Headline April 28, 2018/ ''' ITALY'S *CANNABIS* ITALICS '''

''' ITALY'S *CANNABIS* ITALICS '''

 A GREENHOUSE AT Canapa Mundi, a three-day trade fair in Rome that showcased hemp-based products delighted the visitors.

TO ITALY THEN - for cannabis, and all that with grace, a wink and a nod. As a statutory void opened the way for a real booming sector of the economy.

These exquisitely beautiful jars of aromatic hemp flowers, branded as 'cannabis light', are sold as ''collectors' items'

''It's a new economy. It feels like Silicon Valley,'' he added during the fair, Canapa Mundi, which drew more than 30,000 visitors over three days in February. And in this process, he said, ''even cannabis  light can contribute to the normalization of cannabis.''   

The level of THC is under 0.2 percent in cannabis light, compared with the 15 percent to 25 percent  or more that is typically found in cultivated strains of marijuana, although street-level quality can be significantly lower in Italy.

Cannabis light has varying levels of cannabidiol, or CBD, which proponents say has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, without the psychoactive effects.

Some aficionados working for marijuana-promoting magazines have described the effects of  cannabis light as taking-the-edge-off kind if buzz, without actually getting stoned.

*Easyjoints* website specifies that its products must not be burned or eaten, and they are not medicinal.

But in an interview, Mr. Marola said cannabis light has prospects that could be effective in various instances.

''Fortunately, more people suffer from insomnia and panic attacks'' than amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, for which medical marijuana is often prescribed, he said.

Medical marijuana should be reserved ''for those who really need a product with high THC content,'' he added.

The scientific community is till out about the medical properties of cannabis light. Medical marijuana on the other hand, has been increasingly popular in Italy since it was approved in 2006, and demand now dwarfs supply.

Thousands of Italians use medical cannabis to assuage the symptoms of conditions like epilepsy, anorexia, anxiety, post-chemotherapy nausea and muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, even if-

Many doctors hesitate to propose the treatment out of concern for potential legal liabilities.

Annual consumption of legal medical cannabis grew from 40 kilograms in 2013 to nearly 10 times that in 2017, ''and we still haven't reached a plateau,'' said  Col. Antonio Medica, the officer in charge of the Military Chemical Pharmaceutical Plant in Florence.

That army-run plant is the only Italian agency to produce medical cannabis, and its first crop was distributed in 2017.

But because it cannot keep up with demand, the government also imports cannabis from Holland and, as of January, from Canada.

Colonel Medica, said he thought demand could further quadruple. ''Doctors have begun to see the importance medical cannabis,'' he said.

There is no guarantee that the nebulous legal status of cannabis light will survive the legislative leanings of incoming lawmakers.

The two parties most likely to govern Italy for the next five years, perhaps together, have different views on marijuana use :

The Five Star Movement is open to legalization; the far-right League is against it

A spokesman for the association that represents licensed tobacco vendors noted that a ministerial decision was pending on whether cannabis light would be recognized as a tobacco substitute and be subject to taxes.

That would mean cannabis light could be sold only through licensed tobacco vendors.

In December, Paolo Molinari transformed his Rome bar into a Dutch-style coffee shop [though no smoking was allowed], and began marketing his brand of cannabis light, Erba di Roma, which he said was popular with tourists.

He said he was concerned that the cannabis light bubble could burst in Italy, but he was heartened by the growing number of states that have legalized marijuana in the United States.

''Legalization there has created jobs, reduced criminality and the contraband of poor-quality  marijuana, and it's a big tax boon for governments,'' Mr. Molinari said.

''Why remove a substance that creates income for the state.'' Besides, he added, ''people will use it anyway.''

With respectful dedication to the Leaders, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. See Ya all on !WOW! - the World Students Society and Twitter - !E-WOW! - the Ecosystem 2011:

''' !WOW! & !WOW! '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless