Danish representatives from five political parties suggested a plan for a cannabis legalization pilot project. The project was presented to the Danish Parliament at the beginning of March. The Danish government is now in charge of starting the legalization pilot project whose main objective is to establish a bill legalizing cannabis for five years.
The law should allow the sale of cannabis in various state-controlled stores. Different municipalities in the country will be able to join the program, and Danish citizens will be able to buy, possess, cultivate and consume cannabis for their personal use.
If the bill is successful, cannabis production will be legalized in Denmark. Prices should be set to “meet the expectations” of cannabis consumers while being competitive to win over the illegal cannabis market. Consumers must be at least 18 years old and permanent residents of the country.
The representatives affirmed that the proceeds from the sale of cannabis should be used to prevent and treat addiction problems.
“The existing cannabis ban has not restricted the consumption or sale of cannabis products in Denmark since the introduction of a ban 40 years ago,” we can read in the parliamentary document.
According to data from 2020, 41% of people under 25 years old have used cannabis in Denmark. The average consumption among people between the ages of 16 and 44 years old has doubled since 1994.
“Existing legislation, therefore, criminalizes more and more citizens, and up to half of the population have actively violated it,” the report states.
The representatives also mentioned the various programs in place in Portugal, the United States, and Canada while affirming that there was no evidence that legalization would lead to an increase in consumption, especially among young people.
The report also describes other drug reform efforts in countries of the eurozone, including Norway, Sweden, and Luxembourg.
Medical cannabis is currently legal in Denmark under a four-year pilot project that started in 2018.
