Italy’s rapidly growing “cannabis light” industry faces major disruption this year as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni prepares to introduce a bill aimed at restricting hemp products.
The proposed legislation is part of a broader set of policies championed by Meloni’s conservative government, which seeks to present itself as a staunch defender of public morality and traditional values.
Although marijuana remains illegal in Italy, the country’s parliament legalized the trade of hemp—a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis—eight years ago, allowing its use for industrial and commercial purposes. However, Meloni’s administration now claims that the 2016 law was too permissive and is pushing to ban any products derived from the hemp flower. This move has angered local business owners who argue it could lead to the loss of thousands of jobs and jeopardize millions of euros in investments.
“It’s absurd that a state which put Italian businesses to work by starting a legitimate supply chain now wants to shut it all down,” said Alessio Amicone, founder of Canapando, a company that grows and sells cannabis products. “They are waging a war on a substance that is not a drug,” he added.
Hemp, which contains negligible levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the psychoactive compound in marijuana—cannot produce a high. Instead, it is rich in cannabidiol (CBD), which is widely used for its potential therapeutic benefits, including anxiety relief and pain reduction. These benefits primarily come from the hemp flower, the focal point of the proposed ban.
However, Italy’s anti-drug department likens hemp flowers to recreational drugs, warning that they “could pose risks to public safety or road safety,” and has moved to prohibit their sale.
