The government in North Macedonia is considering allowing recreational use of cannabis in cafes and hospitality places in the capital, Skopje, and in other tourist hotspots, like the lakeside town of Ohrid, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said.
“The idea is to allow consumption of cannabis in cafes, both in existing and new ones, and in tourist places, including Skopje, if they respect certain standards on ventilation, proof of origin of the cannabis and so on,” Zaev told Deutsche Welle.
He added that the government envisages strict regulation in this sphere, taking Amsterdam in the Netherlands as an example.
The Prime Minister said this was part of the government’s planned package of measures aimed at stimulating the economy, which has been hit hard by the COVID health crisis.
Zaev, who in the past two years has promised a public debate over this issue, warned that his Social Democratic government has not made any final decision yet, and insists that if the majority in the country says no to the idea, he is ready to retreat.
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