Italy’s War on Hemp
A Masterclass in Political Overreach and Scientific Ignorance
By Someone Who’s Clearly Had Enough
Oh Italy. Land of art, architecture, and ancient philosophy. And now, apparently, the land where logic goes to die under a pile of hemp flowers.
In a baffling move that screams panic before reason, the Italian government has invoked emergency powers. That’s right - to immediately ban the cultivation, sale, and possession of hemp flowers, including CBD. This is the cannabinoid best known for making stressed-out millennials slightly less anxious during a cost-of-living crisis.
So why the sudden crackdown? Was there an outbreak of mass relaxation? A national crisis of too many people sleeping well? No. Just another case of regulatory whiplash from a government that seems allergic to science and determined to confuse reaction with reason.
Let’s break down the absurdity.
Science? We Don’t Do That Here
For over a decade, global scientific consensus - supported by multiple European court rulings - has confirmed that hemp containing less than 0.3% THC is not a drug. It won’t get you high. It won’t lead to psychosis. It certainly won’t unravel the moral fabric of society. In fact, it might just help farmers, small businesses, and the planet. But Italy, it seems, isn’t interested in that kind of nuance.
Instead, hemp flower has been lumped in with narcotics. No new evidence has been presented, no public health crisis identified, and no justification offered beyond political optics. This is not regulation. This is theatre - and the kind where the audience is already booing.
Emergency Powers for… Hemp?
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni invoked Article 77 of the Constitution. This is a clause meant for genuine emergencies - earthquakes, pandemics, or the collapse of democratic order. This time, it has been used to rush through a decree targeting a harmless agricultural product that is already regulated under EU law.
This is not just anti-hemp. It is anti-democratic. The decision skips parliamentary scrutiny, bypasses public consultation, and treats science-based policymaking as if it were optional.
30,000 Jobs at Risk
The decree threatens the livelihoods of more than 3,000 businesses and as many as 30,000 jobs. These are concentrated in one of Italy’s few sectors showing real promise - sustainable and legal hemp. Farmers, processors, retailers, wellness entrepreneurs, and a generation of environmentally conscious Italians are now facing economic uncertainty.
With one sweeping decision, the government has sent a clear message. Investment does not matter. Evidence does not matter. Industry doesn’t matter. Your business offends our political instincts.
This is not responsible governance. It is economic sabotage.
Europe Might Have Something to Say
Let’s not forget the European Union. In the landmark Kanavape case, the EU ruled that CBD and hemp flower cannot be treated as narcotics if they are legally produced in another member state. Italy’s decree flies in the face of that ruling. It risks violating EU free trade laws and could invite legal challenges that embarrass the country further.
Those challenges are already being prepared. Italian hemp advocates are mobilising. European institutions will have no choice but to respond. Because if Italy sets this precedent, the entire single market for hemp across Europe is at risk.
What’s Really Going On?
This isn’t really about hemp. It is about political optics. A government desperate to look strong has decided to pick a soft target. This is about appealing to a conservative base and distracting from deeper, messier problems.
It’s far easier to demonise a flower than to deal with organised crime, youth unemployment, or underfunded public services. It is simpler to moralise about “drugs” than to acknowledge a total misunderstanding of science, economics, and public opinion.
A Final Thought: You Can’t Ban Reality
Hemp exists. CBD exists. The science exists. The only people pretending otherwise are clinging to outdated propaganda and hoping no one notices.
But people do notice. They are watching. And they are rolling their eyes so hard it might cause injury.
Italy, you can do better than this. Or at least, you used to.
This is not bold. It is not clever. It is not based on evidence. It is knee-jerk policy dressed up as moral leadership. And it will place your government on the wrong side of history. Again.
Published 16th April 2025
