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One of the most permissive cannabis regulations in Europe was approved by Germany’s cabinet on Wednesday, legalizing recreational marijuana use and cultivation. This move may help to accelerate a similar global trend.
The proposal, which still requires legislative approval, would permit adults to possess up to 25 grams (0.88 oz) of the drug, grow up to three plants, and buy marijuana if they were members of non-profit cannabis clubs.
The law is intended to safeguard customers from tainted marijuana, stop the illegal market, and lessen drug-related crime, according to the center-left government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach of Scholz’s Social Democrats said a campaign to increase awareness of the hazards, which should ultimately restrict consumption, is a crucial component of the effort to end the taboo surrounding cannabis use (SPD).
According to the health ministry, the proportion of adults in Germany between the ages of 18 and 25 who used cannabis at least once nearly doubled to 25% in 2021 from the preceding ten years.
It is believed that young people are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis on their health. The monthly cannabis purchase restriction for young adults under the new laws is 30 grams as opposed to 50 grams for older adults.
Particularly conservative elected politicians have been outspoken in their opposition to the law, arguing that it will encourage marijuana use and increase the workload of law enforcement.
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Germany Takes Cautious Approach to Cannabis Legalization
Attempts by governments to legalize marijuana for recreational use have increased usage and aggravated cannabis-related health problems, according to a U.N. drug watchdog report from March.
Yet, Lauterbach claimed that Germany had learnt from the mistakes of other nations.
After consulting with Brussels, Scholz’s administration already softened initial proposals to permit the mass selling of cannabis in authorized stores.
Instead, it announced that it would start a pilot program for a small number of authorized stores in some locations to examine the outcomes of a commercial cannabis supply chain over a five-year period. It will need to produce specific laws for such in a later stage.
Similar schemes are being developed or already exist in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Since 2017, numerous European nations, including Germany, have legalized cannabis for specific medical purposes. Others have made its widespread use legal.
Malta became the first country in Europe to legalize cannabis cultivation on a small scale and personal possession in the latter half of 2021. Germany would be the first nation to do this in Europe.
The laws released on Wednesday require greenhouses to be enclosed and burglar-proof windows and doors for cannabis clubs with up to 500 companions. Marijuana smoking is prohibited inside clubs, as well as near playgrounds, schools, nurseries, and sporting fields.
The hemp organization in Germany claimed that the regulations were “unrealistic” and that the only effective way to combat the criminal market was to allow cannabis sales in retail establishments.
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Source: Reuters
