Germany Is Set to Vote on Legalization of Recreational Cannabis Use

A bill allowing the restricted production and use of cannabis is anticipated to be passed by the German parliament on Friday, February 23, normalizing the habits of the country's 4.5 million estimated cannabis users.

The legalization of up to 25 grams of cannabis and up to three plants for personal usage is proposed by the governing three-party coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as reported by Reuters.

So-called "cannabis clubs," including no more than 500 persons, would be allowed to cultivate cannabis on a larger scale but for non-commercial purposes only. Their products would be reserved only for club members.

(Photo: JENS SCHLUETER / AFP via Getty Images)
An employee shows processed flowers of cannabis (marijuana) at the production site of German pharmaceutical company Demecan for medical cannabis in Ebersbach near Dresden, eastern Germany, on November 28, 2022.

Eradicating Black Market, Crimes

The goal, according to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, is to decrease the amount of dealing and the number of users while simultaneously cracking down on the illicit market and crimes associated with drugs.

If Germany were to legalize recreational marijuana usage, it would join eight other countries in doing so. A number of Australian and American states have also made it lawful.

Its medicinal use as a painkiller is legal in many other nations, but Germany intends to legislate against it separately, Reuters reported.

For young adults, cannabis would be very regulated, and it would still be banned for kids. It would not be permitted to be consumed close to playgrounds or schools.

"This restriction is necessary because cannabis is particularly damaging for the still-growing brain," Lauterbach explained. "Cannabis consumption is being legalized, but that doesn't mean it isn't dangerous."

Concerns About Bill

The conservatives in opposition are against the new regulations because they believe they would encourage excessive consumption and are too difficult for the government to implement.

Tino Sorge, a Christian Democrat lawmaker, said that the coalition is behaving like a "state drug dealer" rather than safeguarding youth.

Since some people may still choose to purchase weed rather than cultivate it or join a cannabis club, several experts question whether the new rules will significantly affect dealing.