Time.news – The German government has presented a proposal to legalize cannabis, allowing citizens to cultivate, possess and consume the drug for recreational purposes, in a reform which, as noted by the Financial Times, could have far-reaching repercussions on European drug policy.
If the law is passed, Germany would become the largest country in the world by population to legalize cannabis. So far only Canada and Uruguay, along with a few US states have permitted the commercial sale of the drug – although the sale of cannabis on commercial premises will initially not be permitted in Germany.
Karl Lauterbach, German health minister, he said the country’s policy to criminalize cannabis had “failed”. “We know we can’t get ahead by just tightening the law,” she said. “We are not creating a problem, but trying to solve one.”
In recent years, EU countries have gradually become more tolerant of soft drugs, in an attempt to reduce the income of organized crime gangs. Malta has become the first EU country to legalize possession and cannabis cultivation in 2021. Adults 18 and older can possess up to 7 grams of the drug and grow up to four plants for personal use. The Netherlands has tolerated personal possession for decades and has issued permits for specialty coffee shops that can sell the drug for consumption on their premises under strict conditions. Luxembourg recently relaxed the law to allow the purchase of cannabis seeds and growing four plants at home. The Financial Times recalls that in many other countries, including Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic, cannabis has been decriminalized, which means that personal possession of small quantities is tolerated, but the penalties for dealing remain high. The German law is far less ambitious than the government’s original plan, which called for the free sale of cannabis in Dutch-style coffee shops. According to Lauterbach, Berlin had to scale back those proposals after meeting resistance from Brussels.
Instead, the law allows for the creation of non-profit “cannabis clubs” which could grow cannabis for recreational purposes and sell it to their members for their own consumption, modeled on similar arrangements in Malta
Clubs, which may each have no more than 500 members, all over the age of 18, they will be allowed to sell them up to 25g of cannabis per day and up to 50g per month, as well as up to 7 cannabis seeds or 5 cuttings per month. Members under the age of 21 can only receive 30g of cannabis per month from the club. Public consumption of cannabis near schools or kindergartens would be prohibited, and in pedestrian areas of cities until 8pm. The law would also allow possession of up to 25 grams of the drug and the private cultivation of up to 3 cannabis plants.
The bill also includes regional “model projects” that will seek to establish commercial supply chains for the drug. This would allow companies to produce, distribute and sell recreational cannabis to adults in specialty shops “in a state-licensed and supervised context”. These projects, which would last only 5 years, would be scientifically monitored to see how creating a chain of commercial supply affects child protection, the health system and the black market.
Lauterbach said the aim of the model projects would be to “seek support in Europe for this progressive, prevention-oriented cannabis policy”. According to him, legalization would provide “more security”. The new law would protect consumers from impurities and toxic contaminants and better protect the country’s youth. “We want to fight the black market, we want to push back against drug crime and control the ever-increasing toxicity of products [della cannabis]”Lauterbach said.
German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann he echoed the health minister’s comments about the failures of past drug policy, which did not reduce crime. “Cannabis prohibition criminalizes countless people, forces them into criminal structures and commits enormous resources to law enforcement agencies,” he said. “It’s time for a new approach that allows for more personal accountability.”