The law aimed at the so-called controlled legalization of the recreational cultivation and consumption of cannabis for personal use came into force in Germany on Monday.
In March, the upper house of the German parliament, the Bundesrat, voted in favor of the bill passed last year by the three-party government coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz – strongly disputed in the circles of the right-wing opposition – which allows adults and so-called cannabis clubs to grow and possess limited amounts of the drug.
According to the bill previously approved by the Bundestag – the lower house of the legislature – from April 1, people over the age of 18 can possess a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis, and only for personal consumption. A maximum of three hemp seeds can be grown in each apartment, also exclusively for personal consumption, and in a maximum quantity of 50 grams.
Another legal form of cultivation, allowed from July 1st, will be cooperatives of up to five hundred people. However, so-called cannabis clubs operating on a non-commercial basis can only supply their members with their product, in a total amount of 50 grams per person per month.
The use of cannabis is still prohibited in public areas, schools and sports facilities, as well as within a 100-meter radius of them.
According to the members of the government arguing in favor of legalization, the new law is a historical milestone, it reflects social reality, and its approach can remedy the problems associated with the cultivation, sale and consumption of cannabis. In recent years, despite the ban, consumption has been steadily increasing, and not only among minors and young adults, but unknown and dangerous products have spread on the black market.
On the other hand, the politicians of the opposition, including the Christian Democrats and the AfD, which is to the right of the conservatives, called the draft of the government coalition an “economic stimulus package” or “gift” of organized crime, “a law that makes enforcement impossible”. The conservative union parties, the CDU/CSU, have declared that they will annul the law if they come to power.
With the new law taking effect, Germany is the ninth country in the world to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. According to estimates, around 4.5 million people in the country use the drug.
(MTI)
