December/30/2019
On Thursday, December 19, the Supreme Court in Italy made a ruling making cultivation of marijuana for personal use legal. The Supreme Court decision is expected to attract controversy from critics.
The Supreme Court decided after the Court of Cassation was asked to clarify the ruling of the 29-year old who was sentenced for a period of one year after growing marijuana plant at his homestead from which he made a joint.
The Telegraph reported that in 2008, the court made a ruling starting that marijuana farming was illegal; however, the citizens are confused by the various ruling made by the courts over the years, which are contradictory to the stipulations by the law.
In October, the Supreme Court took on a case where a defendant appealed a ruling made by the Naples Court of Appeals sentencing him to one year in jail for growing two marijuana plants at his home.
The Telegraph further reported that the Naples Court of Appeals ruling could be effectively overturned by the Supreme Court because the small amount of marijuana grown for personal use by the growers is exempt from the law under the Supreme Court ruling.
Organizations and groups that work to combat drug dependency on users have expressed grave concerns regarding the ruling made by the Supreme Court, reported the news outlet.
In a public statement, the leader of the right-wing League Party, Matteo Salvini, said that people should forget about growing or selling drugs in the shop as they cause harm to the consumers.
On Sunday, Livatino Study Center also added and said that the Supreme Court ruling represents an “alarming disassociation from reality.” The Center cited existing research which shows that marijuana is one of the most consumed drugs in Italy among the youth.
