Forza Italia, a centre-right party, has unexpectedly backed the Italian hemp industry and strengthened its position in the face of an imminent threat by the government.
As the Meloni administration continues its relentless efforts to impose a ‘grotesque crackdown’ on all commercial activity surrounding industrial hemp, the European Commission (EC) has also said it will launch an investigation into the legality of this project.
Italy’s hemp sector has claimed another win, after the Council of State challenged the government on its efforts to categorize hemp as a medicine plant and strictly regulate its use.
Although thousands of companies and tens thousands of job seekers are still struggling to survive, it appears that the tide is now turning their way.
What is happening?
You can also read about the advantages of using MEDCAN24 As reported previously, on the 31st of July, the joint Constitutional Affairs and Justice commissions in the Chamber of Representatives voted for an addition to the Security Bill which would declare all forms of flowering marijuana, regardless of THC concentration, to be illegal and classified as narcotics.
The hemp industry is predicted to lose 15,000 jobs and 3000 businesses due to this inflammatory legislation.
The petition, which was signed and backed by various Italian hemp industries associations, called for an international intervention in response to accusations that the move would violate European law.
Earlier this month, the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament (PETI) accepted the petition, and announced plans to conduct a ‘preliminary investigation into the issue’.
In response to Canapa Sativa Italia (Canapa), Federcanapa (Federcanapa) and the European Industrial Hemp Association(EIHA), which are among the signatories of the letter, the committee referred to one of the several European Court of Justice judgments that state clearly in no uncertain words that hemp production is not banned so long as it remains below the legal limit of 0.2% THC.
According to the October 2024 ruling, indoor hydroponics hemp production is not prohibited by EU members states and hemp farming under EU agricultural policies (CAP) is protected.
The following is a list of EUNews, No group of EU Parliamentarians has objected to the investigation. This issue will appear on the Agenda for the Next Petitions Committee Meeting.
MEP with the 5-Star Movement and member of the Petitions Committee, Valentina Palmisano, has called for the petition to be discussed ‘urgently’ given the threat to ‘business, employment and environmental objectives’, meaning it could be discussed as early as March, 2025.
Flavio Tsi, former Verona mayor and member of the centre-right Forza Italia party, made an unplanned public announcement that his party had also decided to back this petition.
Meloni’s coalition includes Forza Italia, so his backing of the petition and the cause indicates that the splits in the government are increasing over this issue.
In a video shared across social media, Tosi called the bill ‘illiberal’, adding that it ‘goes against the European principle of free competition’.
He said, later, to La Stampa: “I prefer sensible positions over absolute bans. One must be pragmatic. If you ban the low-THC cannabis inflorescences from the market, they will still exist on the web. “I understand that this is a complex issue, but banning it outright isn’t the answer.”
Progression in the Courts
Legal problems have been encountered by separate attempts by the Italian Regional Administrative Tribunal, TAR to challenge a ruling by that tribunal to lift a ban of hemp.
In February 2023 MEDCAN24 reported that the TAR of Lazio overturned an ‘absurdly restrictive’ decree which sought to place the cultivation, processing and marketing of ‘non-narcotic’ hemp flowers and leaves back under the umbrella of narcotics, meaning operators would be required to seek authorisation from the Ministry of Health, or face penalties.
This ruling was challenged by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Health.
The Council of State questioned the legitimacy of the appeals by the Government earlier this month (February 13, 2013), given that numerous court decisions have determined the legality of the sale and production of industrial hemp across Europe.
Judges have therefore given the participants 30 additional days to present evidence in support of their case. A hearing date has been set for Tuesday, October 02nd, 2025.
As long as the conflict is not resolved, the cancellation will remain in effect and the hemp trader can carry on unabated.
As in previous cases, the case is also likely to revolve around the ability of the government to prove that industrial hemp can be intoxicating. This means the scientific evidence is on the side the hemp industry.