25 German towns want to sell «adult-use» cannabis in pharmacies as part of a nationwide experiment

Wiesbaden, the capital of the German state of Hesse, has officially applied to take part in an experiment to sell cannabis in pharmacies.

The aim of the experiment is to study the‘he impact of a regulated cannabis market on reducing illicit trade and improving health protection. The city councillor responsible for health, Milena Löbcke (Linke), signed the declaration of intent to take part in this initiative at the beginning of the month, the city said in a statement. press release.

«(...) With pharmacy sales, we will ensure that high pharmaceutical standards also apply to cannabis distribution (...)»

In the press release, Löbcke stresses the importance of this measure for a realistic drug policy:

«Establishing a second pillar next to home culture and cultural associations is essential to marginalize the black market and achieve the objectives of effectively protecting children, young people and public health. As far as pharmacy sales are concerned, we will ensure that high pharmaceutical standards also apply to the dispensing of cannabis. Today, many pharmacies already have a wealth of experience in this area. for the distribution of medical cannabis. The participation of the city of Wiesbaden in the experiment also ensures that our municipal interests and close cooperation with the prevention work of drug treatment institutions are preserved. This goes hand in hand with one of Germany's most renowned research institutes and an association with a wealth of expertise gained from Swiss experiments. These are excellent conditions for a successful experiment in our city.

In this context, the town will be cooperating with the association « Cannabis Forschung Deutschland« which will soon be Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft - the ministry of agriculture - the demand for nationwide experience, supported by the Hamburg Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research.

Wiesbaden pharmacies show interest

As part of this experiment, involving up to 25 cities across Germany, the city of Wiesbaden will be looking specifically at adult-use cannabis sales in pharmacies. The experiment, due to start next year, has already attracted the interest of several of the city's major pharmacies.

The Wiesbaden Health Department has announced the creation of a «Cannabis Coordination Foundation» to manage the project.

However, cannabis buyers will have to meet strict conditions. According to Thomas Völker, health advisor in Wiesbaden, only registered Wiesbaden residents will be able to buy cannabis from dispensaries.

What's more, buyers must be over 18 and registered with an authorized body before they can make a purchase. This means that visitors from neighboring regions, such as Rheingau-Taunus, will not be able to access the Wiesbaden sales outlets.

Although the consumption, home cultivation and possession of cannabis are legal in certain quantities in Germany since April, However, their practical implementation is often more complicated than originally thought.

This applies not only to the retail sale of cannabis, which is currently out of the question, but also for already-approved cultural associations.

Before they can start growing cannabis, these associations must meet a number of requirements and obtain the necessary licenses and authorizations, This considerably delays the start of the first harvest. So far, only eight crop associations have been approved, all in Lower Saxony.