The Austrian citizens‘ initiative „Vienna Appeal 2.0“ remains stuck in parliament. The Committee on Petitions and Citizens‘ Initiatives postponed deliberation for the second time on 22 October 2026. Two days earlier, the Interior Ministry had submitted a statement rejecting any departure from the ban. The patient organisation ARGE CANNA is now countering with figures from the ministry’s own house.
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Vienna Appeal 2.0: A Year in the Petitions Committee
Citizen initiative number 26/BI arrived in the National Council on October 10, 2025. Its full title calls for „human rights-compliant drug policy“ featuring harm reduction, less black market activity, stronger youth protection, and decriminalization of users. Specifically, it advocates for regulated distribution, support for families, and independent review of international legal frameworks.
The responsible committee has since requested two rounds of statements. In October 2025, it consulted the Health Ministry and the Family Department in the Federal Chancellery; in April 2026, it added inquiries to the Interior and Justice ministries as well as the federal states. The initiative was postponed for the first time on June 25, 2026, and again on October 22, 2026. In Austria’s petition process, postponement neither terminates the initiative nor brings results—it simply keeps it pending. The slow pace of direct democracy on cannabis in Austria is also evident in the popular referendum on THC limits, which remains in its initial collection phase.
The Interior Ministry’s Case Against Decriminalization
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner’s statement, dated October 20, 2026, and published in parliament as 820/SBI, is unambiguous. From the ministry’s perspective, abandoning the current prohibition system—whether through decriminalization or broader legalization—is unsuitable for achieving the initiative’s goals.
The ministry warns of rising consumption and social normalization of cannabis. It argues that illegal parallel markets persist even in regulated systems. Commercial distribution outlets would create profit incentives contrary to youth protection. The document explicitly identifies cannabis contaminated with high-potency synthetic cannabinoids as a danger. As an alternative, the ministry points to Austria’s principle of „therapy instead of punishment“ and the four-pillar strategy of prevention, therapy, harm reduction, and enforcement.
Other Ministries and States Signal Greater Openness
Austria’s Health Ministry, responsible for drug policy, references UN drug control conventions in its December 2025 statement. However, it emphasizes that these agreements require creating criminal norms but not necessarily imposing penalties. According to ARGE CANNA, the ministry supports an „open, factual discussion“ on regulated distribution. The Justice Ministry noted that supervised consumption rooms are permissible under constitutional court precedent. Styria reportedly describes the initiative’s goals as „essentially aligned with“ Austria’s drug strategy.
The picture is divided. A single ministry categorically opposes any movement—and notably, not the competent one. This pattern isn’t new. Years ago, signals emerged that public sentiment was broader than government policy, such as when the Lower Austrian SPÖ youth called for legalization or polls suggested all of Austria favored decriminalization.
ARGE CANNA Counters With Federal Crime Bureau Data
On October 26, ARGE CANNA, Austria’s patient organization, filed its own statement supporting the initiative with parliament. It drew on the Federal Crime Bureau’s 2024 Drug Crime Situation Report—a publication from the Interior Ministry’s own agency. According to these figures, there were 37,310 charges under the Narcotic Drugs Act in 2024, a 5.3% increase from the previous year. Of these, 57.5% involved cannabis, and 92.4% of cannabis charges were misdemeanors, not felonies. Enforcement thus primarily targets consumers.
ARGE CANNA also inverts the youth protection argument. Of those charged in cannabis cases, 11.5% were between 14 and 17 years old. The average THC content of seized hashish rose from 8.3% in 2020 to 28.1% in 2024, according to the cited data. Those buying on the black market increasingly don’t know what they’re getting. ARGE CANNA points to Germany, where a major survey found no increase in consumption after the Cannabis Act, and to Czechia, which has allowed adults to grow up to three plants since January 2026. Austria thus remains, as we reported last summer, a prohibition island between Germany and Czechia.
Patients as a Starting Point
For ARGE CANNA as a patient organization, one issue stands out: cannabis flowers cannot be prescribed in Austria. Those inadequately served by the few approved medicines who self-supply face prosecution. None of the official statements even mentions this group, according to the organization. It therefore demands immediate action: no prosecution for possession and home cultivation for medical purposes with physician certification, plus flowers and extracts available by prescription with insurance coverage. Our overview of marijuana in Austria summarizes the current legal situation.
Beyond this, ARGE CANNA demands that the committee stop postponing the initiative and instead refer it to the Health Committee for a hearing with experts and affected persons. An independent expert commission should evaluate reforms in Germany, Czechia, Malta, and Luxembourg. On the European level, ARGE CANNA recently failed in its petition against the flower ban. The National Council route is therefore the logical lever. Whether the committee will operate it remains uncertain after two postponements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the „Vienna Appeal 2.0“?
The „Vienna Appeal 2.0“ is a parliamentary citizen initiative (number 26/BI) that arrived in the National Council on October 10, 2025. It calls for drug policy focused on harm reduction, youth protection, and decriminalization of users, including regulated distribution to replace the black market.
What does postponement by the petitions committee mean?
Postponement means the committee makes no decision and may revisit the initiative at a later session. It is neither a rejection nor a referral to a specialist committee. The „Vienna Appeal 2.0“ was postponed on June 25 and October 22, 2026.
Why does the Interior Ministry reject the initiative?
The Interior Ministry contends that abandoning prohibition is unsuitable for reducing the black market and youth endangerment. It warns of rising consumption, a persistent illegal market, and commercial profit incentives. It points to the existing „therapy instead of punishment“ principle in the Narcotic Drugs Act as an alternative.
Can doctors prescribe cannabis flowers in Austria?
No, cannabis flowers are not prescribable in Austria. Only specific cannabinoid-containing pharmaceuticals may be prescribed. Patient organizations like ARGE CANNA therefore demand that flowers and extracts be made available by prescription with insurance coverage.
Can I still support the „Vienna Appeal 2.0“?
Yes, the citizen initiative can still be supported on the Austrian parliament’s website, where you can also file your own statement. Both options remain available as long as the initiative is pending in committee.
Sollte Österreich den Cannabiskonsum endlich entkriminalisieren?
Sources: Austrian Parliament, Citizen Initiative 26/BI (XXVIII GP) with procedural status; Statement of the Federal Ministry of Interior 820/SBI from October 20, 2026; Health Ministry Statement 391/SBI from December 18, 2025; Statements 610/SBI (State of Styria) and 668/SBI (Justice Ministry); ARGE CANNA, „Regulate Instead of Prohibit: We Support Vienna Appeal 2.0“ (October 26, 2026) and Statement 825/SBI; Federal Crime Bureau, Drug Crime Situation Report 2024 (as cited by ARGE CANNA).
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