40 JOINTS LEGAL FOR PERSONAL USE

ROME - Italy's Government yesterday doubled the amount of cannabis
people can possess without risking prosecution and announced a major
overhaul of the laws on narcotics use.

Causing an outcry from the centre-right opposition, but joy from
campaigners for drugs liberalisation, Health Minister Livia Turco
said the maximum amount of marijuana to be considered for "personal
use" would be doubled to 1g in terms of its active ingredient.

That would allow for possession of up to around 40 joints, the Health
Ministry said.

"I intervened so thousands of young people don't have to go to jail
or suffer a criminal proceeding for smoking a joint," said Turco, a
member of the largest Government party, the Democrats of the Left.