Germany is ready to legalize the recreational use of cannabis
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a groundbreaking document on planned legislation to regulate the controlled distribution and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes among adults.
The coalition government reached an agreement last year to introduce legislation during its four-year term to allow the controlled distribution of cannabis in licensed shops.
Lauterbach did not give a timeline for the plan.
Many countries in the region have already legalized cannabis for limited medical purposes, including Germany in 2017. Others have decriminalized its general use while stopping short of making it legal.
According to the document, private self-cultivation would be permitted to a limited extent. Ongoing investigations and criminal proceedings related to cases that are no longer illegal would be terminated.
The government will also introduce a special tax on consumption and develop programs for the education and prevention of cannabis-related abuse.
Cannabis legalization could bring Germany annual tax revenue and cost savings of around 4.7 billion euros ($4.7 billion) and create 27,000 new jobs, according to a survey published on last year.
Some 4 million people used cannabis in Germany last year, 25% of whom were between the ages of 18 and 24, Lauterbach said, adding that legalization would eliminate the cannabis black market.
Germany will present the document to the European Commission for a pre-assessment and will only draft a law once the Commission approves the plan, the minister added.
“If the European Commission says no to Germany’s current approach, our government should look for alternative solutions. Not just say: Well, we did our best,” said Niklas Kouparanis, CEO of Bloomwell Group. , one of the largest German cannabis companies.
Berlin should have a plan B if the EU rejects legalization, Kouparanis said, adding that cannabis imports should be allowed because domestic cultivation will not be able to meet demand in the short term.
The decision has already sparked a mix of reactions in Europe’s biggest economy.
The German Association of Pharmacists has warned of the health risks of legalizing cannabis and said it would put pharmacies in medical conflict.
Pharmacists are healthcare professionals, so “a possible competitive situation with purely commercial providers is considered particularly critical,” Thomas Preis, head of the North Rhine Pharmacists Association, told the Rheinische Post newspaper.
The legalization plan was not well received by all federal states. The Bavarian Minister of Health, for example, has warned that Germany should not become a destination for drug tourism in Europe.
But Germany’s Greens said decades of cannabis bans have only exacerbated the risks.
“Because conditions that are too restrictive for the legal market only favor the particularly strong cannabis black market,” said MP Kirsten Kappert-Gonther on Wednesday.
Lars Mueller, chief executive of German cannabis company SynBiotic, said Wednesday’s milestone was “almost like winning the lottery” for his company.
“When the time comes, we will be able to offer franchise-type models for cannabis stores in addition to our own stores,” Mueller said.
Disclaimer: This story was published from a news service and nothing except the title has been edited by Times Now.
