Germany to legalize cannabis use for recreational purposes

Germany announced on Wednesday (26 October) plans to legalize cannabis. This was a move that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government claimed would make Germany the first European country to legalize it.

Karl Lauterbach, Health Minister, presented the cornerstone paper for planned legislation that regulates controlled distribution and use of cannabis for recreational purposes.

It would be legal to possess 20-30 grams of recreational marijuana for personal use.

Last year, the coalition government reached an agreement to pass legislation to regulate cannabis distribution in licensed shops.

Lauterbach didn't give a time frame for the plan.

Many countries in the region have legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes. Germany is one of them. Some countries have made cannabis legal for limited medicinal purposes, but others have not yet decriminalized it.

According to the paper, self-cultivation of private plants would be allowed in a limited amount. The paper states that criminal proceedings relating to cases not longer illegal will be halted and ongoing investigations would be ended.

The government will also implement a special consumption tax and create cannabis-related education programs and prevention programmes.

A survey last year found that legalizing cannabis in Germany could result in annual tax revenues of approximately €4.7 billion and 27,000 new jobs.

Lauterbach stated that 4 million Germans consumed cannabis last year. 25% of them were aged 18-24. Lauterbach added that legalization would eliminate the black market for cannabis.

The minister said that Germany will submit the paper to the European Commission as a pre-assessment. After the Commission approves it, they will draft a law.

"If the EU Commission rejects Germany's current approach, then our government should look for alternative solutions. "We tried our best," Niklas Kouparanis, chief executive of Bloomwell Group, Germany's largest cannabis firm, said.

Kouparanis stated that Berlin should have a plan B in case the EU rejects legalization. He also said that cannabis imports should not be prohibited as domestic cultivation is unlikely to be able meet the demand in the near future.

This decision already sparked a variety of reactions in Europe's largest economy.

Germany's pharmacists association warned about the health risks associated with legalizing cannabis. It also stated that it would place pharmacies in medical conflict.

The North Rhine Pharmacists Association head Thomas Preis told the Rheinische Post that pharmacists are health care professionals and "a possible competition situation with purelycommercial providers is viewed especially critically."

All federal states have not welcomed the legalization plan. Bavaria's health minister warned, for example, that Germany shouldn't be a destination for drug tourism in Europe.

However, Germany's Greens claim that decades of prohibition have only increased the risks.

Kirsten Kappert - Gonther, a lawmaker, stated Wednesday that too restrictive conditions in the legal market promote the black market for cannabis particularly strong.

Chief executive of SynBiotic German Cannabis firm, Lars Mueller said that Wednesday's step was almost like winning the lottery for his company.

Mueller said: "When the time is right, we will have the ability to offer franchise-like models cannabis stores in addition our own stores."

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