Last spring, hundreds of people gathered under Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate to celebrate the legalization of recreational cannabis in Germany. The law is intended to combat a growing illegal market in Europe, though some fear it will encourage use among young people.
Germany is the third EU country to cannabis legalizes, which has sparked a debate across Europe.
Most commonly used drug in Europe
Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in Europe, with almost a third of adults having tried it at least once. While possession and consumption are illegal in most countries, nine countries tolerate certain practices, and cannabis is legal under certain conditions in Luxembourg, Malta and Germany.
Impact on the therapeutic market
The new German legalization also opens up prospects for the medical cannabis market. As Demecan, one of the largest producers of medical cannabis in Europe, explains:
“Until April, we were only allowed to grow two types of plants, chosen by the government, which we had to deliver directly to them. Now we are allowed to produce new varieties that we no longer have to sell to the state, but can deliver directly to pharmacies and patients,” explains Adrian Fischer, co-founder of Demecan.
"The market has become much more accessible. Previously, prescribing medical marijuana in Germany was very difficult. That is no longer the case. We have seen a market growth of almost 50% from one quarter to the next in Germany."
A bizarre advance for cannabis social clubs, non-profit associations that are the only ones allowed to distribute recreational cannabis. “Users have to grow it themselves or become members of these clubs, which are highly regulated and not allowed to make a profit,” explains Adrian Fischer.
A project to create specialized and controlled stores, planned in an earlier version of the new law, was not implemented due to European regulations prohibiting drug trafficking.
European regulations According to Adrian Fischer, the legislation deserves clarification and he advocates common European rules for both the medical cannabis market and the recreational cannabis market.
German cannabis law repealed?
Brendan Hughes, a lawyer at EUDA, the European Drug Agency, discusses the conflicting aims of legalisation: combating the illicit market while avoiding the normalisation of consumption.
The economic benefits of regulated legalization of recreational cannabis, in the form of tax revenue, are also part of the ongoing debate, Brendan Hughes notes. But the emphasis is more on controlling the quality of the product, the scientist points out.
“Security is something that Europe puts much more emphasis on than the idea of making money.” The debate is ongoing in several countries of the European Union.
The experiment in Germany could be short-lived, however. The conservative parties, who are favourites in the February elections, have indicated that they will withdraw the law on the regulated use of recreational cannabis.
Source: I Euronews.co
