Germany legalizes cannabis for personal use

The German parliament voted in favor of legalizing cannabis for personal use in a historic vote in the Bundestag today.

https://twitter.com/BofC_Europe/status/1761039910750884104

Under the new legislation, effective April 1, 2024, cannabis will be removed from the official list of illegal substances. Adults will be allowed to possess a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis in public and 50 grams at home, as well as growing three plants for personal use.

The legalization of cannabis was election promise made by the coalition government made up of three parties: the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens. The so-called traffic-light coalition has pledged to take cannabis out of the hands of criminal gangs and introduce legislation to protect young people after winning the 2021 general election.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has previously stated that cannabis legalization is essential to protect public health, citing contaminants in cannabis supplied by criminals as a risk to consumers.

«Child and youth protection is at the heart of this law's objective,» said Lauterbach before the vote.

«With this law, we will achieve a significant reduction in the black market, better protection for children and young people and a safer product for older consumers.»

Under the new law, Under 18s will be prohibited from consuming cannabis. Once the Cannabis Social Clubs have been set up, from July this year, 18-21 year-olds will only be able to purchase 30 grams of cannabis per month, with a maximum THC content of 10 %.

The law will also authorize the creation of Cannabis Social Clubs from July 1, 2024. Clubs will be required to obtain a business license, will not be allowed to operate for profit, and will be authorized to have a maximum of 500 members. These clubs will be authorized to produce cannabis on behalf of their members, while limiting the amount of cannabis each member can receive per month.

Both opposition parties and the coalition have voiced opposition, expressing concern about the harmful effects of smoking in the presence of children. The new law will prohibit cannabis consumption within 100 meters of schools, parks and sports facilities.

This change is no match for the initial coalition projects aimed at opening up a fully regulated commercial cannabis market in Germany, which would include retail dispensaries, as is the case in countries such as Canada and some US states.

These plans, often referred to as the second pillar of legalization, would not comply with European regulations. Mr. Lauterbach said he was continuing discussions with the Eureopean Union on how Germany could move to this second stage through a pilot program, similar to those already underway in Switzerland and in the Netherlands.