March for Cannabis organised by the Mothers for Cannabis Movement, began in Lisbon’s Luís de Camões Square. After the demonstration, several participants found themselves on the steps of the Assembly of the Republic building. During a speech moment, several political leaders revealed the possibility of cannabis legalisation in the near future in Portugal.
Potential possibility for cannabis legalisation in Portugal
As we can see, Portugal may decide to legalise marijuana in the future and that effort is moving in the right direction. Since 2001, Portugal has decriminalised the personal use of cannabis as well as the possession of small amounts of the drug. Although there is a rising movement for full legalisation, the manufacture, sale, and distribution of cannabis remain illegal.
In 2019, the Portuguese parliament has already rejected 2 legalisation proposals. However, discussions about legalisation in Portugal have been going on for a long time.
Recent negotiations suggest that the Portuguese parliament may get a legalising proposal for marijuana later this year. There is currently backing from a number of political groups, including the Socialist Party.
In June last year, the Portuguese leftists also presented a new project to legalise cannabis, different from the previous one. Last December, the secretary-general of the Socialist Youth (JS) defended the idea that the PS should use its absolute majority to advance the legalisation of marijuana in Portugal.
Portuguese doubts about cannabis legalisation
Even though the country decriminalised cannabis in 2001, they do not want to become another Amsterdam. The objective of Portuguese politics is building equal opportunities, freedom and fulfilment. Another point refers to climate change. Moreover, an obvious expected benefit are the taxes coming from cannabis sales and licences.
To summarise, there is an increasing global trend towards cannabis legalisation. We can observe it booming in Europe now. Malta, Germany, Czech Republic started the discussion. Portugal, with its history of decriminalisation, is seen as a potential candidate for further cannabis policy reform. With current knowledge, after decriminalisation, Portugal can become a significant player in cannabis cultivation and production.