ZAGREB, October 31, 2018 – Health Minister Milan Kujundžić said on Wednesday Croatia was not thinking about legalising marijuana as Canada had done recently, but that its use for medical purposes was allowed in cases in which it had proven effective and that these patients could procure and use it.
He said amendments to the drug abuse prevention law also defined hemp and that as of now its use, when its active ingredient was below 0.2%, would be allowed in numerous industries.
“Until now, we could only use seeds in Croatia, the rest had to be destroyed. Under the new law, the Agriculture Ministry will keep a record of who plants it, how much and where, and report it to the Interior Ministry. Hemp use will be possible in the auto industry, cosmetics, construction and other industries,” Kujundžić said.
He added that amendments to the drug abuse prevention law, which the government endorsed today, would make it possible to ban new drugs.
“There are serious problems because new drugs appear literally every day and they can’t be banned until they are registered. Under the new law, the minister of health will be able to register these new drugs and initiate proceedings to prevent distribution. Among them are some drugs that are not only harmful but can cause death,” Kujundžić said, adding that the amendments were aligned with European Union legislation.
The current government is not exactly known for its progressive policies, so no one expected it to even contemplate legalising marijuana. Major efforts are needed just to protect basic human rights, so the drug policy changes are not going to happen anytime soon. Canada and similar countries are decades ahead of Croatia, and it is highly unlikely that the gap will be reduced.
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