The Czech Republic plans to legalize adult-use cannabis alongside Germany, which announced its legalization plans late last month.
The Czech coalition government is in the process of drafting a legalization bill and aims to coordinate its approach with Germany, according to Forbes.
Draft legislation is anticipated in March 2023, with adult-use legalization coming online by January 2024, the news outlet reported.
The Czech government tapped drug commissioner Jindrich Voboril in September to draft a legalization bill, Forbes reported, and Voboril has since announced that officials are in talks with the German government about how to coordinate their proposals.
The Czech Republic decriminalized cannabis possession for personal use in 2010 and legalized medical cannabis in 2013, according to Forbes. The country has also legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp containing up to 1% THC, the news outlet reported, while other EU member states have capped hemp’s THC content at 0.2%.
The Czech Pirate Party, the smallest political group within the government coalition and one of the country’s most prominent cannabis advocates, estimates that adult-use cannabis could generate roughly €800 million ($782 million) in annual tax revenue, Forbes reported.
