Germany has announced plans to legalise cannabis for recreational use as well as the decriminalisation of its sale and production. The plans – agreed on Wednesday (October 26) by the German cabinet – would allow the acquiring and possession of up to 20 to 30 grams of the drug.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said adults will also be allowed to buy cannabis from licenced premises, adding the market would be tightly regulated for adults using cannabis recreationally. If implemented, Germany would become the second country in the European Union to legalise cannabis after Malta.
Lauterbach – of the ruling Social Democrats (SPD) – said Germany’s drug policy must be renewed because the current policies were not successful in limiting consumption. He said a survey estimated around 4m adults in the country currently use cannabis.
Lauterbach said the hope is that legalisation would put an end to the drug’s trade on the black market but he did not set out a timeline for the plan. According to the plans, private self-cultivation would also be permitted to a limited extent.
In addition, ongoing investigations and criminal proceedings of cannabis-related cases would be terminated if the alleged crimes were no longer illegal. Consumers would be able to buy cannabis in specialist shops – known as dispensaries in the US and coffeeshops in The Netherlands – but advertising for cannabis products would be prohibited.
The government also plans to introduce a consumption tax, the development of cannabis-related education and prevention work. Lauterbach hopes the new laws would implement better health policies and increased protection for minors.
Before it can be taken forward, the European Commission must ensure the plan is viable under European and international law. Last month, Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner said cannabis could potentially be legalised as soon as 2023, but federal Drug and Addiction Commissioner Burkhard Blienert said it was questionable if the law could be implemented before 2024.
The governing coalition is expected to present a draft law at the end of this year or in early 2023 and a specific bill will then be redrafted if the EU has no legal objections.
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