Italy’s parliament approved the legalisation of “cannabis light” in an amendment of the 2020 budget at the end of last week.
But in passing the budget on Tuesday morning, the president of the Senate, Maria Elisabetta Casellati, declared the amendment “inadmissible” on technical grounds.
Parliament’s decision to legalise weaker cannabis products, containing less than 0.5 per cent of the psychoactive compound THC, was seen as a victory for farmers and sellers across Italy who accused the former interior minister Matteo Salvini of leading a “witch hunt” against Italy’s cannabis growers.
Italy’s agriculture association Coldiretti welcomed parliament’s move, noting that the area under cannabis production in Italy had grown from 400 hectares (988 acres) in 2013 to 4000 hectares last year.
Casellati, who is a member of the centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party, an ally of Salvini’s League, said the decision was not politically motivated.
“If you think this measure is so important for the majority, then propose a bill,” Casellati told members of the Five Star Movement (M5S), which rules in a coalition with the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).
The decision cannot be appealed.
