Cannabis in Denmark

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Pro-cannabis and anti-heroin mural in Christiania

Cannabis is illegal in Denmark for recreational use, but certain cannabis derivatives are allowed for medical use by prescription.

Cannabis sale and use, while illegal, has been periodically unofficially tolerated in the Copenhagen neighborhood of Freetown Christiania, but the neighborhood moved to restrict the cannabis trade following a 2016 shooting.[1]

Penalties[edit]

The punishment for small amounts (up to 9.9 g or 0.35 oz) for personal use is typically a fine.[2] In certain cases such as socially vulnerable people, a warning can be given instead of a fine.[2] Larger quantities (more than 100 grams or 3.5 ounces) generally results in a prison sentence.[2] Driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal and all but the smallest amounts of THC in a blood sample results in a fine and loss of the driver's license (conditional or unconditional).[3]

Usage[edit]

Despite its illegal status, a report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (2015) shows that slightly more than  1⁄3 of adult Danes have tried cannabis at some point in their life, which is above the European average where only France is positioned higher.[4] Based on the same study, less than 7% have used cannabis in the last year, which also is above European average, but almost the same as Finland and the United Kingdom, and below the Czech Republic, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.[4]

Politics[edit]

Danish political parties are split on the legality of cannabis for recreational use: Red-Green Alliance, Socialist People's Party, Liberal Alliance and The Alternative support a legalization, while the Social Democrats, Danish People's Party, Conservatives and Venstre are opposed.[5][6][7] The Danish Social Liberal Party has traditionally been opposed, but in 2016 the party leader announced that they supported a legalization on a trial basis.[8] The goal of the Cannabis Party is a legalization, but the party is marginal without representation in the Danish Parliament, regional councils and municipal councils.[9] In contrast to the opposition by the parent parties, both the Social Democrats of Copenhagen (Denmark's capital and a major stronghold of the party) and the youth wing of Venstre support a legalization.[10][11]

A poll from 2016 showed that the Danes are divided exactly on the middle, with 43% supporting legalization and 43% against (11% "neither"; 3% "don't know").[12]

Medical cannabis[edit]

Three types of cannabis derivatives for medical use (Sativex, Marinol and Nabilone) were approved by the Danish Medicines Agency in 2011, but require prescription.[13][14] These are primarily prescriped as a relief of pain and nausea in cancer patients, or to alleviate muscle stiffness in multiple sclerosis patients.[15] Cannabis in other forms such as hashish and the raw plant are illegal,[13] but from 2018 this and other variants will be prescribed on a trial basis to some patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal injury and chronic pain.[16] A poll shows that 88% of Danes support cannabis for medicinal use.[17]

Prior to prohibition of cannabis, the plant was used in some typical remedies in Denmark; it was not until 1964 that a Danish factory was ordered to stop making a clavus (corn) liniment from cannabis extract.[18]

Freetown Christiania[edit]

Since its opening, Freetown Christiania has been famous for its open cannabis trade, taking place in the centrally located Pusher Street, although named Green Light District by the Christianian council. Although the hash trade is illegal, authorities were for many years reluctant to forcibly stop it. Proponents thought that concentrating the hash trade at one place would limit its dispersion in society, and that it could prevent users from switching to 'harder drugs'. Some wanted to legalize hash altogether. Opponents thought the ban should be enforced, in Christiania as elsewhere, and that there should be no differentiation between 'soft' and 'hard' drugs. It has also been claimed that the open cannabis trade was one of Copenhagen's major tourist attractions, while some said it scared other potential tourists away. Even though the police have attempted to stop the drug trade, the cannabis market has generally thrived in Christiania. Following a 2016 shooting, local residents removed the Pusher Street stalls, and it was estimated that the cannabis sale dropped by about 75%.[1]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Hvilsom, Frank (30 October 2016). "Politidirektør: Hashmarked i Pusher Street er skrumpet kraftigt". Politiken (in Danish). JP/Politikens Hus. Retrieved 30 October 2016. 
  2. ^ a b c Dinforsvarer: Besiddelse af narkotika og hash. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  3. ^ Engmann, T.S. (30 June 2016). Mildere straf for hashkørsel på vej. DR Nyheder. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b Ingeman, N. (8 August 2016). Hver tredje dansker har røget hash. bias-nu. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  5. ^ Kristeligt Dagblad (3 June 2015). Det mener partierne om legalisering af hash. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  6. ^ TV2 News (17 April 2016). Nu vil SF også gøre hash lovligt. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  7. ^ Berlingske (23 March 2016). Alternativet vil lade staten sælge hash. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  8. ^ Newsbreak (3 September 2016). Det Radikale Venstres formand, Morten Østergaard, vil i første omgang have et landsdækkende forsøg med statskontrolleret hashsalg. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  9. ^ Berlingske (22 October 2009). 16 listige lister. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  10. ^ Berlingske (7 April 2013). Socialdemokrater: Fri hash vil gøre København mere sikker. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  11. ^ Venstre Ungdom (24 October 2009). VU støtter fri hash. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  12. ^ Brandsen, M. (20 June 2016). Danskerne delt: Fire ud af ti vil gøre hash lovligt – og fire ud af ti vil ikke. TV2 News. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  13. ^ a b Danish Medicines Agency (30 September 2016): Cannabis for medicinal use – questions and answers.
  14. ^ DR Nyheder (10 October 2016). BAGGRUND Derfor er cannabis-medicin faktisk lovligt. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  15. ^ Sygeforsikring Danmark (November 2014): Cannabis som medicin (Cannabis as medicine).
  16. ^ DR Nyheder (8 November 2016). Medicinsk cannabis på vej til kræft- og sclerosepatienter. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  17. ^ The Independent (19 December 2016). Copenhagen makes fourth bid to legalise cannabis to help reduce gang warfare. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  18. ^ Tom Decorte (11 February 2016). World Wide Weed: Global Trends in Cannabis Cultivation and its Control. Routledge. pp. 53–. ISBN 978-1-134-78521-6. 
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