Press release

Regulating the cannabis market will raise up to tens of millions of euros a year, an expert study has confirmed. Pirates have submitted regulation proposals to their government partners, and an executive summary of the impact assessment study is now available in English

Prague, 25 October 2022 - executive summary of impact assessment study of legalisation of cannabis, pushed for by the Czech Pirates, is now online also in English for a wider audience. In September, Pirates submitted to their government partners a major comprehensive analysis of the impact of regulating the cannabis market, including proposals for regulation. The conclusions of the analysis clearly show the benefits that the regulation would bring. One of the most obvious is tax revenue, which conservative estimates put at EUR 26.5 million to EUR 73 million per year.

“Our regulation will rival Canada’s ambitious legalisation scheme in the context of prevention and harm reduction efforts, and be unmatched on the European playing field regarding its extent. Furthermore, the expansive legalisation impact study conducted by the pirate party on this, is the most comprehensive one yet,” said Jana Michailidu, head of the pirate expert team on Addiction Policy and a member of the National Governmental Addiction Council.

"Reform, regulation, taxation - these are the three pillars with which we as Pirates approach the regulation of the cannabis market. By taxing, we will raise billions of euros a year while avoiding unnecessary spending on repression. In addition, if we manage to launch the regulated market together with the German one, it will mean huge export opportunities for our economy. We also aim to reduce the black market and, in particular, access to cannabis for minors. That's why we have come up with a model that combines the introduction of a licensed cannabis market like in the US, elements of restrictions on promotion and an information campaign to reduce harm along the lines of Canada, and registration of legal users, similar to Uruguay," MP Klára Kocmanová said, adding that the Pirates will present the impact analysis, including regulation proposals, to their coalition partners next week, with whom they will agree on the way forward. They have already discussed the topic with a number of them.

Given the fact that Pirates are a part of the ruling coalition, the chances of a success for this legalisation effort look promising. There are coalition parties which have some reservations, but they are willing to discuss the proposal, and Pirates will use scientific evidence and their data-backed impact study to negotiate the proposal and make the law a reality.

At the European level, the Pirates have started a cross-party group on the legalisation of personal use of cannabis. Together with colleagues from several countries and a majority of the political groups, MEP Mikuláš Peksa is advocating for a discussion regarding the outdated patchwork of prohibitive cannabis legislation, which makes the lives of European citizens difficult. “Legalisation of personal use of cannabis is a question of personal freedom. European citizens are used to a level of certainty and safety when crossing borders to other EU Member States, and the current state of legalisation of cannabis in different Member States runs counter to these rights” says Peksa. The group hopes to exchange information on best practices from Member States with an ongoing legalisation process, organise meetings with experts, and advocate for legalisation at the European level.