How we will legalise cannabis – German minister

Emmanuel Thomas, with DPA I Wednesday, April 12, 2023

BERLIN – In Germany, the possession of a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis and the cultivation of a maximum of three plants at home are to be exempt from punishment in future, two ministers said on Wednesday. 

The German government is also planning to allow the cultivation and distribution of the drug in special associations, under the plans presented by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir.

These moves come after the coalition government revised its initial plans to legalize cannabis.

Originally, the German government planned to allow the sale of cannabis for adults in specialist shops but for now, this has been ruled out.

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Instead, such sales are to be trialled in a second stage of the legalization process, in model regions, backed by scientists, following government talks with the European Commission.

Now, under the revised legalization plans, the next step will be a draft law on the regulation of possession, cultivation and what are known as cannabis social clubs, later this month.

Then, after a government vote and a cabinet decision, the bill would need to be passed by the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.

In the original coalition agreement, the governing parties said they would introduce the “controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for consumption purposes in licensed shops.”

Lauterbach had already presented proposals for this in autumn but there were concerns from the outset that the plans could run be incompatible with international and EU law.