Germany is preparing to turn over a new leaf with legal weed

Every beginning is difficult, says the German proverb. All beginnings are difficult. Here’s what’s in store for the country as it prepares to become the first major European cannabis market by 2024.

When you think of the world’s largest adult cannabis market, you probably don’t think of Europe. But get ready to update your information because that could change in 2024 when Germany, thanks to its population of more than 83 million people, successfully legalizes adult-use cannabis.

For an insight into the legalization landscape in Germany, Leafly reached out to Georg Wurth of the German Hemp Association (DHV), the main non-governmental organization behind the legalization of cannabis in Germany.

Würth is the first professional lobbyist for the legalization of cannabis in Germany. He has been influencing cannabis policy as a member of his city council since the 1990s, and in 1996 he began “progressively specializing in drug policy reform”.

Today, the DHV is the largest cannabis legalization NGO in Europe with 30 activist groups in major German cities such as Berlin and Hamburg. Wurth also hosts a weekly cannabis policy news program on YouTube and leads the DHV in online public debate.

When asked whether legalization in Germany was guaranteed in 2024, Würth answered the way he was known from countries before legalization in the USA. “With drug policy reform, nothing is guaranteed until it is a reality,” he said.

Still, he was optimistic: “To become third in the world [country] Fully legalizing cannabis is quite a tall order, with many hurdles to overcome. I hope we can do it and I think we can. But how likely? Today I say 60%,” Wurth told Leafly.

Sign of support from the German people

In 2021, Ipsos conducted a survey in which 61% of Germans said they would support the controlled sale of cannabis in licensed stores, and there are already reports that the German cannabis industry accounts for more than US$5 billion in annual sales for the country could bring in dollars.

Germany, which legalized medicinal cannabis in 2017, currently has an estimated 128,000 medicinal cannabis patients. Last year more than 9,000 kilograms (equivalent to more than 19,841 pounds) of cannabis were imported from countries such as Canada, Denmark and Portugal to be examined in German medical pharmacies or sold to be used for medicinal cannabis products.

That number rose from around £6,300 a year earlier, showing that the appetite for medicinal cannabis in Germany continues to grow, along with people’s desire for legal cannabis for adults.

Germany’s Road to Legalizing Adult Use: What Are the Obstacles?

The hurdles the country faces in legalizing recreational cannabis are numerous. The pandemic, a rise in the cost of living and Russia’s war on Ukraine are all factors putting pressure on politicians who want to legalize weed, such as the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP) – a tripartite coalition, which came to power in late 2021, also known as the traffic light coalition.

Each party in the coalition has unique reasons for supporting cannabis legalization, such as: B. reducing illegal sales, although the SPD is reportedly most intent on strong regulation with legalization.

Still, Wurth notes that one of Germany’s biggest hurdles will be overcoming resistance from opponents of cannabis legalization. After the departure of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, the traffic light coalition wants to bring a breath of fresh air into the country. Merkel was Chancellor for sixteen years, and her party, the Christian Democrats (CDU), was known for being more conservative in its views on cannabis.

Germany has EU regulations to contend with alongside international laws, and experts continue to debate whether the EU could put a stop to Germany’s legalization plans.

“Whether our top politicians really want to or not [legalization] and whether they are willing to have some tensions at the international level, we shall see. It’s a close game,” Wurth said.

Positive prospects for pot

As for leading the way in Europe and the EU, Wurth believes there is “no doubt” that Germany will inspire other countries to legalize recreational cannabis.

“Germany could become the first nation to legalize outside of America. This will bring a great additional impetus not only for Europe but for the rest of the world!”

One thing is certain, according to Wurth, that there are millions of Germans who love weed and already accept it as part of their lives.

“I’m saying we have at least four million people who have used cannabis in the last 12 months. Some smoked one day, some smoked 365. They do all sorts of things with their lives while they are cannabis users. I was asked two or three times, are you from the cannabis scene? I said I come from the tax official scene, from the green scene, from the youth scene. It all makes as much sense to me as the cannabis scene does.”