Germany unveils revised cannabis legalization plan

On Wednesday, Germany unveiled its revised plan for the nationwide legalization of cannabis.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Twitter on Tuesday that «tomorrow there will be new cornerstones» for the cannabis reform legislation the government has been preparing.

So wird es sein! Mit @cem_oezdemir gibt es morgen neue Eckpunkte, die Legalisierung von Cannabis: sie kommt doch. https://t.co/zxjPPniW5P

- Prof. Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) April 11, 2023

Mr. Lauterbach and the Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, discussed the legalization of cannabis at a press conference on Wednesday April 12.

«Cannabis legalization is imminent,» said Lauterbach.

Lightweight legalization based on 2 pillars

«Previous cannabis policy has failed,» Lauterbach said at the press conference. «We must now take new paths.»

The new plan aims above all to enable «the controlled dispensing of cannabis to adults within clear limits», he said, adding that «we want to fight the black market [and] we want to reduce drug-related crime».

Pillar 1: Private and community non-profit personal cultivation

- Creation of non-profit Cannabis Clubs which will be able to grow cannabis for recreational purposes and distribute it to their members for their own consumption within «defined legal frameworks». Consumption will not be authorized in Clubs
- Adults are allowed to carry up to 25 g in public
- Self-cultivation of up to 3 plants per person
- Participation in early intervention and prevention programs for minors
- Previous convictions for offences that are no longer illegal will be quashed
- Specifications to be assessed after 4 years

Period 2: Scientific experimentation

- The «next step on the road to nationwide regulation» will be an experimental regional model with commercial supply chains, along the lines of the Swiss pilot trials.
- The duration of the project will be 5 years from the implementation of the supply chain.
- The products will be available to adult residents of certain districts in several federal states
- The results will be scientifically monitored and evaluated, and made available to the European Commission.

Mr. Lauterbach confirmed, after a question from the audience, that he would seek full legalization, but that this could only be achieved after the experimental legalization phase had taken place.

Two steps forward, one step back

The legislation was originally intended to to be published in the second half of 2022, but this deadline was extended «for scheduling reasons», as officials were reportedly working on revising it to avoid a potential conflict with international laws.

According to some reports, the bill was to reduce to the business model that the government had previously published, with rumours indicating that officials ultimately wanted to take a more hands-off approach. light of the reform.

However, RND reported last week that the government would pursue half-legalization, with new information on the specifics of the proposal.