In the Czech Republic, hemp products have been available in pharmacies for years. Prague is now planning full legalization for 2023 and wants to coordinate the step with Berlin.
At the end of September 2022, the government in Prague commissioned Voboril to draft a law to legalize hemp. In March 2023, the drug commissioner is scheduled to present a first draft of the bill.
The only coalition party that is still skeptical about the plan is the Christian Democratic-Conservative People's Party (KDU-CSL). Voboril, himself a member of Prime Minister Petr Fiala's liberal-conservative Democratic Citizens' Party (ODS), is convinced, though, that "if the state legalizes drug use and gets it under its control, the risk of addiction will decrease." In his draft law, he proposes that government agencies take control of both production and sales.
The idea is that there will be licensed companies working under strict rules for the production and distribution of cannabis, the Czech drug commissioner explained. Dealers would have to apply for a state license. It is still unclear whether users will have to register.
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