German officials announced on Wednesday that a bill to reform the nation’s cannabis laws would be introduced “immediately after Easter,” although details of the plan have not been released. The
would formalize a proposal from the ruling coalition government last year to legalize cannabis for adults and allow for commercial production and sales of recreational marijuana.On Wednesday, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said the government is still planning to pass nationwide cannabis legalization and that he is “firmly assuming that we will present the new proposal immediately after Easter” on April 9,
from Marijuana Moment. The cannabis legalization bill was originally slated to be released by the end of the first quarter of this year, but the legislation was delayed “due to scheduling reasons” as officials work to ensure the measure does not conflict with international law.Details Of Legalization Plan Unclear
But the details of the legislation to be introduced after the Easter holiday are unclear. In October, Lauterbach released a draft version of the plan, but reports last week suggested that the plan might be scaled back. Under the plan revealed last year, adults aged 18 and up would be allowed to possess a limited amount of
, with a proposed limit of 30 grams, or about one ounce. The proposal also allows for limited home cultivation of cannabis, with adults permitted to grow up to three cannabis plants at their residences. Lauterbach said at the time that the proposal would make Germany a world leader in cannabis reform.“This would be, on the one hand, the most liberal cannabis liberalization in Europe, and, on the other hand, it would also be the most tightly regulated market,”
, adding that the reform could be “a model” for the European Union.The plan calls for cannabis to be sold only to adults aged 18 and older and only through licensed retailers. The proposal includes plans for a range of legal cannabis products to be approved, including flower, vapes and oral products. Cannabis retailers will not be allowed to locate near schools, and the shops will not be permitted to sell alcohol or tobacco.
The proposed legalization plan also includes a ban on advertising cannabis products. The initial proposal does not include provisions for the production and sale of cannabis edibles or for consumption lounges for people to purchase and use cannabis socially. Lauterbach added that the government would explore those options in the future.
The health minister said that the government would regulate marijuana sales closely, with the goal of reducing organized crime and the illicit market for cannabis.
that cannabis consumers were “falling into an undertow of crime” under the current prohibitionist policy.German Cannabis Legalization Plan Could See Revisions
It is unclear, however, if the terms of the proposal detailed in October will be included in the legislation to be introduced after Easter. At the end of March, Marijuana Moment reported that German officials would be proceeding with a scaled-back plan that is less likely to conflict with the European Union’s continued ban on cannabis.
“We are on the right track. We have revised the proposals a bit,”
on March 31, according to a translation. He said he would be returning to the European Union (EU) “soon” with a “good proposal” that protects general health as well as the safety of young people.Under the two-part plan
, regulated sales of cannabis would be rolled out in some areas on a limited basis over four years. But Lauterbach has not confirmed the reports that the proposal has been revised from the one presented last year, and on Wednesday he said that “legalization is planned throughout Germany.”Germany’s plan to legalize cannabis is part of social reform goals proposed by the country’s ruling “traffic light” coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Alliance 90/The Greens that took control under the leadership of Chancellor Olaf Scholz after national elections in 2021. The government has said that the “social effects” of cannabis legislation will be examined after four years to assess the change’s effects on public safety and crime.