Germany legalizes cannabis, but purchasing becomes difficult

Germany’s parliament has backed a new law allowing recreational use of cannabis.

Under the law, anyone over the age of 18 in Germany will be allowed to possess large quantities of cannabis, but strict rules will make it difficult to purchase.

Smoking cannabis in many public places will be legal from April 1st.

In public places, people are allowed to carry up to 25 grams, which is equivalent to dozens of powerful joints. The legal limit for private households is 50g.

Police in some parts of Germany, such as Berlin, already often turn a blind eye to smoking in public, but possession of the drug for recreational purposes is illegal and can lead to prosecution. There is. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who is pushing for the reform, said use of the drug among young people has skyrocketed in recent years despite current laws.

He wants to weaken the black market, protect smokers from tainted cannabis, and reduce revenue streams for organized crime syndicates.

But legal cannabis cafes aren’t suddenly popping up all over the country.

Germany has been in a heated debate for years over the decriminalization of cannabis, with doctors’ groups expressing concern for young people and conservatives saying liberalization would encourage drug use.

After a heated debate in Germany’s Bundestag on Friday, the vote ultimately passed by a margin of 407 to 226.

Simone Borchardt, from the opposition conservative CDU, told parliament that the government had pushed through a “totally unnecessary and confusing law” despite warnings from doctors, police and psychotherapists.

But Lauterbach said the current situation is no longer sustainable: “The number of consumers between the ages of 18 and 25 has doubled in the past 10 years.”

After the vote, he said the law would “deplete the black market” and fix “failed drug policies.”

As is often the case in Germany, the laws approved by parliamentarians are complex.

Smoking cannabis will remain illegal in some areas, such as near schools and playgrounds. The important thing is that the market is highly regulated, so buying drugs is not easy.

Initial plans to allow licensed stores and pharmacies to sell cannabis were scrapped due to EU concerns that it could lead to a surge in drug exports.

Instead, non-profit membership clubs called “cannabis social clubs” will grow to distribute limited quantities of the drug.

Each club will have a cap of 500 members, the consumption of cannabis will be prohibited on the premises, and membership will only be open to German residents.

You will also be allowed to grow your own cannabis, with a maximum of three marijuana plants allowed per household.

This means that Germany could be in the contradictory position of allowing large quantities of the drug to be possessed, while at the same time making it difficult to purchase.

Regular smokers would benefit, but occasional users would struggle to buy legally, and tourists would be excluded. Critics say this will only fuel the black market.

The government hopes to assess the impact of the new law over the next few years and eventually introduce licensed cannabis sales.

But given how tortuous the debate has been so far, nothing is certain.

On the other hand, opposition parties and conservatives are claiming that the law will be completely repealed if they come to power next year. Germany is unlikely to become Europe’s new Amsterdam any time soon.