Small town in Estonia puts cannabis leaf on its flag

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The southern Estonian municipality of Kanepi has a cannabis leaf on its new flag — because that’s what its name means in Estonian.

Andrus Seeme, mayor for Kanepi’s 2,500 souls, says a referendum was held in late 2017 and 80 percent picked the winning design — a silver cannabis leaf on a green shield — out of seven designs.

Seeme said Wednesday the city council adopted it a day earlier.

Kanepi chose a new flag after three municipalities merged into one following last year’s administrative reform.

Seeme said the leaf has been used as a heraldic symbol by local groups for decades and the new flag has met little opposition in Estonia, where cannabis is illegal.