Is recreational grass dead in Germany for now?

Germany’s intentions to legalize marijuana this year have been put on hold amid fears by officials that European Union judges would reject a hastily drafted reform bill. A government official reportedly said that while lawmakers have not abandoned the legalization proposal, lawmakers are proceeding with some skepticism about promises of a breakthrough and have set plans to decriminalize cannabis by early next year.

A new morning in Germany

After winning the most votes in Germany’s last federal election in November 2021, the Social Democrats (SPD) formed a coalition with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens to form a new government. The Christian Democratic Union, which had ruled for 16 years under Chancellor Angela Merkle, was ousted by the new governing majority, known as the traffic light coalition to refer to the colors of the parties.

Coalition officials said cannabis for adult use would be legalized and a framework for legal sales put in place once talks to form the new government began. Officials in the new coalition government announced that adult use of cannabis would be legal, along with the opening of regulated marijuana dispensaries.

An unnamed coalition spokeswoman said, “We are starting the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for use in licensed businesses.” After four years, we will assess the societal impact of the law.

Since the traffic light coalition came into power, the Greens and the FDP have reaffirmed their commitment to the legalization of cannabis in Germany. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann predicted in May that a reform law could be passed by next spring, which could lead to the sale of the “first legal joint” in Germany in 2023.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said in early June that the government would soon begin the legal process to legalize cannabis. In the past two years, he claims, he’s changed his mind about legalization and now thinks the downsides of the ban outweigh any potential dangers. He made this confession to the German daily Handelsblatt. I’ve always been opposed to legalizing marijuana, but Lauterbach claimed about a year ago I’d changed my mind.

Government officials scale back hopes of legalization

Government officials have downplayed projections that Germany will legalize cannabis by 2023 after being optimistic the change would come quickly. In a legal analysis leaked to news site RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland on Monday, experts in the German Bundestag warned that efforts to legalize marijuana would violate European law on several counts.

The 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was mentioned early on by the governing coalition as a possible obstacle to legalization, although Uruguay and Canada totally flouted the international agreement when they legalized cannabis there.

German authorities have focused on EU legislation that could threaten legalization in Europe’s most populous country as they now overwhelmingly feel that 1961

The contract is not the barrier it seemed before. According to a 2004 Framework Decision of the Council of the European Union, member states are obliged to ensure that the sale of drugs, including the sale of cannabis, “is punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties”.

In addition, under the 1985 Schengen agreement, which led to the abolition of border crossings throughout the European Union, member countries must fight against the illegal export, sale and supply of “narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including cannabis”. Officials are rethinking the pace of change as they consider the barriers to legalizing cannabis under EU rules.

One person familiar with the situation stated, “There are some concerns about claims of a breakthrough before the end of the year.” The complexity of it all is beginning to be felt and the dangers are becoming more and more apparent. We don’t want another motorway toll disaster,” a reference to a toll road project that was shelved after the European Court of Justice found it would unfairly harm foreign drivers and violate anti-discrimination laws.

other details

The German government organized a series of five hearings to talk about different elements of cannabis. According to Addiction and Drugs Commissioner Burkhard Blienert, “the moment has come” to move forward. He continued, “We are beginning the legislative process.” It is a beautiful and satisfying opportunity for me to finally be able to unveil this. Like many others, I have been fighting for years for Germany to finally end the criminalization of cannabis users and start a health-oriented cannabis policy.

Investors are more interested than ever

Germany wants to open up its adult market quickly, leading some experts to warn those considering the European country. Germany’s goal of having goods on the market by 2023 seems extraordinarily ambitious to experts today, said Deepak Anand, founder of medical cannabis company Materia, during a discussion at the recent Lift Expo in Toronto.

Terry Booth, CEO of Australia’s Capital and former CEO of Aurora Cannabis, predicted that Germany will over-regulate and “be tougher than Canada.”

According to Euromonitor International’s global head of nicotine and cannabis, Shane MacGuill, Germany’s plans for adult use would not have come to light had Canada not been the first member of the G7 to legalize marijuana. Legalization in Canada has obviously had an impact and is something that people across Europe are aware of,” he said.

final remark

As more countries like Germany open their doors to cannabis programs around the world, a domino effect could occur, accelerating the global availability of cannabis. According to official sources cited by The Guardian, the Traffic Light Coalition is still on the way to drafting a measure that would allow cannabis to be distributed legally.

Lawmakers are also keeping an eye on developments in neighboring Luxembourg, where authorities this summer unveiled a plan to legalize recreational cannabis use at home, while continuing to ban use in public places.

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