Italian cannabis referendum looks likely to go ahead despite teething troubles

Italian campaigners believe they have done enough to secure a referendum on the legalisation of cannabis cultivation for personal use and the decriminalisation of cannabis possession.

The validity of the petition to secure the referendum is still awaiting confirmation, with judicial decisions expected by early next year after a long, drawn-out and often fraught process of signature-gathering. If validation is successful, Italy’s president will have to issue a decree setting up a date for the full referendum – to be held some time between April and June 2022.