Following a very long negotiation, the “traffic light” parties have agreed to legalise the adult use of cannabis for recreational purposes in Germany.
According to Der Spiegel, the coalition working group on healthcare agreed that cannabis should be legalised when the new, Olaf Scholz-led government takes over to form a coalition government.
The coalition parties stated: “We are introducing the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for pleasure purposes in licensed shops.”
The proposal would kickstart a regulated cannabis market while also implementing measures to protect minors in a similar way to the current alcohol and tobacco rules. A major evaluation is expected four years following the implementation of the law to assess its impact.
One of the most important aims is to create a safe market that offers pure products to prevent the potential harms of contaminated substances. The three parties also want to expand models for drug-checking and harm reduction.
Drug checking allows drug users to have their drugs tested before use to determine whether there are any dangerous contaminants present in the products.
Der Spiegel reports that while cannabis will be legal, the regulations around advertising will be tightened.
Canex reported last week that Germany could be only days away from announcing its cannabis policy change.
The parties – the SPD, the Greens and the FDP – have all announced support for cannabis policy reform in the past, claiming that “present drug strategies based on prohibition are a failure.”
Germany has long been the biggest and, arguably, the most important market for cannabis businesses in Europe.
The introduction of recreational use (very early in European standards) could mean massive profits and lead to more countries on the continent joining them.
The decision of the forming government could very well cause an avalanche: if one of the largest and most influential European countries has will introduced cannabis legalisation, it seems more possible than ever that more countries in the region will follow suit.
