Italy Overturns Strict Cannabis Law

[RainDog]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26159049

Italy's constitutional court has overturned a law that tripled sentences for selling, cultivating and possessing cannabis, declaring it "illegitimate".

Prison rights group Antigone say the law has caused prison overcrowding, with 40% of all inmates serving sentences for drug crimes.

It could affect some 10,000 people who may be released from jail as a result.

The law went into effect in 2006 under the conservative government led by the then-Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

Italy is second only to Palau for adult consumption of cannabis - 15% of the population is estimated to consume cannabis in Italy.

The European Court of Human Rights ordered Italy to solve overcrowding of prisons - calling the Italian system a violation of human rights.

Possession of cannabis, under Berlusconi's govt., increased sentences for possession from 2 to 6 years to 6 to 20 years.

Alessia Morani, an MP with the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) called the ruling the end of the most absurd laws parliament has passed in recent years.

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. This is a big deal. Thousands will go free.

[RainDog]

2. yep

And the worldwide trend is toward rejecting reefer madness.