It doesn’t mean that it is illegal to smoke - it means that storekeepers cannot sell it to be smoked
On the 21st February 2018, the CEO of EasyJoint, Luca Merola, showed 1kg-bag of marijuana in front of the camera of the Italian TV Show Le Iene. The journalist who was interviewing him, ironically asked if he had to call the police, but Luca Merola answered that police wouldn’t do anything. The CEO of EasyJoint told the story of the company that he founded and how he started to sell marijuana legally. The day after the TV show, thousands of people reached the company’s website to buy its products and asking to collaborate to the project. For the first time, the general public learned about how to legally buy marijuana in Italy.
EasyJoint’s popular success is the result of the ability to sneak in the chaotic drug policy about cannabis. Its project has led the way in selling legal marijuana in Italy and has contributed to the creation of a new legal market, which would satisfy a demand of about 4 million cannabis consumers who still smoke by buying marijuana from drug dealers.
According to Coldiretti, the federation of Italian farmers, the boom of cannabis increased its cultivation from 400 hectares in 2013 and estimates to reach up to 4000 hectares in 2018.
In the last few years, the policy about cannabis and its cultivation decriminalized the personal use of marijuana and has recognized the difference between hard and soft drugs. Due to a new law entered into force in 2017, growing cannabis within Italy is legal as long as the THC, the cannabis active ingredient responsible of psychotropic effects, is below 0.6%. It can be sold only for technical use, but not as a recreational drug. Furthermore, the law doesn’t refer about the purpose of the cannabis inflorescence, which is used to smoke.
As a result of this legislative void, the cannabis sold by Easyjoint is legal. It doesn’t get you high because its THC is below the limit permitted by law. This is why EasyJoint called its product Light Cannabis, while the average marijuana pushed in the streets contains about 11% of THC and is illegal. Indeed, the only effect produced by Light Cannabis is sedative and relaxing. However, the legal cannabis produced by EasyJoint mustn’t be confused with the medical cannabis, which is legal and distributed only under medical prescription.
Despite the fact that Light Cannabis can be bought and smoked, it can’t be sold for recreational purposes. It doesn’t mean that it is illegal to smoke – it means that storekeepers cannot sell it to be smoked. But shops have found a gimmick to get around the law. Retailers sell this form of cannabis as a technical product in order to avoid any legal responsibility if customers use it recreational purposes. Likewise, consumers can smoke Light Cannabis because it contains a level of THC permitted by law.
Since last year, hundreds of companies and farms have begun to invest in the cannabis industry. About 350 shops sell legal marijuana and several companies inaugurated franchising shops all over Italy. EasyJoint, for instance, leans on a network of 108 farms for its supplies and its marijuana costs between €10 ($12) and €34 ($42) per product, depending on the varieties. Italian cannabis associations stated that over 700 farms and shops are involved in this new industry.
A pre-feasibility study made by the Italian researcher Davide Fortin shows that the cannabis market would generate at least €44m ($54m) per year from its business, creating employment for about 960 people.
Although most of consumers of light cannabis are adults, younger smokers still buy illegal cannabis with a high level of THC because of its psychoactive effects. Italian crime organizations earn about €4bn ($5bn) per year just from their marijuana income.
Only in late May 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies recognized the production and trade of inflorescences of cannabis. Cultivation is now allowed without any authorization, as long as THC is below 0,2% and not over 0,6%. In case of THC higher than 0,6%, cultivation will be confiscated and farmers can cultivate cannabis only using certificated seeds. The news of the ministry’s newsletter about cannabis is the acknowledgement of inflorescences which are destined to a floricultural use.
According to the vice minister of Agriculture, Andrea Olivero, “this action is necessary to clarify the use of hemp destined to a floricultural use in order to put in practice a good law and specify its scope”. But according to AssoCanapa, the National Coordination of hemp growing, the ministerial newsletter doesn’t clarify limits of THC regarding food products and cosmetics.
Words by Dario Sabaghi
Image by Lothbrok
Originally published in Weed World Magazine Issue 136
