Germany’s lower house of parliament has passed a landmark bill legalizing cannabis for limited recreational use. The new regulations permit adults to possess small amounts of the drug for personal use while maintaining strict prohibition for individuals under the age of 18.
Under the newly approved legislation, adults will be permitted to cultivate up to three cannabis plants for personal use and possess up to 50 grams at home and 25 grams in public, effective April 1st. Additionally, from July 1st, cannabis will be made available in licensed not-for-profit clubs with a membership cap of 500 adults.
The decision, backed by 407 lawmakers, marks a significant shift in Germany’s drug policy landscape. With 226 votes against and four abstentions, the passage of the bill follows a contentious national dialogue regarding the implications of increased access to cannabis.
“That’s the way that works. Away from punishment. Away from taboo. We have to face up to the problems,” said German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach before the law was adopted on Friday afternoon.
Germany now joins Malta and Luxembourg as the third European country to legalize recreational cannabis, signaling a departure from its previous stance of categorizing cannabis as a banned substance.
While the possession of drugs remains prohibited in the Netherlands, certain municipalities have adopted a policy of toleration, allowing cannabis to be sold in designated coffee shops.
In countries such as Australia and the United States, regulations surrounding cannabis vary across different regions.
This new bill is expected to significantly benefit the country’s medical marijuana industry. According to Niklas Kouparanis, CEO of Bloomwell Group, a German medical cannabis company, the legislation will streamline the process for individuals seeking cannabis prescriptions. Patients will no longer require a chronic illness diagnosis to obtain a prescription, and doctors will be able to issue normal prescriptions instead of narcotic ones.
However, the legislation has faced criticism, particularly within Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left SPD party. Some MPs have voiced concerns that the current version of the bill only legalizes possession without implementing controlled distribution through licensed stores. They argue that this approach fails to effectively combat organized crime or alleviate the burden on law enforcement, which legalization was intended to address.
In response, Lauterbach said that the present situation was no longer tenable, adding “The number of consumers aged between 18 and 25 has doubled in the past 10 years.” He also said that law would “dry out the black market” and fix “a failed drug policy”.
However, major concern among SPD lawmakers remained the lack of adequate safeguards for children, worrying that the absence of prohibition zones near playgrounds and schools would be challenging to enforce.
Another concern is that despite being legalised, buying marijuana will be difficult as the plans for licensed shops and pharmacies to sell cannabis have been abandoned due to EU concerns about potential drug exports. Instead, “cannabis social clubs” will be established to grow and distribute a limited amount of the drug. These clubs will have a membership cap of 500 individuals, consumption on-site will be prohibited, and membership will be restricted to German residents only.
This would make it difficult for occasional users to purchase it legally while regular smokers may be benefited and tourists would be excluded. Critics fear that would simply fuel the black market.
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