Germany has passed a new law to legalise recreational cannabis use for adults over 18. The law, which takes effect April 1st, 2024, represents a major shift in the country’s drug policy. However, strict regulations will make purchasing the drug difficult.
Allowed Possession and Use
The law permits adults to possess substantial amounts of cannabis in public and private. You can have up to 25 grams on you in public, equivalent to dozens of joints. At home, the limit goes up to 50 grams.
Smoking cannabis will also become legal in most public spaces starting April 1st. Police in some areas, like Berlin, already overlook public consumption. But it has technically remained illegal nationally until now.
Aiming to Undermine the Black Market
The goal is to undermine the black market and divert revenue away from organised crime. Legalisation advocates argue it will also protect consumers by ensuring quality control over cannabis products.
Use among young people has risen sharply, despite prohibition. The new system aims to establish better control over access.
No Amsterdam-Style “Coffee Shops”
However, the law does not mean cannabis cafes will suddenly appear across Germany. A fierce debate over legalisation has gone on for years. Many leaders still harbour concerns, especially regarding youth access.
So purchasing cannabis will be restricted. The original plan to allow licensed shops and pharmacies to sell it was scrapped over European Union worries about drug tourism and exports.
Instead, “cannabis social clubs” will grow and distribute to members. But these nonprofit clubs can have no more than 500 members, and bans exist on non-residents joining.
Growing Your Own
Germans can also grow a limited amount themselves. Households are allowed up to three cannabis plants. But again, purchasing seeds or plants to start will not be feasible through commercial sellers.
So Germany could allow possessing fairly substantial cannabis amounts, while simultaneously restricting buying it legally. This contradiction will likely continue fuelling black market sales.
What Happens Next?
The new system will be evaluated over the next few years. The government hopes to eventually transition to a fully licensed and regulated commercial model.
Opposition lawmakers have already vowed to repeal the reforms if elected next year. So the future remains hazy. While a historic shift, Germany is not destined to become Europe’s new Amsterdam just yet..
The Complicated Path to Legalisation
Germany has charted a convoluted path toward this point. The public has increasingly supported legalising cannabis. But concerns remain among many policymakers.
Leading the charge is Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. He stresses use among 18-25 year olds has doubled in the past decade under prohibition. Lauterbach hopes to eliminate the dangerous black market while instituting guardrails against abuse.
But the complex, highly regulated scheme ultimately approved reflects a delicate political compromise. The government will closely evaluate outcomes before considering expanding access further.
Takeaways
- Germany legalised recreational cannabis use starting April 1st, 2024, but imposed restrictions on buying it.
- Adults can possess up to 25 grams in public and 50 grams at home.
- Nonprofit “cannabis clubs” will provide members with grown cannabis.
- Growing 3 plants per household is also permitted under the new law.
- But legal purchasing options will remain limited at first.
- The government plans to reassess in coming years whether to allow fully licensed sales.
Photo by Maheshkumar Painam on Unsplash
Zoom Testing is a leading UK drug testing company and a supplier of Drug Test Kits.
