With the approval of the new Security Decree 2025, the Italian government has taken a controversial step that many experts, jurists, farmers, and citizens consider seriously damaging and unjustified. The most contested measure is the equation of light cannabis to narcotic substances, effectively banning the entire industry: from cultivation to sales, including personal use of CBD-based products.
A Legal Substance Without Psychotropic Effects
Light cannabis, derived from certified varieties of industrial hemp with a THC content below 0.2%, is a substance that does not produce any psychotropic effect. It does not alter perception, cause euphoria, or induce dependency. Several Italian and European rulings have declared it legal. Yet in 2025, amidst a growing climate of political repression, it is being treated as an illegal drug.
This decision is not based on scientific or health concerns but appears to be driven by ideological motives and propaganda, targeting a legally regulated and growing market.
An Attack on Legality and Common Sense
Until now, the light cannabis market represented a smart compromise between prohibition and legalization. It allowed thousands of small entrepreneurs to operate within the law, offer natural alternatives to sedatives and anxiolytics, and promote the value of hemp in agriculture, cosmetics, food, and ecology.
With a single signature, the State has destroyed all of this, jeopardizing over 2 billion euros in revenue and risking the loss of more than 22,000 jobs. A flourishing, environmentally friendly sector has been suddenly criminalized without any real justification.
Devastating Effects on Agriculture and Local Economies
Industrial hemp has made a comeback in Italy over the last ten years. In regions like Sardinia, Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, and Piedmont, many farms invested in this crop due to its extraordinary properties: soil regeneration, pesticide-free growth, and sustainable production of fiber, oil, and biomass.
Now, with the new decree, these fields face extinction. Not only is flower sales banned, but legal confusion halts the entire supply chain. Farmers are unsure whether they can plant seeds, shop owners are shutting down, and consumers may be criminalized for using a product that remains legal across most of Europe.
A Clash with European Regulations
The new rules seem to be in direct contradiction with EU law. The European Court of Justice has ruled that CBD is not a narcotic, and a member state cannot ban its commercialization if it is legally produced in another EU country. Italy thus exposes itself to international lawsuits and possible EU sanctions.
Additionally, these hemp restrictions violate the principle of free movement of goods in the single market. Italy may find itself isolated, with significant economic and reputational consequences.
Repression Favors Illegality
Paradoxically, the Security Decree may encourage black market activities instead of reducing drug-related risks. Removing a safe, legal, and traceable product will likely push consumers toward illegal substances, empowering organized crime.
Banning light cannabis punishes those who chose legality, transparency, and quality. It is a collective punishment driven more by ideology than public health concerns.
Voices from the Industry: “They’re Destroying Us”
Farmers and shop owners reacted with dismay. Some are already shutting down; others are considering relocating abroad. Trade associations denounce this as a legal expropriation of an entire sector. Meanwhile, no compensation or support has been offered to those who will lose their jobs.
“They basically outlawed us overnight. After years of fighting for recognition, we are once again forced into the shadows,” says a grow shop owner from Sardinia.
Sardinia’s Hemp Tradition at Risk
Sardinia has a centuries-old tradition of hemp cultivation, used for fabrics, ropes, and fishing nets. Today, modern hemp farming is seen as an ecological and economic opportunity, especially in rural areas. The decree now threatens to wipe out this heritage.
Projects for social farming, land regeneration, and eco-tourism based on hemp are being dismantled. This is not just an economic loss—it’s cultural.
What’s Next? Legal Challenges and Resistance
The sector is not giving up. Legal appeals and petitions are already underway, demanding the repeal or revision of the decree. Political movements, lawyers, and associations are joining forces to oppose this repressive turn. Internationally, intervention from the European Court is being considered.
In the meantime, civil disobedience may become a tool for resistance. Spontaneous protests are erupting across cities. The message is clear: light cannabis is not a drug, and banning it is political, not rational.
Conclusion: Repression or Dialogue?
The Security Decree 2025 marks a critical moment for the future of legal cannabis in Italy. Targeting a sustainable, regulated industry without dialogue or evidence is a political and social mistake. Only through pressure from below and possible European intervention might the situation change. But damage has already been done.
For those who believe in a green, lawful, and free Italy—this is the time to take a stand.
Canapalandia will continue to follow this story, defending legality and common sense.
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