Bloco de Esquerda delivers a new bill to Parliament today to legalize the personal use of cannabis

The Bloco de Esquerda delivers today to the Assembly of the Republic a new draft law (PL) to legalize cannabis for personal use, advanced the Public this weekend. The proposal calls for the state to regulate the creation of authorized commercial establishments, the sale of cannabis online and the domestic cultivation of five plants per person.

A difference between this PL and the previous one is that the Bloco dropped the article that prohibited edibles or drinks with cannabis, which shows some progress, taking into account that this is a market with enormous potential, which could represent revenues of millions of euros. However, “the sale of cannabis enriched with aromas, flavors or additives” is prohibited. The sale of synthetic cannabis is also prohibited and the state can limit THC levels.

“The State must regulate the entire cultivation, production and distribution circuit, being able to determine a maximum THC limit, as well as the consumer price, in order to combat trafficking and the illegal market”, reads the PL.

The proposal presented today also says that “the retail sale of cannabis plants, substances or preparations for personal consumption without a medical prescription and provided that for purposes other than medicinal ones, is subject to authorization from the General Directorate of Economic Activities”.

Pedro Filipe Soares, deputy of the Bloc, pointed out that legalization is a way of “fighting the black market”, “manipulated substances” and “uninformed consumption”. He also argues that Portugal has to accompany countries that have already legalized cannabis for personal use, such as Malta, and those who are debating it, such as the Germany, in which the legalization of cannabis is one of the points of the Government agreement established between the SPD and the Greens.

In the introduction of the PL, the Bloco emphasizes that “the prohibitionist policy is not a solution, in fact, it is an integral part of the problem and enhances its aggravation, protecting the clandestinity of trafficking and jeopardizing public health”.

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