Being in possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis and growing a maximum of three plants – this should be exempt from punishment in Germany in the future. Cannabis specialty stores aren’t coming yet.
In Germany, possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis and growing a maximum of three plants should be exempt from punishment in the future. Furthermore, the federal government in Berlin wants to allow the cultivation and sale of the drug in special associations. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir presented less comprehensive plans for the legalization project than originally planned in Berlin on Wednesday.
For now, the planned specialty cannabis stores where Rausch products can be freely sold will not exist. This will only be tested in a second step and only in some model regions – with scientific support. The government agreed to this after talks with the EU Commission, he said.
Fight against the black market
Lauterbach and Özdemir fundamentally defended the legalization plans and reinforced the government’s argument that the plan was intended to curb the black market and reduce crime. “Nobody should have to buy from dealers without knowing what they are buying,” Özdemir said. Lauterbach spoke of a controlled supply of cannabis to adults “within clear limits… flanked by preventive measures for young people”. The previous cannabis policy had failed.
The new pillars of the legalization project now presented are another intermediate step. The next thing to be presented in April is a first concrete bill to regulate property, self-cultivation and associations – the so-called social cannabis clubs. After a government vote and a cabinet decision, this would have to be approved by the German Bundestag and Bundesrat.
How countries around the world regulate cannabis use
In recent years, there has been a global trend towards the decriminalization of cannabis. An overview:
EUROPE
O Netherlands are practically a classic when it comes to cannabis: the possession, consumption and sale of up to five grams in “coffee shops” have been allowed since 1976. Large-scale cultivation and sale are prohibited and criminal gangs operate mainly in this area . The Netherlands was also the first EU country to allow the medical use of cannabis in 2003. Medical use of the drug is now allowed in around 30 countries around the world.
In Spain cultivation for personal use in private rooms is tolerated. Marketing and consumption in public are prohibited.
the neighboring country Portugal decriminalized drug use and possession in 2001. However, users can be fined, which they can avoid through addiction treatment.
Malta allowed the possession of up to seven grams of marijuana and the cultivation of up to four plants for citizens aged 18 and over at the end of 2021. From seven grams and up to 28 grams, the consumer risks a fine of 100 euros. Consumption in public and in front of minors remains prohibited.
LATIN AMERICA
First country in the world to legalize Uruguay 2013 the cultivation, distribution and consumption of cannabis. The drugs are available to users in three ways: growing them at home for their own consumption, joining a cannabis club, or purchasing them from a pharmacy.
In Mexico In June 2021, the Supreme Court decriminalized the recreational use of marijuana. Then, in May 2022, the country relaxed the ownership criteria.
NORTH AMERICA
At the USA Federal law prohibits the cultivation, sale and use of cannabis. However, recreational use has been legalized in 19 US states. Last fall, US President Joe Biden pardoned those convicted at the federal level of simple marijuana possession.
Canada became the second country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis in October 2018. The legislation limits personal possessions to 30 grams and four plants per household. It is up to the provinces to organize sales in authorized state or private stores.
AFRICA
In South Africa In 2018, the highest court declared unconstitutional a law banning the use and cultivation of marijuana at home. However, the decision does not decriminalize the public use of the drug, nor its commercialization.