Germany to legalise possession of up to 30g of cannabis and sale for recreational purposes
Germany's health minister on Wednesday unveiled plans to decriminalise the possession of up to 30 grammes of cannabis and allow the sale of the substance to adults for recreational purposes in a controlled market.
A question mark remains over whether the plan approved by the Cabinet will go ahead because the government first wants to be sure that it is compatible with European Union law.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said it will only go ahead with legislation if that is the case.
The plan calls for the sale of cannabis to adults at licensed outlets, and the aim is to combat organised crime and the black market, Lauterbach said. He added that the government intends to regulate the market tightly.
Under the proposed legislation, growing cannabis at home would be allowed to a limited extent (up to three plants) and sales will be possible in licensed stores and potentially in pharmacies. The sale of medical cannabis has been allowed in German pharmacies since 2016.
The use of cannabis would only be allowed for adults, while it remains legally prohibited for anyone under the age of 18.
According to Lauterbach, four million people in Germany used cannabis last year and a quarter of all 18- to 24-year-olds in the country have used it.
Advertising to promote the consumption of cannabis won't be allowed.
Legalising controlled sales of cannabis is one of a series of reforms outlined in last year's coalition deal between the three socially liberal parties that make up Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government.
They said the plan would ensure quality control while also protecting young people, and agreed that the "social effects" of the new legislation would be examined after four years.
The reform, which Lauterbach said will likely not take
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