Artificial Hemp Plants Hit Shelves In 1000 Aldi Supermarkets In Germany To Raise Awareness Around Legal Cannabis Cultivation

The sale of pseudo hemp began on June 27th, several days before German cannabis clubs are meant to open. Aldi Süd confirmed it included the hemp in its assortment of products in more than 1,000 stores.

The plant and compostable pot will sell for 2.99 euros ($3.20).

The idea behind this campaign, launched by the "Anbau Allianz für Deutschland", a subsidiary of Cannovum Cannabis AG, is to support talks about recreational cannabis legalization across the country, writes Focus online.

"We are proud to be able to provide real, measurable added value for the legalization of cannabis with Cannovum Cannabis AG, Aldi-Süd and the cultivation alliance," Klaus Madzia, board member at Cannovum Cannabis, told the outlet. "We are about to start official cultivation by clubs and can already successfully demonstrate our skills."

Marijuana became legal in Germany on April 1st, making it the third country in the European Union to legalize adult-use cannabis after Malta and Luxembourg. Under this first pillar of cannabis legalization, adults over 18 can legally possess up to 25 grams of dried cannabis flower and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at home.

The German cannabis market, poised to become one of the largest in Europe, is expected to generate around €3.4 billion ($3.85 billion) in annual tax revenue and create approximately 27,000 new jobs, highlighting its significant economic potential.

See Also: Cannabis Gathering In Germany Gets Out Of Hand Though New Legal Weed Industry Shows Great Promise

Not-for-profit cultivation associations, known as cannabis clubs, should launch on July 1st. Many clubs have already been founded across the country, and they will soon be allowed to supply marijuana to their members for personal needs. Per some estimates, these clubs could bring in 2.4 million euros in sales annually.

Aldi store managers joked about the fake hemp plants saying "I think a lot of people will have a lot of questions on Thursday."

This hemp does not contain any intoxicating substance, it is more of an ornamental plant, suitable as a garden decoration. There are no legal or health concerns with this plant.

See Also: Germany Sets THC Limits For Drivers, Opposition Groups Say It’s Too High

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Remedy Pics on Unsplash and Wikimedia Commons.