Friday, September 22, 2023
Cannabis News Daily
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Cannabis News
  • Medical Marijuana
  • Legalization
  • Cannabis Business
  • Cannabis Laws
  • Cannabis Retail
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Cannabis News
  • Medical Marijuana
  • Legalization
  • Cannabis Business
  • Cannabis Laws
  • Cannabis Retail
No Result
View All Result
Cannabis News Daily
No Result
View All Result
Home Cannabis Laws

A Referendum To Decriminalize Cannabis Faces Strong Opposition But May Happen After All

cannabisnews by cannabisnews
November 17, 2021
in Cannabis Laws
0
A Referendum To Decriminalize Cannabis Faces Strong Opposition But May Happen After All
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


By Enzo Schillaci

The ballot initiative to decriminalize the cultivation of the cannabis plant in Italy was under attack in early November as right-wing politicians tried to suppress the initiative.

Become a Harlem insider – Sign-Up for our Weekly Newsletter!


Lega and Fratelli d’Italia (FdI) argued that the proponents of the initiative were not eligible for receiving a one-month extension—until October 31—to submit the signatures.

In September, ReferendumCannabis, the group behind the campaign, managed to collect more than half a million signatures in one week. This feat was at least partly due to the recent legislation that allowed to gather signatures electronically.

500,000 signatures are the threshold that the law requires to reach before a measure can go to a ballot. In this case, it would allow Italians to decide whether to grant adults the right to grow a small number of plants from marijuana seeds for personal use at home.

The initiative would also decriminalize the possession of personal amounts of the drug and remove penalties for certain small offenses related to cannabis. An important clause in the petition is to stop revoking driver’s licenses of cannabis users.

The speed with which the signatures under the petition were collected also reflects the shift in public opinion toward cannabis. According to the campaigners, around 6 million people in Italy are active recreational smokers. In 2019, Supreme Court ruled that non-commercial domestic cultivation isn’t a punishable offense. The medicinal use of the drug is also legal in Italy—since 2007.

However, the conservatives are against the further liberalization of cannabis laws. Matteo Salvini, the right-wing Lega Nord leader, opined that drug is a drug and all drugs are death. He kept repeating this sentiment during his campaign for the October elections. Other right-leaning parties support this position.

Related:  Harlem’s Cam’ron Launches New Cannabis Strain Pynk Mynk With GFIVE Cultivation (Update)

At the same time, the pro-legalization sentiments among Italy’s political class are also strong. When Lega and Fdl tried to kill the ballot initiative, their move was rejected by Partito Democratico, M5S, and +Europa. Even Forza Italia, which is Lega and Fdl’s ally, abstained from the vote.

The attempt to block the referendum was based on a technicality. Earlier, all other current ballot initiatives received a 1-month extension of the deadline for the submission of signatures. And all these initiatives began before June 15. The initiative to legalize cannabis cultivation was the only one that started later—in September. So it wasn’t mentioned in the decision that granted the extension to others.

It was enough for the conservatives to argue that it shouldn’t receive the same treatment. While the campaigners themselves were outraged by these “dirty tricks”, Vittoria Baldino of the M5S also called these tactics “shameful” and Giuditta Pini of the PD tweeted that it was an attempt to “prevent the country from expressing itself.”

The trouble for the campaigners began even earlier when they were fighting for the extension in the first place. Without it, municipalities wouldn’t be able to provide voter registration certificates in time. The increased municipalities’ workload before the October elections was the reason why the ballot measures received an additional month.

However, after weeks spent in a bureaucratic quagmire, cannabis advocates got what they wanted and were able to submit more than 630,000 signatures to proper authorities. Now, that the last-ditch effort by the conservatives to sabotage their initiative has been thwarted, the referendum stands a chance.

Related:  Pope Francis To Visit East Harlem School

The petition can be now submitted for approval to the Supreme Court of Cassation which will verify whether all signatures are legitimate. Then it will be up to the constitutional court to check if the language of the initiative complies with the country’s constitution.

Setting up the date of the ballot is the job of the president who will issue a special decree. If everything goes as planned, the vote will take place between April and June next year. To be valid, it must achieve a quorum, meaning the majority of Italian citizens must take a stand. The majority of ‘yes’ votes is also needed for the initiative to pass.

RELATED POSTS

North Carolina lawmakers took $530000 from marijuana and … – Washington Examiner

Get to know Drake University’s new law school professors – Times-Delphic

Advocates of cannabis reform see this proposal as an opportunity to deal a blow to criminal groups that have long been profiting from trafficking illicit substances, including cannabis.



Source link

Continue Reading
ShareTweetPin
cannabisnews

cannabisnews

Related Posts

North Carolina lawmakers took $530000 from marijuana and … – Washington Examiner

North Carolina lawmakers took $530000 from marijuana and … – Washington Examiner

by cannabisnews
September 2, 2023
0

North Carolina lawmakers took $530000 from marijuana and ...  Washington Examiner Source link

Get to know Drake University’s new law school professors – Times-Delphic

Get to know Drake University’s new law school professors – Times-Delphic

by cannabisnews
September 2, 2023
0

Get to know Drake University’s new law school professors  Times-Delphic Source link

'Game changer': Biden moves to reclassify marijuana under federal … – San Francisco Chronicle

'Game changer': Biden moves to reclassify marijuana under federal … – San Francisco Chronicle

by cannabisnews
September 2, 2023
0

'Game changer': Biden moves to reclassify marijuana under federal ...  San Francisco Chronicle Source link

New Poll Finds Most Ohio Voters Support Marijuana Legalization – Forbes

New Poll Finds Most Ohio Voters Support Marijuana Legalization – Forbes

by cannabisnews
September 1, 2023
0

New Poll Finds Most Ohio Voters Support Marijuana Legalization  Forbes Source link

Alternatives to Bankruptcy for Cannabis Companies (Part 2) | Husch … – JD Supra

Alternatives to Bankruptcy for Cannabis Companies (Part 2) | Husch … – JD Supra

by cannabisnews
September 1, 2023
0

Alternatives to Bankruptcy for Cannabis Companies (Part 2) | Husch ...  JD Supra Source link

Next Post
4Front Q3 Revenue Declines 4% Sequentially to $25.9 Million – New Cannabis Ventures

4Front Q3 Revenue Declines 4% Sequentially to $25.9 Million – New Cannabis Ventures

Utah lawmakers say medical cannabis should be treated like other prescription drugs

Utah lawmakers say medical cannabis should be treated like other prescription drugs

RECOMMENDED

Cannabis panel rejects Curaleaf's bid to continue selling … – New Jersey Monitor

Marijuana legalization | NC congressman introduces 'Stop Pot Act' to curb recreational weed use – WTVD-TV

September 4, 2023
Cannabis panel rejects Curaleaf's bid to continue selling … – New Jersey Monitor

Medical marijuana companies slam Hochul over NY's legal weed rollout mess: 'Abused authority' – New York Post

September 3, 2023
  • 22M Fans
  • 129 Followers
  • 194k Subscribers
  • 647 Followers
  • 23.8k Followers

MOST VIEWED

  • US Hemp and Cannabis Industry Leaders to Participate with Government at Event Celebrating New Legalization In Costa Rica

    US Hemp and Cannabis Industry Leaders to Participate with Government at Event Celebrating New Legalization In Costa Rica

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Oklahoma Cannabis Pioneer Joins Forces with Budding Cannabis Brand Ganja Goat Guru

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • New Jersey Begins Accepting Recreational Cannabis License Applications: When Will Dispensaries Open?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Federal Marijuana Legalization Bill May Receive House Floor Vote Next Week, Sources Say

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Recent News

Cannabis panel rejects Curaleaf's bid to continue selling … – New Jersey Monitor

Marijuana legalization | NC congressman introduces 'Stop Pot Act' to curb recreational weed use – WTVD-TV

September 4, 2023
Cannabis panel rejects Curaleaf's bid to continue selling … – New Jersey Monitor

Medical marijuana companies slam Hochul over NY's legal weed rollout mess: 'Abused authority' – New York Post

September 3, 2023
Cannabis panel rejects Curaleaf's bid to continue selling … – New Jersey Monitor

Flashpoint: Michigan marijuana businesses blooming, UAW contract … – WDIV ClickOnDetroit

September 3, 2023

CATEGORY

  • Cannabis Business
  • Cannabis Laws
  • Cannabis News
  • Cannabis Retail
  • Legalization
  • Medical Marijuana

Contact Us

  • Privacy & Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

© 2021 Copyright Cannabis News Daily

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Cannabis News
  • Medical Marijuana
  • Legalization
  • Cannabis Business
  • Cannabis Laws
  • Cannabis Retail

© 2021 Copyright Cannabis News Daily