Germany's plans to legalize cannabis have been delayed after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party announced on Tuesday that the law will not be passed this year as initially planned.
Plans to vote on the law in mid-December, as agreed this summer between coalition members, the SPD, the Greens and the liberal SPD, have now been put on hold. The SPD faction first wanted to clarify the budget issues. However, the suspension of the vote appears to be mainly the result of internal tensions, with several SPD MPs threatening to vote against legalization because they believe their concerns are not being taken into account.
“If there is now talk about the law on the legalization cannabis would be voted on, there would be a significant number of no votes from the SPD faction, including mine," SPD politician Sebastian Fiedler told Spiegel on Monday. The planned legislation is silent on organized crime and misses an important purpose. He also believes that facilities to protect minors are inadequate.
Cannabis plans
The news comes as a blow to the agenda of the German coalition government, consisting of the center-left SPD, the Greens and the liberal FDP. The original law would have allowed personal cultivation and possession of certain quantities for adults from April 1, 2024, while allowing Cannabis Social Clubs for collective cultivation from July 1.
Although the SPD has not said to what date it plans to postpone the vote, the Greens and FDP are confident that early January would be early enough to meet the original targets.
Source: Euroactiv.com (EN)
