Germany has come out with a plan to legalize cannabis, its use is only permissible for recreation purposes, among adults. The step taken by the coalition government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz would make Germany one of the first to legalize weed.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a paper on the legislation, under consideration, to modulate the controlled distribution and consumption of cannabis.
Under the legislation, acquiring and possessing it up to 30 grams (1oz) is allowed. Also, only licensed shops and pharmacies would sell it. The plan, though received a green signal by the European Commission, is yet to get approval in parliament. The health minister said that the plan could come into force in 2024.
The legislation regarding cannabis also has a provision allowing the home cultivation of three cannabis plants per adult. Investigations and criminal cases related to cases that are no longer illegal would be dropped.
Cannabis on different legal stages globally
Germany is not the only one to legalize weed, Malta, one of the European Union members, has already legalized it. Whereas the Netherlands has restrictively legalized cannabis, that is, a short quantity in “coffee shops” is allowed.
The government agreed last year on introducing legislation that allows its controlled distribution in licensed shops. However, Health Minister Lauterbach did not mention when that would happen but this would make Germany only second after Malta to legalize cannabis. In various countries in the EU, weed is legalized only for medicinal purposes. In Germany, its medicinal use has been legalized since 2017. Other countries have however legitimized its general use, they have not made it legal for other purposes.
Canada and Uruguay have also legalized recreational cannabis. Medicinal weed is legalized in 37 states and Washington DC in the United States. Only 19 states of the US have approved it for recreational use.
Finding the potential
While introducing the plan, Lauterbach said, “decriminalization would help protect the health of young people, because the cannabis ban had had “no evident success” in recent years.” He observed that consumption of cannabis has increased along with drug addiction among adults. He emphasized, “We want to regulate the market very firmly.”
He declared that the government would research the possibility of limiting the maximum potency of cannabis products marketed to adults under the age of 21. That would include keeping an eye on the amount of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the drug’s primary psychoactive component.
The government’s plan also includes a special consumption tax and starting education on cannabis while also working on its prevention. If Germany legalizes cannabis, it could bring it annual tax revenues and cost savings of about 4.7 billion euros ($4.7 billion) and bring 27,000 new jobs in the economy, according to a survey done last year.
