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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Cannabis in Czechia: Home Growing Is The Only Proposal On The Table
KrautInvest Tuesday 04 Mar 2025 krautinvest.de: Czech has decided to legalize the sale of CBD flowers with a max. of 1% THC. How popular are these kind of flowers in Czech? Lukáš Hurt: The 1% THC limit was adopted about three years ago, primarily to ensure that farmers would not be afraid of growing hemp that could exceed the previous legal limit of 0.3% THC. Flowers containing less than 1% THC are sold as raw material for further processing; however, they are not legally approved for human consumption – similar to ‚mouthwash‘ CBD oils in German-speaking countries. Of course, some people smoke them, but I don’t believe they are particularly popular – perhaps only among cannabis users who want to smoke herb without getting high during the day. However, this is a relatively small group, and the effects of these flowers are not significantly different from strains with up to 0.3% THC. Therefore, I don’t think there would be a substantial market specifically for flowers with THC levels between 0.3% and 1%. The same applies to CBD oils, as most products on the market still contain less than 0.3% THC. That said, the 1% THC law has been beneficial in terms of increasing the active compound content in raw material for extraction. As a result, we have seen some positive developments, such as Polish or Italian companies setting up hemp growing, processing, and extraction facilities in Czechia. Disclaimer: This interview is part of a media partnership with ICBC. Our readers get 30% discount with the code MJCOMMS30 via this link. Lukas will be moderating the panel „A Holistic Approach to Cannabis Research within International Frameworks“ on Tuesday 29th of April 2025 at 4:20pm. krautinvest.de: Instead of legalizing cannabis, Czech had decided to decriminalize home grow, similar to Germany, but without a club-system. Is the sale of seeds and cuttings legal in Czech? Lukáš Hurt: I wouldn’t say ‚Czechia has decided‘. At the moment, home growing decriminalization is the only proposal on the table, about eight months before the general election. And this is only thanks to the Minister of Justice, who included it as part of his broader criminal code reform. The original three-pillar plan – home growing, cannabis clubs, and a regulated market –, which we discussed last year and for which I lobbied, is essentially off the table. This is mainly due to opposition from the Christian Democrats, who treated it as a matter of life and death. Right now, we are fighting for what is achievable – home growing up to three plants as part of the criminal code reform. Unfortunately, the possession limit has been set at 50 grams, mirroring Germany’s approach, which makes little sense. We will be pushing to change that. At the same time, strong opposition from law enforcement prefers no change at all. To summarize: we are hopeful that home growing will be legalized before the October elections, but it is still far from certain. Mr. Voboril will be pushing this agenda heavily at the EU level krautinvest.de: What other business opportunities emerge by this step? Lukáš Hurt: Not many, similar to Germany. The main beneficiaries will be seed banks and manufacturers of growing equipment – such as lights, tents, soil, and fertilizers. However, since there will be no commercial market for recreational users for the time being, we won’t see the emergence of a ‚green economy‘ like in Canada or an increasing number of U.S. states. krautinvest.de: A legalized value chain as preferred by Jindrich Voboril has not happened is this still an option or would Czech also wait for a policy process on EU level to change European agreements? Lukáš Hurt: I’m sure Mr. Voboril will be pushing this agenda heavily at the EU level. In fact, he is opening a Brussels branch of his think tank next month, with some major figures – including former presidents – participating. However, when it comes to a regulated cannabis market at home, we will have to wait and see what the new government looks like after the October elections. At the moment, it appears that oligarch Babiš, who is often compared to Trump, could become prime minister. If that happens, anything could be on the table – including unexpected shifts in cannabis policy. krautinvest.de: Are there any signals to categorize medical cannabis completely as a OTC? Lukáš Hurt: This will never happen. There have been proposals to allow the sale of products with less than 3-5% THC over the counter, and this might become possible someday if a major pharmaceutical company backs the idea. However, it’s hard to imagine intoxicating THC products being sold to every adult in Czech pharmacies – unless it is a part of controlled trial such as the pilot projects in Switzerland. Realistically, I believe we will see a normal regulated market with specialized shops long before high THC cannabis is broadly available in pharmacies. About Lukáš Hurt: Lukas Hurt is a Czech publisher, activist, and medical cannabis patient with over fifteen years of experience in the cannabis industry, focusing on human rights and medicinal uses. Holding university degrees in History and English Philology, he began his cannabis career in 2012 as a writer and translator for Czech magazine Legalizace. Over the years, Lukas has worked with a wide range of clients, including expo and conference organizers, patient associations, medical professionals, and academic institutions such as Palacký University in Olomouc, Mendel University, and St. Anne’s Faculty Hospital in Brno. In 2018, he became the editor-in-chief of Konopí, a print magazine dedicated to educating the public on medical cannabis, cannabis policies, and broader applications of the plant. This role brought him into even closer collaboration with healthcare professionals, patients, and policymakers. In 2023, Lukas became the manager of the Czech hemp and cannabis cluster CzecHemp, where he began actively lobbying for legislative improvements. He also established Families Against Prohibition, a citizen initiative advocating for cannabis prisoners and their families. In 2024, he co-founded the NGO Rational Regulation, dedicated to supporting cannabis reforms in Czechia and in the EU. Disclaimer: This interview is part of a media partnership with ICBC. Our readers get 30% discount with the code MJCOMMS30 via this link. Lukas will be moderating the panel „A Holistic Approach to Cannabis Research within International Frameworks“ on Tuesday 29th of April 2025 at 4:20pm. https://krautinvest.de/cannabis-in-czech-home-growing-is-the-only-proposal-on-the-table/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJT5Q9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQBbR4pB0CU3S8F9P4Qb0RhBSmmtso8nTywI4eKjgQ2uWQblMuy9KPgR9A_aem_EbpxYea8r5jhXMSiRKbsCw
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