Czech Republic Aiming to Harmonize Cannabis Legalization Laws with Germany

The Czech Republic is aiming to harmonize its cannabis laws with Germany as the two European Union nations seek to implement adult-use reforms, Forbes reports. The Czech coalition government is expected to present a draft bill to regulate the industry in March 2023 and the reforms could take effect by January 2024. 

In September, the Czech government tasked drug commissioner Jindřich Vobořil to draft a law to legalize adult-use cannabis. In a Facebook post last month, Vobořil indicated that Czech officials are in contact with the German government to coordinate and consult with one another on the reform plans. 

“My colleagues in Germany are talking about permitted quantities, and they don’t have the cannabis clubs that we foresee. I certainly want to hold the cannabis clubs until my last breath. This model seems very useful to me, at least for the first few years.” — Vobořil, in a Facebook post, via Forbes 

The Czech Republic decriminalized personal possession of cannabis in 2010 and legalized medical cannabis in 2013. The nation is also one of the few in Europe that allows industrial hemp to contain THC concentrations of up to 1% instead of 0.2%.    

According to the Addiction Report released in August by the National Monitoring Center on Drugs and Addiction (NMS), about 30% of adults in the Czech Republic have tried cannabis and about 9% consume it regularly.  

According to the Czech Pirate Party, the smallest political group inside the government coalition and one of the country’s most prominent cannabis advocates, cannabis product sales could generate about €800 million ($782 million) in tax revenue annually. 

Germany unveiled its legalization plans last month. Under the draft plan, THC in cannabis products would be limited to 15% and adults would be allowed to cultivate up to two plants for personal use. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has estimated about 4 million adults in Germany consume cannabis.