How will the upcoming elections in Germany affect the legalization of recreational cannabis in Germany?

Germans, cannabis advocates and international observers are very curious what the just concluded elections mean for the current trend of cannabis reform in the European nation.

Analysts have given their predictions of what they think could happen next. The general buzz in these projections is that everyone believes the status quo will change.

Cannabis legislation in Germany

Germany has a cannabis measure that allows the consumption of medical cannabis. The measure was legalized in 1998 and the law was amended in 2017 to include other medical conditions and create a provision for the domestic production, export and import of medical cannabis.

According to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, over one hundred thousand patients are registered in the German medical cannabis program.

Although Germany is the fourth largest market in the world for cannabis oil exports, there are no laws in Germany regarding consumption by adults.

All countries in Europe, with the exception of Georgia, prohibit the use, possession, cultivation and sale of adult cannabis. It’s illegal!

The mere possession of cannabis is threatened with a five-year sentence in Germany and the Federal Narcotics Act regulates everything that has to do with cannabis in the country. First-time offenders caught with less than 6 grams are punished more easily.

This didn’t deter the growth of the medical industry, the country imported over 9,000 kg of medical cannabis last year. With the establishment of a domestic supply market, more cannabis will be imported into the region.

Changes, changes, changes

The results of the general election are in, and the excitement observed on the voting card shows that the new government will be unusual.

Cannabis advocates in Germany and Europe could witness a new dawn in the industry as the winning parties in the new government are pro-cannabis reforms. Patients and adults of legal age could finally get a recreational market and federal law allowing adult use, possession and sale of cannabis.

This change has been a long time coming, the previous government’s refusal to adopt reforms on adult use may be grounded on indisputable points, but I can only commend it for the world-class medical cannabis industry that it has established and sustained . The only problem in the industry is the onerous insurance obligations.

There had been a number of high profile thefts in the country prior to the elections, which indicated change. One of them is the popular raid on one of the largest grocers in Germany in August, where no one other than the police carried out this raid.

Before the elections, the cannabis industry submitted an application for the approval of CBD under the German Narcotics Act. The now pending lawsuit was a measure to persuade the previous government to implement better cannabis reforms on par with the European Union. In 2020, the union ruled that cannabinoid was falsely classified as a narcotic.

Fortunately for everyone in the German cannabis industry, they can now look forward to shifting beyond the mere declassification of CBD.

What to Expect

Experts expect a merger of Social Democrats, Greens and FDP in the next few weeks. The formation of a coalition government by these parties will introduce a new exception in Germany. The new government will most likely add cannabis reforms to its important agenda within the next eight years, and cannabis trials to test high-THC cannabis will also be carried out.

Even if only two of these strong pro-cannabis reform parties form a union, recreational cannabis will still be on the table.

It’s too early to say whether or not they could do it.

Christian Lindner, an FDM party member whose electoral slogan “It can’t stay like it is” (translated into English as things can’t stay that way) has announced that cannabis legislation will be the unifying point in the new government.

When it comes to that, a new and massive market opens up for the Germans and the neighboring countries. It will potentially lead to recreational cannabis legislation. Germany

What that means for Europe

The resignation of Angela Markel, like the defeat of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is one of the most remarkable recent events in Europe. Europe’s attitude towards recreational cannabis could change if the new coalition succeeds in legitimizing adult cannabis use.

Germany has a firm grip on politics in European countries, as Germans are converting to a new party, to show how tired they were of the old norm, it won’t be long before other European citizens convert to new parties.

Cannabis regulations in Europe are cumbersome and tiresome, and prison sentences for offenders have deterred many Europeans in the political class. With the rise of a new German government, it is clear that the EU will (slowly or not) be headed for a progressive cannabis reform that decriminalizes the use of the drug for all.

The planned Swiss test for recreational cannabis in Germany will encourage the legislature more to pass any kind of cannabis reform, provided that it is well received by the general public.

In the next few years, more countries will leave the EU’s cannabis vacuum. Holland is already planning to open a national market on the continent. On the other hand, Luxembourg could relax its strict cannabis guidelines in a few months. These examples will pave the way for other European nations to start the proposed plans they might have for their cannabis industry.

Bottom line

Regardless of what happens over the next eight years, it is safe to say that Germany will have a new kind of cannabis policy before the new coalition ends its term in office. Other European nations could follow suit.

In the meantime, the country’s solid medical cannabis program continues as it is; Production, distribution, import and export of medical cannabis! – until the new reforms are ready.

GERMANY MOVES TO LEGALIZATION, READ MORE …

GERMANY AND NEW ZEALAND AGREE NO TO RECREATIONAL WEED.

OR…

GERMANY LOVES MEDICAL MARIJUANA, BUT HAS A BIG PROBLEM!