The German minister expects to come up with an updated proposal to legalize cannabis soon

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbauch recently attended a meeting with the Council of Ministers for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers in Brussels, Belgium, on March 14. During his presence, he spoke about the progress of his cannabis proposal and an estimated timeline for releasing it.

According to Europa Press, his proposal “received a very good response from the Commission,” Lauterbach said.

He also spoke to the NTV news agency and explained that his proposal would be presented in the “next few weeks”.

“We will soon present a working proposal, i.e. one that conforms to European law,” said Lauterbach.

According to the Europa Press, Lauterbach stated that it was the responsibility of the German governing coalition to “comply with European legislation while safeguarding its own objectives” in order to “[reduce] crime and to make cannabis use as safe as possible.”

He added that there have been some concerns about cannabis legalization. “We have several problems to solve. One of them was presented by the Netherlands, the […] proposes centralized care and focus[s] on the recommendations of the experts,” said Lauterbach.

While Lauterbach’s formal proposal has yet to be released, a separate cannabis proposal took place in a meeting with the German Bundestag’s health committee on March 15. “MPs [Member of European Parliament] propose to allow adults to purchase and possess up to 30 grams of cannabis or cannabis resin,” read the description of the meeting. “Cultivation of up to three female cannabis plants for personal or community use should also be allowed. Keeping a year’s harvest of up to three plants should also be allowed. The draft law provides for administrative offenses and fines if the maximum permissible amounts are exceeded.”

Originally, a rough draft of Lauterbach’s proposal was leaked by the editorial network Germany in October 2022. A week after the leak, Lauterbach submitted his proposal to Chancellor Olaf Sholz.

According to this proposed text, possession of cannabis between 20 and 30 grams by adults aged 18 and over would not result in a punishment. THC limits for products would be capped at 15%, with a 10% limit for young adults between the ages of 18 and 21. Sale and distribution would only be allowed for licensed companies (and import would be prohibited). Eventually, residents would be allowed to grow three cannabis plants for personal use.

At the time, Lauterbach described his plan as “the most liberal cannabis legalization in Europe, which will result in the most heavily regulated market in the EU.” He also shared that an updated version of the plan would be presented as early as early 2023. “A formal introduction of the legalization measure will take place in the first quarter of this year,” he estimated.

Germany legalized medicinal cannabis in March 2017, but officials officially expressed interest in researching recreational legalization in late 2021. Official interest began in June 2022 when it was announced it would hold five hearings to explore the importance of public safety, youth prevention, supply chains and more. “The hearings are intended to discuss which measures can be used to ensure the best possible youth, health and consumer protection if implemented,” said Burkhard Blienert, Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drugs. “Because one thing is clear: we want to protect children and young people in particular from possible risks.”

Officials from the Bundestag Health Committee delegation traveled to California in September 2022. They met with the Chancellor of the University of Oaksterdam, Dale Sky Jones, representatives from CA NORML and many other advocates, and also toured cannabis dispensaries to assess the chances and risks of legalization. Finally, they explored Lowell Farms’ cultivation facility and discussed the seeds for sale, including energy and water conservation, as well as the inner workings of SC Labs in terms of lab testing and compliance.