Konopné odvětví v ČR se nezastaví – tak proč se regulace stále motá v kruhu?

The cannabis industry in the Czech Republic won't stop – so why are regulations still going in circles?

The Czech Republic has long been building a reputation as a more liberal player in European cannabis policy. We have one of the highest permitted THC limits in industrial hemp in the entire EU (1% compared to the standard 0.2–0.3% in most countries), there is growing interest in medical cannabis, CBD products are available on every corner, and now the law even allows the cultivation of up to three cannabis plants for personal use. However, instead of a clear, functional legal framework, the industry is drowning in legislative chaos, half-measures, and constant uncertainty.

It's time to be direct: this can't go on like this.

What it looks like in 2025

This year brought several fundamental changes at once – and that's precisely the problem.

  • Decriminalization for recreational users – In July 2025, the Senate approved an amendment to the Criminal Code legalizing the cultivation of up to 3 plants and possession of up to 100 grams of cannabis for personal use. A step in the right direction.
  • Opening of the medical cannabis market – The government approved an amendment to the Narcotics Act, which abolishes the monopoly of a single cultivator and introduces an open licensing system. Now, anyone who meets SÚKL's conditions can grow medical cannabis. Good news for both patients and businesses.
  • Psychomodulatory Substances Act (PML) – A new category of "psychomodulatory substances" came into effect on January 1, 2025. However, in practice, it brought more confusion than order.

Where it all got stuck: the story of CBD and the European Commission

The biggest absurdity of 2025 is undoubtedly the saga surrounding CBD and psychomodulatory substances.

The government proposed including cannabis with a THC content of up to 1% – essentially all legal CBD products – on the list of regulated psychomodulatory substances. What would this mean? An end to online sales, licenses costing hundreds of thousands of crowns annually, a ban on advertising, and sales only in brick-and-mortar stores to adult customers.

However, the European Commission said a clear no.

In its opinion of May 12, 2025, the Commission stated that such a procedure is incompatible with European law and international conventions. The result? The Czech Republic had to revise its proposal and temporarily remove cannabis substances from the PML list.

The entire process is a textbook example of how *not* to legislate: first push through a controversial proposal, let it hit a wall in Brussels, and then quietly withdraw it. And yet, the Czech Hemp Cluster CzecHemp had been warning about this risk long in advance.

Why clear regulation makes sense

The cannabis industry in the Czech Republic exists, is growing, and isn't going anywhere – regardless of whether the state decides to pay attention to it or not. The question, therefore, is not *whether* to regulate, but *how*.

Arguments for functional regulation:

  1. Consumer protection – Studies show that up to 69% of CBD products on the market are mislabeled and 25% show contamination. Without clear rules and control, customers suffer with their health.

  2. Legal certainty for entrepreneurs – Entrepreneurs cannot invest, plan, and create jobs in an industry where rules change every six months and where no one knows what will apply in a year.

  3. State tax revenues – A regulated market means taxes, levies, and revenues for the state treasury. The grey zone and unregulated market send this money outside the system.

  4. International competitiveness – Medical cannabis is a globally growing business. The Czech Republic has the agricultural potential, expert background, and geographical location to become a European production hub. But this requires stable rules, not legislative ping-pong.

  5. Public health – Regulation allows for setting age limits, controlling quality, and restricting access to vulnerable groups. Prohibitions do not offer these tools – on the contrary, they move the market underground.

What good regulation should include

Inspiration is not far away – just look at Germany, the Netherlands, or Canada. A functional framework should be based on several pillars:

  • Clear categorization – medical cannabis, industrial hemp, CBD products, and recreational use must each have their own clear rules, not be lumped together.
  • Reasonable licensing conditions – accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises, not just for corporations with millionaire compliance budgets.
  • A unified supervisory body – today, SÚKL, ÚKZÚZ, customs administration, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Agriculture overlap in the cannabis industry. The result is bureaucratic hell.
  • Compliance with European legislation – from the outset, not just after rejection from Brussels.
  • Transitional periods – so that existing entrepreneurs have time to adapt, not to lose their livelihoods overnight.

Conclusion: the industry is waiting for the state, not the other way around

The cannabis industry in the Czech Republic does not suffer from a lack of interest, entrepreneurial energy, or consumer demand. It suffers from a lack of courageous and consistent state policy.

The decriminalization approved in 2025 is a good sign. The opening of the medical cannabis market is a step in the right direction. But until there is a clear, stable, and European-compatible framework for the entire industry, we will witness more and more legislative crises, more rejections from Brussels, and more unnecessary uncertainty for thousands of people who work in this industry or depend on its products for their health.

The time for legislative courage has come. The cannabis industry will not stop – the only question is whether it will grow with the state or despite it.

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