The Czech government is planning changes to cannabis legislation. Having up to three cannabis plants for personal use should be legal, proposes the ministry. Growing up to three cannabis plants would no longer be an offense in the future. The proposed legalization only applies to cultivation for personal use, and solely for individuals over the age of 21.
Key aspects of the cannabis law update
The threshold between a misdemeanor and a crime would now exceed more than five plants. At home, it will be legal to store up to 50 grams of dried cannabis, while outside the home, the limit would be 25 grams. This is visible in the amendment to criminal regulations, which the Ministry of Justice submitted to the government on 24th September, as state news agency reports.
The ministry summarized in its submission:
“The proposal reevaluates which actions should be considered criminal and liberalizes current regulations, reclassifying some currently criminal actions as misdemeanors, while legalizing others completely.”
The partial legalization of self-cultivation was justified by a shift in societal views regarding the harmfulness of recreational cannabis use by adults.
How it is now? What does the new law mean?
Currently, possessing more than a small amount, which law defines as five cannabis plants or ten grams of dry cannabis, is a criminal offense. Handling smaller amounts is classified as a misdemeanor. The ministry now intends to set the threshold between a misdemeanor and a crime at five plants or 100 grams of dried cannabis if kept at home, and 50 grams if kept outside the home.
For the unauthorized cultivation, harvesting, or processing of cannabis — meaning more than five plants — or for possessing more than the allowed amount of dried cannabis for personal use, the basic penalty would be up to six months in prison. For possessing larger than small quantities of other narcotic or psychotropic substances for personal use, the basic penalty would be up to two years.
The ministry concludes:
“The fact that the cultivation and subsequent processing of cannabis plants for personal use may be treated less strictly than the production of other narcotic and psychotropic substances is also supported by international agreements and European Union regulations.”
The Czech Republic’s ministry was open for cannabis law changes in the past.