While Slovenia moves forward with a bill to legalize medical marijuana, some lawmakers believe that’s just the beginning. That’s why members of the Freedom Movement, The Left, and the Social Democrats are stepping on the gas, having introduced a new bill to legalize adult-use cannabis, according to Marijuana Moment.
The proposal from the Balkan nation stems from a progressive and public health-oriented perspective, recognizing adult cannabis use as a legitimate personal choice, especially in a context of growing public support.
Specifically, this draft legislation would:
- Allow adults to grow up to four cannabis plants per person, with a household cap of six plants.
- Allow people to possess up to seven grams of dried cannabis in public, and up to 150 grams at home per adult, with a maximum of 300 grams per household.
- Permit cannabis sharing within these limits: commercial sales or monetary exchange would remain prohibited.
- Ban smoking in the presence of minors.
- Impose a THC blood limit of 3 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) for drivers. Fines would start at €300 and escalate to €1,200 depending on THC level. However, if someone was found with 3 ng/mL in their blood but shows no signs of impairment, they would not be penalized.
One particularly innovative aspect of the bill is its protection of workers’ rights: employers would not be allowed to conduct routine drug tests for THC without a justified reason. This clause safeguards private, responsible cannabis use outside the workplace.
A legitimized cannabis policy model, just like alcohol
Although it’s not stated outright, the bill appears to adopt a similar logic to that used for legal substances like alcohol and tobacco.
Rather than criminalize or pursue consumers, the approach is to normalize responsible adult use, regulate its parameters, and prevent the state from punishing behaviors that are already socially widespread.
As Nataša Sukić, a member of parliament from The Left party, stated: “According to analyses, cannabis is no more dangerous than other already legalized drugs, such as tobacco and alcohol.”
This is no small detail. By allowing home cultivation, decriminalizing reasonable possession, and removing penalties for personal use, the government is recognizing what global reform advocates have long argued: prohibition has failed. In fact, it has deepened stigma and fueled the illicit market. Now, Slovenia seems ready to take a different path.
Public opinion is on board
The Slovenian public appears largely supportive of this shift.
In a pair of non-binding referendums held in June 2024, voters were asked their opinion on cannabis access. 67% voted in favor of allowing patients to grow medical cannabis for personal use, while 52% supported the idea that all adults -regardless of medical status- should be able to grow and possess marijuana at home.
Though these results didn’t carry legal weight, they marked a major cultural shift. As Sukić explained: “We are implementing the will of the voters.” And in a celebratory tone, Sara Žibrat, a parliamentarian with the Freedom Movement, echoed that sentiment in a now widely shared social media post: “We got it! Almost.”
First comes medical, then adult use
Earlier this year, the National Assembly also passed legislation to legalize cannabis plants, extracts, and resin for medical and scientific use, after overriding a National Council veto.
This framework grants access to cannabis for patients dealing with serious conditions like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and other chronic illnesses —always under medical supervision and tightly regulated.
In an official statement, the Freedom Movement made the goals clear: “To protect patients and cannabis users from unverified products on the black market, enable uninterrupted medical cannabis supply to patients and address current legal shortcomings in the field of cannabis use for medical and scientific purposes.”
In short, Slovenia’s latest cannabis push reflects a non-commercial legalization model, centered on public health, personal freedom, and harm reduction.
Unlike countries that have opened regulated commercial markets —like Canada or certain U.S. states— Slovenia is charting a course that prioritizes home cultivation, safe access, and respect for individual autonomy.
Notably, this initiative isn’t being driven by corporate lobbying, but rather by direct voter sentiment and lawmakers responding to it.
With this move, Slovenia now joins a growing wave of European countries rewriting their cannabis policies —Germany, Malta, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic among them— signaling that the continent may be on the verge of a broader shift.
Published first on El Planteo.
