From 1 April, it will be legal to smoke cannabis in many public places in Germany, reports several media, including the BBC and the AP news agency. Under the new law, people over the age of 18 in Germany will be allowed to possess significant amounts of cannabis, but strict rules will make it difficult to buy the drug. Possession of up to 25 grams will be permitted in public places. In private homes, the legal limit will be 50 grams. Will prevent the black market The use of the drug among young people has been on the rise for years despite the current law, says Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who is initiating the reforms. Already, police in some parts of Germany, such as Berlin, often ignore cannabis smoking in public, even though possession of the drug for recreational use is illegal and can be prosecuted. The health minister wants to curb the black market, protect smokers from contaminated cannabis and cut income streams for organized crime gangs. But legal cannabis cafes will not suddenly appear all over the country. Employees process cannabis plants at Demecan, the first German company to supply medical cannabis to the German Cannabis Agency in Ebersbach. Photo: Reuters Instead, non-commercial membership clubs, called “cannabis clubs”, will grow and distribute a limited amount of the drug. Each club will have an upper limit of 500 members. The use of cannabis on site will not be permitted and membership will only be available to German citizens. It will also be allowed to grow your own cannabis, with up to three marijuana plants allowed per household. Smoking cannabis in some areas, such as near schools and sports facilities, will still be illegal. Most importantly, the market will be strictly regulated, so that buying the drug will not be easy. Fear it will increase drug use A heated debate over the decriminalization of cannabis has raged for years in Germany, with medical groups expressing concern about young people and conservatives saying liberalization will increase drug use. Simone Borchardt of the opposition conservative CDU party told the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, that the government had pushed ahead with its “completely unnecessary, confused law” despite warnings from doctors, police and psychotherapists. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach making his statement during a press conference on the German government’s planned liberalization of cannabis policy in Berlin in 2023. Photo: AP But the health minister said the current situation was no longer sustainable. – The number of consumers aged 18 to 25 has doubled in the last 10 years, says Lauterbach. Initial plans to allow licensed shops and pharmacies to sell cannabis have been scrapped due to EU concerns that this could lead to an increase in drug exports. This means that Germany could be in the paradoxical position of allowing the possession of quite large quantities of the drug, while making it difficult to buy it. Over the next few years, the government wants to assess the impact of the new law, and gradually introduce licensed sales of cannabis. Cannabis legalization in Europe Several European countries have taken steps towards legalizing or decriminalizing cannabis in recent years, but legislation and approaches vary considerably from country to country. Some countries have fully legalized recreational use, while others have implemented laws allowing medical use or decriminalization. In 2022, three new types of medical cannabis became available in Norway. A woman smokes a marijuana cigarette during a legalization party at Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2018. Both Canada and the United States have legalized cannabis. Photo: AFP The Netherlands is perhaps the best-known example of a country that takes a liberal approach to cannabis. Portugal is another country that has taken a progressive approach to drug legislation. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the use and possession of all narcotic drugs, including cannabis, for personal use. Other European countries, such as Spain and Switzerland, have also passed laws allowing the use and cultivation of cannabis in certain forms.
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Germany legalizes cannabis – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
