Is Marijuana Legal In Italy?

Whether you’re a local or tourist, navigating a country’s cannabis laws can be pretty tricky, especially when taking into account the differences between recreational use, medical use, and decriminalization. 

In case you’re heading over to Italy or want a quick rundown on your native’s canna laws, we created this quick guide for everything you need to know about the boot and marijuana use. 

For starters, recreational cannabis is not legal in Italy, but it is decriminalized, so there’s some hope that you could privately and discreetly use the plant without legal repercussions.

However, some legal gray areas give possessing marijuana and selling it some harsh consequences like a driver’s license suspension between one and three months.

Some storefronts sell “cannabis light,” which basically offers the same recreational products like flower, tinctures, resin, etc., but only from the hemp plant that contains traces of THC.

Medical cannabis became legal in Italy in 2007, and in 2016, it legalized the cultivation of hemp for medical use and for creating hemp-derived CBD products. 

A patient must be eligible to receive medical marijuana by falling under the list of approved conditions. Patients can get cannabis from physicians only when the medical professional proves that they have tried other medical options and treatments before leaning onto cannabis. 

In terms of medical products, all sorts are available like resins, eye drops, suppositories, topicals, capsules, edibles, syrups, and more. All medical products must be hemp-derived, and CBD oil can only have less than 0.6% THC, a tad higher than the EU law of 0.2%, notes The Cannigma. 

After receiving a prescription, patients can purchase their medicine from a pharmacy, which might make you pay in full price depending on your condition. In other cases, the Italian healthcare system offers coverage, but only for most of the total cost. 

Besides small shops selling “cannabis light,” your only hope for getting cannabis in Italy is if you have an underlying condition that’s eligible for a medical prescription. 

You’ll have to visit an Italian doctor and show records that prove you’ve tried other avenues for your condition. Other than that, there’s not much in the way of getting your hands on marijuana in Italy. 

Some sources say that because first-time possession offenders are often let off with a warning, you could try to bring cannabis with you, but that can be quite the uncomfortable or nerve-wracking situation, so maybe a T-break is your best bet.