(de-news.net) – Conservative-led ministries have urged reforms of the cannabis legal provisions, citing growing black-market activity, unregulated online sales, and weakened youth-prevention programs. The Ekocan interim report noted some progress, including more legal sourcing, but highlighted rising THC levels, declining early interventions, and blurred lines between medical and recreational cannabis. Officials stressed urgent action, while the Green Party called for safer legal access and stronger youth protection.
Two years following the partial liberalization of cannabis, the ministries responsible for Health, Family, and Interior, each led by the conservative bloc, have demanded legislative amendments to address emerging challenges. They characterized the law passed under the prior coalition as fundamentally flawed, emphasizing that its implementation had coincided with both an expansion of the black market and a proliferation of online cannabis offerings. The Family Ministry highlighted that law enforcement agencies had, since the partial legalization, lost critical authority to mandate participation of young people in preventive or early intervention programs, a development seen as undermining protective measures for minors.
The Health Ministry indicated that the trajectory and future framework of cannabis legislation would be determined through structured interministerial discussions. According to a spokesperson, the government viewed the conclusions of recent evaluations as unequivocal and intended to use them as the basis for forthcoming deliberations. The second interim report of the Ekocan research project, which provided a systematic evaluation of the consumption cannabis law, highlighted both objectives that had been partially achieved and unanticipated developments. Officials observed that early intervention initiatives had declined sharply, THC concentrations in cannabis products had risen significantly, and imports of medical cannabis had increased more than sixfold since 2023. This confluence of trends contributed to a pronounced difficulty in distinguishing between products intended for medical use and those for recreational consumption.
Spokespersons stress coordination and youth safety
Prior to the publication of these findings, conservative ministers had been openly critical of the law, labeling it a failure that insufficiently accounted for youth protection, and characterizing the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes as a strategic misjudgment. The interim report, while acknowledging some progress—particularly a growing share of consumers obtaining cannabis through legal channels—also identified multiple areas requiring legislative attention. The report noted that restrictive regulations governing cultivation, distribution, and online communication continued to limit effective legal access, and that associations formally authorized to cultivate cannabis remained peripheral actors within the overall market. The research further underscored the ineffectiveness of early intervention programs aimed at young people, recommending enhanced coordination among law enforcement, youth services, preventive agencies, and legal guardians. Additional concerns highlighted in the report included the rapid expansion of the medical cannabis market, a decline in the utilization of addiction counseling services, and ongoing deficiencies in monitoring organized criminal activity.
In response to these findings, the government acknowledged a pressing need for corrective action. Officials emphasized that the decline in preventive programs posed a tangible risk to youth health, a concern exacerbated by the blurred distinction between recreational and medical cannabis, and by the widespread availability of high-THC cannabis products through minimally regulated online platforms. The Green Party simultaneously stressed the importance of protecting young people while replacing black-market channels without inadvertently creating new legal gray areas. Party representatives also noted ambiguities in the procurement of medical cannabis and advocated for easier access to legal recreational cannabis. The interim report suggested that, despite persistent black-market activity, the measures implemented under partial legalization had begun to curb illicit trade while not prompting an increase in youth consumption, signaling a cautiously positive trend within the regulatory framework.
Audio: TTSFree
