In the last few years several countries as well as numerous subnational jurisdictions in the Americas have adopted policies to regulate cannabis for non-medical use as an alternative to prohibition. The reform of cannabis policies is proceeding also in Europe: Malta has partially decriminalised personal consumption and cultivation of Cannabis; Luxembourg’s parliament is considering reforms; Germany’s new coalition government announced its intention to legally regulate cannabis for non-medical use. In Italy a referendum was proposed but not admitted by the Supreme Court, aimed at the depenalization of personal cultivation and depenalization of all cannabis-related conduct.

The event is organized as a side event of the 65th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of United Nations in Vienna. It will illustrate, discuss and compare the different models of regulation of cannabis being proposed and enacted in Europe and how they fit (or not) within related international and European legal frameworks. Specific attention will be paid to the principles of social justice in the reform models.

Speakers

• The Malta decriminalization
  Andrew Bonello (ReLeaf Malta) (talk in pdf)
• Overview on recent cannabis regulation initiatives in Europe
  Constanza Sánchez (ICEERS) (talk in pdf)
• The cannabis regulation and the International and European frameworks
  Tom Blickman (TNI) (talk in pdf)

Host

• Susanna Ronconi (Forum Droghe)

Side event at the 65th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations (Vienna, 14-18 marzo 2022) co-sponsored by: Forum Droghe, Associazione Luca Coscioni, ICEERS, International Drug Policy Consortium  (IDPC), ReLeaf Malta, Transnational Institute (TNI), Transform, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).

• Transcipt of the event on the CND blog
• Watch the side event on YouTube