A rigid system of international Conventions oversees the diffusion and the use of narcotic substances. Such Conven- tions, binding for most States in the world, allow the usage of drugs only for medical-scientific purposes. Notwith- standing the strict supranational rules and the activity of the bodies implementing the conventional regime,more and more States worldwide cross the path of different policies on soft drugs for recreational use, sometimes legalising it. This paper aims to offer an overview of the international rules on the topic and its historical evolution; then the most significant foreign policies are analysed – including the Uruguayian and the Californian one – in compar- ison with the domestic framework after the development of the so-called 'cannabis light' market. Taking into account the discrepancies between the conventional approach and the rules adopted by the single States, the paper points out the viable options in order to reconcile national goals and international obligations, focusing on the reform proposals in Italy
The California referendum dated 8 November 2016 legalized the production, commercialization and consumption of marijuana. The California reform, which has already been implemented in other US States, allows us reflect on the possibility of introducing, even here in Italy, the issue of legalization of cannabis and its derivatives. A bill to this effect (no. 3235) was presented to Parliament and hopefully will be examined shortly. This article questions the legitimacy of the prohibitionist approach to "soft" drugs on the basis of both the classic continental criminal law parameters of legal interests and the Anglo-American "harm principle" : the legalization appears, de jure condendo, to be the best solution.