The government in Italy recently decriminalized the cultivation of medical marijuanaand production of the plant for research purposes.

 

The court system in Italy is one of the most overcrowded and inefficient in Europe, so the government was forced to roll back a few of their laws and regulations to prevent so many people being pushed through the system.

Italy’s legal system is ranked 139th out of 140 countries when it comes to efficiency in settling disputes, and 138th when it comes to the burden of state regulations, according to the latest World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report.

Along with medical marijuana production, the state also rolled back hundreds of other small crimes, including “obscene acts,” driving without a license and deceiving people. When once these were jailable offenses, they now only carry a fine.

“It will free up courts from issues of little relevance,” Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said in a statement.

It is important to note that this new law does not change much for recreational drug users. The decriminalization will only apply to people working in the medical marijuana field and in cannabis research. Cultivation of marijuana for private consumption or distribution is still illegal in Italy.

An Italian research group also suggested that legalizing cannabis could boost Italy’s GDP by between 1.30 and 2.34 percent, Green Rush Daily reported.

 

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