Italy has an uncertain scenario set forth for light cannabis (i.e. with THC levels below 0.2%) shops and businesses, after a recent decision of the Italian Supreme Court, last July.

The decision took a rather strict approach, specifying that, under current legislation (and especially, under Law 242/2016), only certain specific types of products may be considered legal, i.e.:

– food and cosmetics;

– certain semi-finished products, such as fiber (“fibra”), shives (“canapulo”), powders (“polveri”), wood chips (“cippato”), oils (“olii”) or fuels (“carburanti”), for supplies to businesses and artisanal businesses of different fields, including energy;

– material intended for the practice of green manure (“sovescio”);

– organic material intended for bioengineering works or products for bio-building;

– material intended for the phytoremediation to reclaim polluted sites;

– cultivations dedicated to educational and demonstration activities, as well as research carried out by public or private institutions;

– crops used for nursery gardening (“florovivaismo”).

Whatever falls outside the items listed above, even if the content of THC is below 0.2%, may be treated as an illegal drug with all relevant implications, especially under Italian criminal law – unless such products are proven to have no doping or psychotropic effect whatsoever.

It is not difficult to imagine the negative impact of such approach on business operators in Italy, which caused many of them to close, interrupt or suspend their activity, right after having experienced a quite impressive boom, leading to an estimated yearly turnover in 2018 of euro 150 million.

Just yesterday, nevertheless, the Budget Commission of the Italian Senate approved an amendment of the draft Budget Law for 2020 that, according to Senator Matteo Mantero, would clarify in express terms that products with a THC content under 0.5% cannot be considered as having a doping or psychotropic effect and, therefore, should be considered as legal. Of course, this measure will be linked to a specific taxation of all cannabinoid products (0.4 euro per gram of finished product), which is expected to bring benefits to Italy’s budget for 2020.

The specific amendment and the entire draft of the Budget Law for 2020 is still undergoing its approval process. We will keep an eye on it. Stay tuned for updates.