The German government approved a plan on Wednesday to liberalize rules on cannabis, the most populous EU member to take that step and setting the stage for Germany to become the first major European country to permit recreational weed sales. The cabinet-level decision, which still needs approval by parliament, would decriminalize possession of limited amounts and allow members of nonprofit “cannabis clubs” to buy the drug for recreational use. It is a scaled-back version of a plan the government presented last month that sought to make marijuana available in shops and pharmacies nationwide. The move represents a significant milestone for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s socially liberal coalition government, though it falls short of its original ambitions.
The plan calls for marijuana to be sold through private, licensed outlets and regulated in a way similar to alcohol. It is expected to be launched in regional pilot projects next year. Adults would be allowed to purchase and possess up to 25 grams of cannabis, or nearly an ounce, on any given day and to grow up to three plants themselves. The legislation also aims to establish contracts between wholesalers and pharmacists that will provide discounts for cannabis products. Health insurance companies would reimburse patients for medicinal cannabis therapy.
But the plan isn’t popular with conservative policymakers, who say it will encourage marijuana use and create a new burden for authorities who must enforce the law. A group representing German judges says the plans could increase demand for black market marijuana, which has already exploded in popularity in recent years.
Ahead of the planned implementation of the Buy weed online in Germany reforms, officials will begin a process of decriminalizing small quantities of the drug that can be consumed without penalty, such as CBD oil derived from hemp, which is available over the counter and is known to alleviate pain and anxiety. The government will then decide on the size of its first recreational weed market, how many plants it will allow consumers to grow, and what pricing levels it will offer. It will also set out the minimum legal age for purchasing and smoking weed.
Martin Chodorowski, account manager at Berlin-based Cannabidiol (CBD) retailer Tom Hemp’s, welcomes the government’s moves to create a more stable regulatory framework for his company and its suppliers. “The German government right now is by far the most open about this topic,” he says. “They will set a standard of quality and set up a clear legal framework.” Other liberalizing moves include lifting a 40-year-old ban on doctors advertising abortion services and scrapping laws that require transsexual people to undergo a lengthy, intimate process of psychological assessment and court approval before officially changing their genders. The government is slated to release details of those proposals in the coming days.
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