Yo, check it, Sweden be all up in the news again. But yo, peep this, is Sweden just a frosty nanny state? Ya feel me?
Sweden, home to the Northern Lights, Abba (yeah, them dancing queens), dope nature and wildlife, cold winters, and sleek classic design. IKEA, Ericsson, and Volvo all started out in Sweden, representin’ on a global scale. They got a democracy with a parliament and a ceremonial monarch who’s connected to the British Royal Family. But like, is it really all that when it’s also a nanny state?
This country be tough on alcohol, like real tough. And they ain’t messin’ around with cannabis either. In today’s world, it’s like a shocker that Sweden and weed ain’t vibin’ together.
The traditional toast of skål is all about spreading good vibes, but when it comes to drinking in Sweden, it’s a whole thing. They got a long history with alcohol, from everyone always bein’ tipsy to the intense state control they got goin’ on now. Sweden done created a national alcohol monopoly, takin’ away the rights of private businesses and citizens to make and sell alcohol. This led to sky-high prices and changed how people in Sweden drink.
No surprise here, but Sweden ain’t playin’ when it comes to marijuana. They don’t even have a medical marijuana program, y’all. Cannabis is straight up illegal in Sweden, and the government ain’t playin’ around with enforcement. It’s all considered criminal, from personal use to possession. The government be hatin’ on cannabis big time.
In the U.S. and Canada, over 85% of the population is down with some form of marijuana legalization. In the EU, it’s around 55%. But in Sweden? Nah fam, they been runnin’ a long campaign sayin’ it’s a dangerous drug that’ll ruin your life.
In a country where they been fightin’ against drinking for so long, hopin’ for a change when it comes to marijuana seems unlikely. Sweden might not be at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to alcohol consumption in Europe, but they definitely ain’t toppin’ the charts either.
The Stockholm Medical Cannabis Conference went down in 2022. The Aureum Life patient advocacy group held it down at the conference, inviting the Swedish press to peep game. With over 300 heads in attendance, co-founder and CEO Angelica Örnell was feelin’ hopeful. “We proud to be organizing the first medical cannabis conference in Sweden,” she said. “It’s one step forward in spreadin’ knowledge about the benefits of cannabis as medicine.”
The government might be actin’ like a nanny when it comes to substances that can get you faded, but at least there’s some hope for gettin’ some science-based medical info out there for the people.
So yeah, Sweden might be icy cool on the surface with its Northern Lights and Abba jams, but when it comes to alcohol and cannabis? They ain’t playin’. It’s a fine line between lookin’ out for your peeps and restrictin’ their freedom to blaze up or sip on something strong. Guess we’ll see where Sweden goes from here – stay tuned for more updates on this frosty nanny state situation.
