The German government is making efforts to legalize the usage of cannabis.
The German cabinet on Wednesday approved a controversial bill to legalize the recreational use and cultivation of marijuana. One of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe that could give further impetus to a similar global trend.
The legislation, which has yet to pass parliament, will allow adults to possess up to 25 grams (0.88 oz) of the drug, grow up to three plants or buy weed as members of non-profit cannabis clubs. The center-left government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes the law will curb the black market, protect consumers from contaminated marijuana, and reduce drug-related crime.
Cannabis awareness.
An important pillar of the plan, which breaks the taboo around cannabis use, is also an awareness campaign about the risks, which should ultimately curb consumption, said Health Minister Karl Lauterbach of Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD).
“With the current procedures we could not seriously protect children and young people, the subject has become taboo,” Lauterbach told a press conference in Berlin to present the law. “We have a growing and problematic consumption, we could not let this continue. So this is an important turning point in our drug policy.”
According to the Ministry of Health, the number of adults in Germany aged 18-25 who have used cannabis at least once will nearly double by 2021 from the previous decade to 25%. Young adults are considered vulnerable to the health risks of cannabis. New legislation limits the amount of cannabis for this group to 30 grams per month. Above a certain age, 50 grams per month is allowed.
Against the law
Opposition to the legislation is fierce, with most conservative politicians warning that marijuana use will be encouraged and that the new legislation will create even more work for authorities. “This law will lead to a total loss of control,” Armin Schuster, conservative interior minister for the state of Saxony, told the RND media group.
A UN narcotics watchdog said in March that government moves to legalize recreational marijuana use have led to increased consumption and cannabis-related health problems. However, Lauterbach points out that Germany has learned from the mistakes of other countries. The Scholz government, after consultation with Brussels, has already watered down initial plans to allow the widespread sale of cannabis in licensed stores. Instead, a pilot project is being launched for a small number of licensed stores to test the effects of a commercial supply chain for recreational cannabis for five years. Separate legislation for this will need to be introduced in a second phase. Similar projects already exist or are planned in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Legalization in Europe
Many countries in Europe have already legalized cannabis for limited medicinal purposes, including Germany since 2017. Others have decriminalized its general use. At the end of 2021, Malta became the first European country to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use. Germany is the first major European country to do so.
The legislation introduced Wednesday contains strict rules for marijuana cultivation: cannabis clubs with up to 500 members must have burglar-resistant doors and windows, and greenhouses must be fenced. Employees cannot smoke marijuana in the clubs or near schools, day care centers, playgrounds, or sports fields.
The German Hemp Association said the rules were “unrealistic,” and that the black market could only really be combated by introducing the sale of cannabis in stores. The parliamentary spokeswoman for drug policy of the junior coalition partner, the Free Democrats, Kristine Luetke, accused Lauterbach of pursuing a “prohibition policy” and creating a “bureaucratic monster.”
Source: Reuters.com (EN)
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