Estonia claims to have a medical marijuana policy - but the reality is that access is limited and reform is slow. Rec use is decriminalized.
Tours through its medieval capital and visiting other stunning landmarks are a must "do" in Estonia. This tiny country with only a little over 1,3 mln citizens is a front-runner in technology and IT, but it is also known for a huge alcohol abuse problem and overdose deaths from illegal drugs are the highest in Europe.
Even though in the last few years the first steps in the right directions have been made, the problems mentioned before are probably the reason for cannabis reform still being a dodgy subject here.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN ESTONIA
Medical use has been technically legal since 2005. However, as of 2016, only one patient in the country had been prescribed a cannabinoid-based medication. This was Nabiximols – for cancer pain.
The real answer? Patients are facing an uphill battle and will for a while. Especially over whole-plant medication. If not bud cannabis.
RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN ESTONIA
The good news? Cannabis has been decriminalized. Possession of small amounts is a misdemeanour. This has been defined as possession of up to 7.5 grams of dried bud.
It is not so easy to find good weed in Estonia. You will need a friend with a connection and the weed will probably have changed hands already 5 times before it arrives to you. The price varies from 15 to 20 euros per gram and usually it’s not the best quality. But hey, this country borders with Russia and usually 6 out of 12 months are snowy, cold and pretty much dark, so you will take what you can.
People don't usually smoke in public places and the cops are not really actively searching for smokers. Alcohol usage is the biggest problem in this tiny country and if you would get caught for possession, it would probably be by accident. In most cases, first offenders receive a written warning.
80-90% of non-criminal drug possession cases are fined. A much smaller number have been arrested. Between 10-20% of drug offenders end up in jail.
Yes. As of 2017, the government appears to be considering broader medical use of cannabinoids. This may include use of the actual plant. No changes in domestic law have been made so far however.
SUPPORT THE LOCAL LEGALIZATION GROUP(S) IN ESTONIA
One organisation in Estonia is Ravikanep. They are dealing with educating the people about medical marijuana as good as possible and help Estonian the society to move forward in the whole cannabis debate.
