Czech government legalizes cultivation of three cannabis plants

The Czech government has approved a broad reform of criminal law, including more frequent fines instead of prison sentences to ease the prison system and changes to the rules on growing and possessing cannabis.

According to the proposed and accepted changes:

• Growing up to three cannabis plants will be legal
• Possession of a maximum of 50 grams of cannabis inside the home and 25 grams outside will be authorized.
• Cultivation of four to five plants will constitute a minor offence, while larger quantities will remain subject to criminal penalties.

The amendments aim to reduce the burden on the justice system while reflecting a change in society's attitude towards cannabis. Justice Minister Pavel Blažek stressed the need to modernise the system, saying: "Our system of sanctions is outdated and diverges from the rest of the EU, which is obviously not a good thing."

Opposition voices, such as the Pirate Party, have criticized the limits of the proposal . Former deputy prime minister Ivan Bartoš pointed out the paradox of the legislation, which allows cultivation but limits possession to quantities that could be exceeded by the yield of a single plant.