European drug coordinators met last week in Prague. The Czech representative called, on this occasion, for a “collective effort” by the 27 to regulate the medical and recreational cannabis markets.
“We hope it will be a coordinated effort [pour réguler le marché du cannabis]. It is impossible not to talk about it at European Union level. Prohibition has not proven effective enough; we have to look for other models of control. A controlled market may be the only possible solution,” said Czech National Drug Enforcement Coordinator Jindřich Vobořil.
He also announced that he wanted to strictly regulate the Czech cannabis market. While recreational cannabis is not permitted in the Czech Republic, possession and home cultivation has been decriminalized since 2010, but is still punishable as a civil offense when used in public.
Vobořil is currently preparing a plan for the legalization of cannabis in the Czech Republic, which he plans to submit by the end of the year. “I am happy that we are not alone in the EU,” Vobořil said.
In particular, he mentioned the projects of Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands which are currently engaged in legal regulations of cannabis. On the other hand, some states, such as France and Sweden, are against any regulation.
Leading drug policy experts joined the event in Prague. According to Michel Kazatchkine, of the World Commission on Drug Policy, the EU should remove cannabis from the list of prohibited substances.
“We have been trying to do this for more than ten years. There are many legal complications. But I believe there will be a change of understanding in Europe and around the world, and a regulated cannabis market will be in place,” Kazatchkine was quoted as saying by Czech News Agency.
He added that thanks to the Czech EU Presidency, the regulated market debate is also reaching a “political level. »
