Czech President pardons those convicted of growing cannabis.
President Petr Pavel recently pardoned three men convicted of growing cannabis. The men all over the age of 70 were originally supposed to serve sentences of three to four years, but due to their health, advanced age and previous integrity, the president pardoned the rest of their sentences. The move has reignited the debate about punishing people for growing cannabis in the Czech Republic and raised questions about whether the laws should be changed.
What does the law say about growing cannabis in the Czech Republic?
Czech law allows the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, but growing it without a license is still a crime. According to the Criminal Code, the unauthorized cultivation of plants containing narcotic substances is punishable by up to five years in prison. In the case of a larger scale or an organized group, it can be even ten years. Nevertheless, cannabis is relatively commonly grown in the Czech Republic not only for recreational purposes but also for medicinal purposes.
Medicinal use was often an argument in the cases of convicted growers. For example, in the past, there was public discussion about the case of pensioner Dušan Dvořák, who cultivated cannabis for patients with serious health problems. He was repeatedly convicted, which sparked opposition among supporters of legalization.
Whilst Pavel granted this pardon, it is not the case for everyone. Interestingly, President Pavel refused to grant pardon to other cannabis growers in April 2024, who also argued for medical reasons. According to him, sufficient conditions for pardon were not met in these cases. This shows that granting pardons is not an automatic process and depends on the specific assessment of the case.
Is the Czech Republic moving towards legalisation?
While some European countries, such as Germany or Malta, are gradually legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes, in the Czech Republic, changes to the laws are still only being discussed. Minister of Health Vlastimil Válek has indicated in the past that he supports regulating the cannabis market, but it is not yet clear when and whether this will happen. A proposal to legalize the self-cultivation of cannabis was also prepared by the national anti-drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil, but its approval is constantly being postponed.
Will the state's approach change?
The case of presidential pardons shows that the Czech justice system is still strict towards cannabis growers, even though part of the public and experts are calling for change. If the Czech Republic goes the way of a regulated market, this could mean less criminalization of people who grow cannabis for personal use or for treatment. Until then, however, growers still risk severe punishments.
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Liz Filmer
