What exactly will the new criminal code allow when it comes to cannabis possession and home-growing? What will change for ordinary people from January 2026?
“First of all, there are still a few hundred people in prison today for simply growing a larger number of plants at home. Under the new law, growing up to three plants will be completely legal. Even growing more than that won’t automatically mean people end up serving 8–12 years in prison, unless it’s clearly intended for sale.
“We’ve also changed the sections that sent people to prison for what was technically possession, even if it was treated as intent to sell. That’s quite important—we’re now going to treat it as possession of a larger amount, not automatically as illegal sale. I think that’s a significant change.
“People will be allowed to have up to 100 grams at home without facing penalties. Larger amounts will still be penalized, and commercial activity will not be permitted under this reform.”
Jindřich Vobořil|Photo: Archive of Jindřich Vobořil
Would you say this brings Czechia closer to eventually legalizing cannabis, or is that still a long way off?
“No, we’re close to legalizing, but I support a regulated market rather than full legalization as with alcohol. I’ve been proposing for years that we should have specialized shops and licensed options for growing. I think we’re on that path—it’s just going to take a few more years of discussion.”
Psilocybin will now be available for medical use, making Czechia one of the few European countries to allow this. What does that actually mean for patients and professionals?
“Psilocybin, based on our longstanding research here, has shown real potential to help with certain mental health conditions. However, it is going to take at least a couple more years to develop the necessary standards, sub-laws, and of course, to get approval from the FDA before it can actually be used in practice.”
You’ve long supported a regulated cannabis market and the therapeutic use of psychedelics backed by scientific research. This reform is partly your work—are you happy with the direction it’s taking, or would you have liked to see more?
“I would have liked to see more. Still, I can’t say I’m not happy, because we’ve taken a step forward. And it took years of hard work, much of it mine, so I’m glad something has happened.
“But yes, I was hoping for a more open approach. I wanted a regulated market. In terms of cannabis, we’ve at least de-penalized home growing. Still, if we want to shift from a black market to a legal framework, we need a regulated market. That’s the next step, and I hope it’s something we’ll debate in our political arena.”