On the first day of January 2018, California State legalized Marijuana. Therefore, becoming one of the eight states in the US where the use of recreational Marijuana is allowed. This move is expected to trigger annual revenue generation of $1 billion. Furthermore, this change in California may cause other governments to Legalize weed as the way of increasing revenue. Already Canada is set to allow recreational Marijuana in July this year.
Is Europe going to Legalize Marijuana?
- According to European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), there is no country in Europe where Marijuana has been legalized even though to some extent the EU governments exercise some form of tolerance to use of weed for personal use. There is, however, signals that suggest Europe might soon take the same route as California.
Signs that Europe could Legalize Marijuana
Individual use of Marijuana
- Norway is now focusing more on the treatment of people affected by illegal drugs instead of punishing them. This began when legislators at Norway parliament initiated a process to trigger decriminalization of harmful drugs.
- Although Marijuana remains illegal, the law in some European countries prohibits arrest of people found in possession of small quantities of weed meant for personal use. Such countries include the Czech Republic, Malta, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Ireland, Bulgaria, and Croatia.
- Portugal could be the first European Union country to authorize Marijuana. The country decriminalized all harmful drugs in before the end of 2001, an effort that was aimed at controlling high usage of heroin that was rapidly generating a crisis in the country.
Marijuana for medical use
- As much as weed remains illegal in the UK, a Marijuana extract named nabiximols is allowed and is being used as medicine not only in the UK but, also in 18 other countries within the European Union. In Greece, delivery of medical Marijuana to patients who needs them is allowed. In accordance with a report published by Bloomberg, The government of Greece is soon hoping to initiate legalization of Marijuana through parliament. The ministry of agriculture in Greece through its minister, Evangelos Apostolou, noted a huge interest among growers who want to invest about £1.3bn in greenhouse parks meant for Marijuana production.
- Experts and Marijuana enthusiasts feel that weed would only be authorized for medical reasons. The Greek minister for agriculture appears to suggest that, the new legislation only affects or is related to Sativex which will be supplied to people with chronic diseases in Greece.
