When it comes to laws surrounding cannabis, there seems to be a bit of a movement going on within Europe. Not only for medicinal purposes, but also recreational.
Almost everyone within the cannabis community will know about Malta becoming the first EU country to legalise the cultivation and personal use of cannabis.
Now we have Denmark following in the same footsteps with all five of their political parties voting in favour to trial the legalisation of recreational cannabis over a five year period.
The scheme will allow its citizens to possess and consume cannabis recreationally. They will also be able to grow their own and store it at home.
Disrupt black market
The report states: “Although legalisation still offers the potential for a parallel black market, it removes a large part of the revenue base and thus also the risk appetite associated with drug crime.
“The existing cannabis ban has not restricted the consumption or sale of cannabis products in Denmark since the introduction of a ban 40 years ago.
“Existing legislation, therefore, criminalises more and more citizens, and up to half of the population have actively violated it.”
According to data from 2020, 41% of people under 25 years old have used cannabis in Denmark. The average consumption among people between the ages of 16 and 44 years old has doubled since 1994.
State-operated dispensaries
Another part of their plan is to open state-operated dispensaries. This will enable permanent residents of Denmark who are over the age of 18 to purchase cannabis legally.
The cost of the cannabis products sold will be priced similarly to that of the black market in an effort to reduce the reliance on illegal sellers. All profits will be used for the prevention and treatment of abuse.
This program isn’t the first step Denmark has taken towards cannabis reform. In 2018 they launched a medical cannabis pilot programme. It was supposed to come to an end in 2021 but has been extended indefinitely.
This has set Denmark up to be one of the largest producers of cannabis in Europe with 200,000 square meters of cultivation floor space.
