NORWAY (Reuters) – Authorities in Norway are expected to begin legalizing recreational use of cannabis by 2020, following a national debate over the medicinal and recreational use.
Legalization plans for cannabis are likely to be approved by parliament in October, but the government has already approved a raft of drugs and has already begun to roll out medical marijuana and edible products.
Under Norwegian law, anyone aged 18 or over can possess up to 50 grams of cannabis, but that number can be adjusted.
The use of edible products, such as edibles and cannabis tinctures, can only be permitted by a medical doctor.
People can buy recreational cannabis at pharmacies and dispensaries, or in shops with a doctor’s prescription.
But the law has not yet been fully implemented.
Norway’s National Council of Ministers is due to vote on the legislation at its annual general meeting in Oslo on Wednesday.
A report by the Council of Europe’s special rapporteur on the right to health said it could take between two and four years for cannabis use to be legalised.
The report said the law would be difficult to enforce.
Norwegian officials said they would work to get the country’s national drug strategy in line with the EU’s recommendations.
The Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark have already started to legalise cannabis.
