Will Croatia be the first country in Europe to fully legalize recreational marijuana? According to Croatian MP Mirela Holy (SDP), the upcoming proposed legislation would allow each adult to grow up to nine marijuana plants with high THC content for personal use. Nobody has ever died from a natural cannabis overdose, she emphasized.

Mirela Holy | RTL Direkt

Croatia Marijuana Bill Goes to Public Debate Soon

In recent years, HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) has begun to change its rigid views on marijuana. However, more and more people believe that decriminalization is not enough. One of them is Mirela Holy, SDP Green Development Council President, and one of the most prominent public figures supporting "Lex Cannabis". She revealed that the bill will be going to public debate within a week and that will be followed by a parliamentary debate. The bill would provide for the full legalization of cannabis.

“’We invite all those interested to participate in the public debate,’ reads the bill and comments. It envisages the full legalization and liberalization of hemp, which means that it fully envisages harnessing all the potential of cannabis for economic, recreational and medical purposes,'' explained Holy to Mojmira Pastorčić/RTL Direkt on February 10, 2020.

She points out that current models of recreational regulation have either gone under state control like in Uruguay or through the private sector like in Canada and the US.

Hybrid State Agency Model to Maintain Product Quality

''We propose a state agency hybrid (state/private) model to maintain the high quality (of the product) in the market. When it comes to the use of cannabis for recreational purposes, the bill would allow every adult to grow as many as nine female plants with high THC content for their personal needs.''

''Hemp farming has great economic potential. Given its high quality in terms of cleaning soil and up to four times higher CO2 absorption, growing hemp can also be an important tool in the fight against climate change. The economic benefits are enormous, for the development of science, cosmetics use and paper production,'' Holy added.

Experience in other countries shows that there is still a black market, but that is why, she notes, state regulation is necessary to minimize the role of the black market.

US and Canada: 40 Billion EUR Annual Marijuana Earnings

''Earnings estimates from the sale of cannabis-related products in Canada and the US reach $43.7 billion (40 billion EUR) annually. In addition, the potential of hemp has not been fully realized. It can be used to build cars and as building materials for the construction industry,'' Holy explains.

Marijuana is legal for recreational and medical use in Canada, Uruguay, Georgia and South Africa. Eleven US States and DC have also legalized marijuana: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Recreational marijuana use is illegal but decriminalized in the following European countries: Portugal, Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia and Moldova.

Marijuana is illegal for recreational use in all European countries but laws vary. | Herbonaut

Recreational Marijuana Decriminalized in Croatia: Legal for Medical Use

According to current Croatian law, growing or selling cannabis is considered a felony punishable by a mandatory prison sentence (three years minimum). The possession of a small amount of marijuana and other light drugs is considered a minor offence which can lead to a fine of 5000 to 20000 HRK (671 to 2682 EUR) depending on the case.

As of October 15, 2015; the Croatian Ministry of Health had officially legalized the use of cannabis-based drugs for medical purposes for patients with illnesses like cancer, multiple sclerosis, or AIDS.

However, many still wonder if Croatia is still a too conservative as a society for full recreational marijuana legalization, but Holy responds:

"When I started talking about this a few years ago, reactions were very negative, but things have changed. People need to be educated first and then they will change their attitudes. The addictive potential (of marijuana) is much less than the addictive potential of nicotine or alcohol. And, to my knowledge, nobody has ever died from an overdose of natural cannabis. Nevertheless, there are major prejudices which are fueled by the interests of certain groups and industries,'' Holy concluded.

Follow our Politics page for updates on the upcoming efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Croatia.

ZAGREB, August 9, 2019 - The Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Davor Bernardić and official Mirela Holy on Friday presented the plan of this opposition party for the complete legalisation of the use of hemp, which they said would contribute to the economic growth and development of agriculture and tourism in Croatia.

"We hold that the liberalisation and legalisation, controlled by the state, would make an additional impetus to economic growth, and the revenues earned this way could be used for creation of new jobs," the leader of the strongest opposition party told a news conference in Zagreb.

He said that the latest amendments to the legislation on prevention of drug abuse whereby some segments of the use of hemp for industrial purposes have been legalised cannot lead to the full usage of the potential of hemp.

Holy underscores that there is growing interest in the legalisation of hemp use, however the recent legislative amendments did not facilitate the efforts in that direction.

The SDP officials spoke how locally grown hemp could be used in building materials and also for producing eco-friendly hemp plastic.

Bernardić said that "the use of hemp can alleviate numerous symptoms of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, HIV, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and malignant diseases".

In this context he said that countries such as Canada, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic have annual revenues on aggregate in the amount of $55 billion due to the hemp legalisation.

The legalisation of hemp has a positive impact on the tourist trade, as enjoying freely cannabis can attract new guests, Bernadić said mentioning the example of Amsterdam.

The SDP-sponsored proposal envisages that every adult Croat can grow a maximum nine hemp plants.

The proposal, drawn up by the SDP green development council, also envisages the formation a a hemp agency as a regulatory authority.

The proposed legislation is now to be discussed by other SDP members before it is put up for public consultation.

More news about the legalisation of hemp in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, June 26, 2019 - The Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) on Wednesday reported that drug addicts are getting older and that they mostly consume marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines and that the highest number of people being treated for drugs can be found in Zadar and Istria counties.

"The situation in Europe, which has become the leading market for heroin and cocaine, has reflected on Croatia too. We have an increased consumption of cocaine, amphetamines - ecstasy and marijuana which is all the more present as about 70% of confiscated drugs are in fact marijuana," HZJZ assistant director Željko Petković told a press conference on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has been marked since 1987 when the UN decided to warn of the problem of drug abuse and the need for active involvement of all stakeholders in the prevention of drug abuse at the global and national levels.

"The problem of drugs goes beyond the health sector and without the cooperation of the judiciary, interior ministry and social welfare system the public health system cannot do a lot," HZJZ's Ivana Pavić Simetin said.

Data from the national register of people being treated for abuse of psycho-active drugs which have been present in Croatia since 1978, indicate that in 2018 there were 6,831 people under treatment which is less when compared to 2010 when that number was 7,550.

Pavić Simetin underscored that people undergoing treatment are growing older and so in 2018 their average age was 38.1 whereas in 2010 the average age was 32.2, however the youngest user registered was 14 and the oldest was aged 73.

There are fewer new drug addicts while the share of male drug addicts is four times higher than for women. Of those being treated, the majority of them have secondary school qualifications, they are unemployed and live with their parents while analyses indicate that the highest number of those being treated are in Zadar and Istria counties followed by Šibenik-Knin and then the City of Zagreb.

More health news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, March 29, 2019 - Health Minister Milan Kujundžić said on Friday that only companies and pharmacies that make drugs would be allowed to grow and produce Indian hemp for medicinal purposes and that private citizens would not be allowed to do it.

"Only drug producers will be able to grow cannabis, it won't be possible for just any person to do that," Kujundžić said, dismissing the possibility that private citizens could be allowed to grow cannabis for personal use.

The growing of cannabis for medicinal purposes has been made possible by amendments to the Act on the Prevention of Drug Abuse, which were adopted by the government at a session held on Thursday. Under the amendments, pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies that are authorised to make drugs are the only ones to be allowed to grow and produce medical cannabis.

"This will help lower the prices of drugs made of cannabis and define the conditions as well as risks related to the growing of cannabis," said the minister.

Even though some European countries allow their citizens to grow cannabis for medicinal purposes and personal use, the Croatian government is not considering such a move, said Kujundžić.

More news on the hemp in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Hemp and its health and economic potential is a topic that has been debated for years, but in Croatia there have been no concrete or significant moves towards a higher degree of legalization, although Croatia is, by some estimates, near the top of Europe by its consumption, reports Poslovni.hr on March 3, 2019.

Some companies in the region have decided to use its legal alternative. One of them is Sena Flora from Slovenia, established last year with the aim of selling cannabis products. The company cooperates with the Croatian brand Garica and the eponymous business that will soon open its first store in Zagreb.

“Existing laws blur positive aspects of one of the oldest crops," say Martin and Peter Fon, directors of Sena Flora. "One of the major goals of our company is to introduce people to the benefits of cannabis. We have a shop in the centre of Ljubljana and a webshop,” say the two brothers. In close cooperation with licensed laboratories, Sena Flora ensures that all products strictly comply with the limit, which permits hemp cultivation if the THC share is not above 0.2%.

"The use of approved varieties with the EU certificate is one of the most important criteria. The second is compliance with legal restrictions; all of our products are inspected in laboratories in Slovenia and Austria, and we aim for the best possible quality", explain the directors.

“We have gained the trust of numerous customers. Some have never tried a cannabis product before, but those who have say they help them, for example, with skin problems," they say, adding that the client base includes students, pensioners, physicians, lawyers... They have no problems with the police because they operate transparently and in accordance with the law. Their goal is to offer the widest possible range of top-quality products on the market. “We want to also focus on edible hemp products. The next step will be certified organic production on five hectares", they say.

They are present in Croatia with the help of Garica from Split. It is a social networking site and the first Croatian cannabis brand, and its owner Mario Božović has recently officially founded a business. Božović says he launched the website with a goal of marijuana liberalisation and in order to enable him to participate in what he calls the industry of the future. "Our main goal is to offer the highest quality available flowers of hemp and flower powders, and we want to offer oils and creams," says the Split entrepreneur, adding that everything is legal.

The products can for now be purchased through the Garica CBD webshop. In the case of a police check, the police should be informed that the product was purchased at garicacbd.com, and the receipt is considered as evidence. "If the police do not trust you, agree to an analysis, which will confirm that you are eligible for the return of the seized products," Božović notes.

He believes that Croatia has progressed somewhat as a society since marijuana is no longer considered equal to hard drugs. "Unfortunately, legal regulations have not changed much, and there is still police repression towards users. And when the legalisation comes – and it will happen – who will compensate the users for the damage and correct the injustice done to them,” asks the entrepreneur.

Translated from Poslovni.hr (reported by Lucija Špiljak).

More news about marijuana in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, February 22, 2019 - President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović confirmed on Friday that she had signed her decision to pardon Huanito Lukšetić, a man who suffers from multiple sclerosis and who has been sentenced to two years in prison for illegally growing marijuana for sale.

The president said in an interview with national radio that her office had informed the Justice Ministry and Lukšetić 's legal counsel of her decision.

The trial court ruling was upheld late last month.

Lukšetić insists that he has been cultivating marijuana to get cannabis oil which alleviates the pain and consequences of MS.

As soon as L Lukšetić 's verdict became final, two hundred people rallied in the northern coastal city of Rijeka to support him. The parliamentary opposition party Živi Zid also demanded that the president pardon him.

Following the public outcry, the president announced that she would pardon Lukšetić.

In November 2017, the municipal court in Rijeka found him guilty of growing marijuana and of possessing 15 kilos of that plant in his house. The verdict said that such amount actually surpassed his personal needs for alleviation of the disease's symptoms. Lukšetić grew cannabis in his year in the village of Bregi on the slopes of Mount Učka overlooking Rijeka. In the same case, Goran Zakrajšek was given 10 months in prison and his conviction was also upheld.

More news on Croatian president can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, October 31, 2018 - Health Minister Milan Kujundžić said on Wednesday Croatia was not thinking about legalising marijuana as Canada had done recently, but that its use for medical purposes was allowed in cases in which it had proven effective and that these patients could procure and use it.

He said amendments to the drug abuse prevention law also defined hemp and that as of now its use, when its active ingredient was below 0.2%, would be allowed in numerous industries.

"Until now, we could only use seeds in Croatia, the rest had to be destroyed. Under the new law, the Agriculture Ministry will keep a record of who plants it, how much and where, and report it to the Interior Ministry. Hemp use will be possible in the auto industry, cosmetics, construction and other industries," Kujundžić said.

He added that amendments to the drug abuse prevention law, which the government endorsed today, would make it possible to ban new drugs.

"There are serious problems because new drugs appear literally every day and they can't be banned until they are registered. Under the new law, the minister of health will be able to register these new drugs and initiate proceedings to prevent distribution. Among them are some drugs that are not only harmful but can cause death," Kujundžić said, adding that the amendments were aligned with European Union legislation.

The current government is not exactly known for its progressive policies, so no one expected it to even contemplate legalising marijuana. Major efforts are needed just to protect basic human rights, so the drug policy changes are not going to happen anytime soon. Canada and similar countries are decades ahead of Croatia, and it is highly unlikely that the gap will be reduced.

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ZAGREB, March 20, 2018 - About 185 kilograms of marijuana drenched in the sea was found over the past few days, and the drug was in floating packages in the waters around Hvar and Vis islands, the Split-Dalmatia County police administration reported on Tuesday, announcing an investigation into the case.

Legal marijuana soon to be available in Croatia?