Germany plans to legalize recreational cannabis by 2024

by Team Inc.

joint smoking

German coalition government has agreed on a plan to curb recreational cannabis use among adults legalize. Possession of up to 30g (1oz) for personal use is allowed. Licensed stores and pharmacies are allowed to sell it.

The plan has yet to be approved by parliament and given the green light by the European Commission. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said the plan could become law in 2024. In the EU, only Malta has legalized recreational cannabis. The Netherlands has not gone as far as the German plan – under Dutch law, the sale of small amounts of marijuana in coffee shops is still tolerated. The German plan would also allow the home cultivation of three cannabis plants per adult.

Several countries have legalized the limited use of medicinal cannabis. Canada and Uruguay have also legalized recreational cannabis. In the US, 37 states and Washington DC have legalized medical cannabis, while 19 states have approved it for recreational use. That represents over 40% of the US population.

German legalization rules

Presenting the plan, Mr Lauterbach said decriminalization would help protect the health of young people. Certainly because the ban had not had any clear success in recent years. He noted that consumption had risen, as had drug addiction among adults. “We want to regulate the market very firmly,” he emphasized.

He said the government is considering a possible limit on the maximum strength of products sold to adults under the age of 21. That would mean checking THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) levels. Lauterbach said his government presented its plan to the European Commission to check its compliance with EU treaties.

Those — and the Schengen Agreement that allows free travel between 26 countries — contain rules that even require users of medicinal marijuana to obtain a certificate before traveling to another country. Some scientific studies have linked potent strains with an increased risk of psychosis, especially among younger people. The health effects are still much debated.

According to the German plan, advertising or shipping the drug would remain prohibited. The government also plans to step up information campaigns on cannabis use and its risks, especially targeting young people. In addition to sales tax (VAT), the price of regulated cannabis sold would also include a government cannabis tax.
The conservative government in Bavaria condemned the plan. Klaus Holetschek of the Christian Social Union (CSU) said it is “sending a dangerous signal. Not just to Germany, but to all of Europe.” He warned that legalization could boost European “drug tourism” in Germany.

Cannabis in Europe

Netherlands: Authorities have tolerated use in coffee shops since 1976, but the drug remains illegal in wider society. Adults can buy up to 5 grams per day in coffee shops and smoke joints there. Commercial cultivation or marketing of cannabis is illegal.

Switzerland: The state has decriminalized the possession of small amounts (less than 1% THC) for personal use. Medical cannabis is legal and can be prescribed by doctors.

Italy: Possession of 1,5g or less for personal use is tolerated and medical marijuana is legal, but recreational cannabis remains illegal.

France: all cannabis use is illegal; the first medical cannabis trials started last year.

Portugal: In 2001, the state decriminalized low-level personal use of all illegal drugs; cannabis trade remains illegal, but medicinal cannabis is legal.

Source: BBC.com (EN)

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