MPs Introduce Cannabis Decriminalization Measure In Lithuania

Lithuania may not be the first place that you think of when it comes to cannabis policy reform, however, efforts to reform the nation’s cannabis laws are underway in the European country, which is located in the Baltic region of the continent.

Last November, lawmakers in Lithuania voted on a measure that would have decriminalized small amounts of all controlled substances. The measure failed to pass.

Lithuania’s Committee on Legal Affairs was tasked at that time with coming up with a more narrowly tailored measure, and what they came up with was a cannabis decriminalization measure that would apply to small amounts of cannabis. Per excerpts from LRT:

The Lithuanian parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs (TTK) has proposed to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis.

The new amendments propose to introduce fines, instead of criminal liability, for the possession of small quantities of cannabis.

“I see it as a political compromise. The task of TTK was to improve [the draft] and look for an option for which we would have a majority of votes,” said Morgana Danielė of the Freedom Party.

Lithuania originally passed a medical cannabis measure in 2017, however, cannabis remains criminalized for non-medical purposes.

Adult-use legalization is sweeping the European continent, with momentum picking up after Malta became the first country to legalize cannabis for recreational use late last year.

With that in mind, Lithuania’s reform measure is timid compared to what is being proposed in other parts of Europe, although the chances of this specific measure passing in Lithuania seem to be strong.