The Italian minister of health, Livia Turco, has announced that she will make use of an administrative procedure to change the tough drug law passed through parliament by the previous government earlier in this year. Known as the Fini-Giovanardi law it brackets the carrying of the less heavy drugs with the more dangerous ones. The new minister is supported in her decision to modify the law by the minister for social solidarity, Paolo Ferrero, who suggests doubling the amount of cannabis it is currently permitted to carry for strictly personal use from 5-10 g.

Research by the Italian nation research council, CNR, has found that there are 700,000 regular drug users in Italy who spend 8 billion per year to pay for their habit, a cannabis user spending 8 per day and a cocaine or heroin user as much as 90 per day.