The TAR — Administrative Court of Lazio, considered that, with the ruling of 11 September last, the request for precautionary suspension proposed by the appellant against the government provision that sought to prohibit CBD (cannabidiol) from hemp, known in Italy as light cannabis.
Italy’s hemp industry is facing its biggest challenge yet as the government has introduced measures that threaten to eliminate CBD and other hemp-derived cannabinoids from the market. A decree, which came into force on August 5, 2023, classified CBD extracted from cannabis as a narcotic substance, banning its use but allowing extracts with synthetic cannabinoids. This decision sparked outrage from industry stakeholders, who are now fighting to protect the promising hemp industry.
About a month ago, the same Italian court, TAR, had already decided to suspend the government decree classifying CBD oil as a narcotic substance, but industry protests continued. This is another step forward for Italian farmers and traders, who are demanding the right to this crop.
European higher authorities reinforce the legality of hemp
This TAR ruling is in the same vein as the recent one decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which concluded that “no member state may establish prohibitive measures that go beyond what is strictly necessary to safeguard the protection of public health”.
