BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany on Wednesday launched plans to legalize cannabis in a move pledged by the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has released a basic document on planned legislation to regulate the distribution and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes by adults.
It will also legalize the acquisition and possession of up to 20-30 grams of recreational cannabis for personal consumption.
The coalition government last year agreed to introduce legislation during its four-year term to allow the controlled distribution of cannabis in licensed stores.
Lauterbach gave no timeline for plans to make Germany the second country in the European Union to legalize cannabis after Malta.
Many European countries, including Germany, have already legalized cannabis for limited medical purposes.The use of cannabis for medical purposes was legalized in Germany in 2017. Some countries have decriminalized the general use of cannabis without legalizing it.
Personal self-discipline is permitted to a limited extent, according to the thesis. Ongoing investigations and criminal proceedings related to cases that are no longer illegal are terminated.
The government also plans to introduce a special consumption tax and develop cannabis-related education and prevention activities.
According to last year’s study, legalizing cannabis could bring in annual tax revenue and about €4.7 billion ($4.7 billion) in cost savings for Germany and create 27,000 new jobs.
Lauterbach said about 4 million people in Germany consumed cannabis last year, 25% of whom were between the ages of 18 and 24, adding that legalization would put pressure on the cannabis black market.
Germany will submit the paper to the European Commission for preliminary evaluation and will only draft legislation if the European Commission approves it, he added.
The decision has already sparked mixed reactions across Europe’s largest economies.
The German Pharmacists Association warned of the health risks of legalizing cannabis, saying it would plunge pharmacies into medical disputes.
As pharmacists are health care professionals, “the potential for competition from purely commercial providers is viewed particularly critically,” said Thomas Price, president of the North Rhine Pharmacists Association, in the Reinische Post. told to
Legalization plans are not welcomed by all federal states. For example, the Bavarian health minister warned that Germany should not become a destination for drug tourism in Europe.
Bavarian Health Minister Klaus Horeczek told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper: “Consumption entails grave and sometimes irreversible health and social risks, and any form of miniaturization is completely irresponsible. ” he said.
But Germany’s Green Party said decades of banning cannabis would only exacerbate the risks, adding that legal trade would better protect youth and health. If the conditions are too stringent, it will only promote a particularly powerful cannabis black market,” MP Kirsten Kuppert-Gonser said Wednesday.
Lars Mueller, chief executive of German cannabis company SynBiotic, said Wednesday’s steps were “like winning the lottery” for his company.
“When the time comes, we will be able to offer a franchise-like cannabis store model in addition to our own stores,” Mueller said.
($1 = 0.9995 EUR)
Reporting by Riham Alkosaa, Editing by Rachel More and Miranda Murray
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