Germany Presents Long-Awaited Cannabis Legalization Plan, Scaled Back After Talks With EU

The long-awaited cannabis legalization plan in Germany was unveiled Wednesday, right after Easter, just as Health Minister Karl Lauterbach promised last week.

While details were unknown at the time, it is safe to say that more was expected from the marijuana program than was revealed in the end — the government scaled back its legalization plan, according to Reuters. 

What Happened: Under the presented legislation, private cultivation and distribution via nonprofit groups would be allowed, but widespread sales through dispensaries would remain illegal.

A pilot project for a small number of licensed shops across several regions would allow the sale of weed. The aim of this pilot program is to test the impact of a commercial supply chain of adult-use cannabis on public health, as well as the safety of kids. Another issue being explored is the effect of legal cannabis on the underground market.

The measure would also allow adults to own and possess up to 25 grams of cannabis legally.

"The previous cannabis policy has failed,” Lauterbach said, adding: “Now we have to go new ways.” According to the minister, the new proposal aims to offer “the controlled delivery of cannabis to adults within clear limits.”

 “We want to fight the black market [and] we want to push back drug-related crime,” Lauterbach said.

The newly revised plan for the cannabis program in the country comes on the heels of Berlin having discussions with the European Commission on a cornerstone paper the German government presented in October.

Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir said EU law “sets us limits we must respect, but that I will also say we are pushing,” reported Market Beat.

The draft legalization should be completed by the end of April and that “consumption will become legal this year already,” Özdemir said. 

Photo: Benzinga edit with images from Kevin Woblick and Matthew Brodeur via Unsplash.