own Beer Lifetime Supporter

wonderboy the secret of your power!

shockseventyfour Member

Biida Member

wonderboy the secret of your power!

TheMadcapSyd Titanic's captain, yo!

borat Member

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