Czech National Economic Council Calls for Marijuana Legalization
The Czech National Economic Council (NERV) has urged lawmakers to adopt a decree that would legalize recreational cannabis in the country as a way to stimulate economic growth.
Maintaining the Marijuana Ban Wastes Budget Funds
NERV members held a meeting and issued the following recommendation: “It is necessary to change criminal liability and sentencing principles. In drug policy, efforts should focus on creating a regulated cannabis market.”
Officials want to end the war on cannabis, as it has failed to achieve its goals of reducing cannabis circulation and minimizing harm from marijuana abuse. According to surveys, the number of cannabis users in the Czech Republic increased from 17% to 23% between 2020 and 2022. From 2019 to 2022, the volume of black market cannabis trade grew from 13.7 billion to 14.5 billion Czech crowns per year (from 53.3 to 56.4 billion rubles). As a result, prohibitionist policies toward cannabis only lead to a waste of public funds.
NERV estimates that, if marijuana is legalized, licensed cannabis companies could contribute 2.5 billion Czech crowns (9.7 billion rubles) to the state budget annually. However, the government does not currently plan to allow marijuana sales in regular stores. According to the first draft of the cannabis legalization bill presented this year, recreational marijuana would only be sold in cannabis clubs. If the decree is adopted, the Czech Republic will follow the example of Malta and Germany, whose authorities also chose to distribute marijuana through networks of cannabis grower associations.
Legalization Would Benefit Patients
Czech drug policy coordinator Jindřich Vobořil explained why he supports marijuana legalization: “The black cannabis market is growing across Europe. In the Czech Republic, it has reached its limit, and I see no other way to combat illegal cannabis sales than to launch a legal cannabis market. For example, in Canada, which legalized cannabis, the black market for marijuana shrank by 70% over the past five years.”
However, lifting the cannabis ban would not only boost the budget and improve the crime situation, but also reduce the cost of cannabis-based treatments. Drawing a parallel with Canada, Alex Khurdaji, a specialist at the research firm Prohibition Partners, predicts that the price of medical cannabis will drop after recreational cannabis is legalized. In 2023, demand for cannabinoid-based medicines reached a record high, with about 8,000 Czechs purchasing 210 kg of marijuana by prescription. This means that drug policy reform would benefit a large number of patients whose doctors have prescribed cannabis.