German lawmakers officially began consideration of a law that would legalize cannabis nationwide. The first discussion on the bill was held by the country’s Bundestag on Wednesday, after had delayed the meeting due to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Legalization measures, led by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach would allow adults to possess cannabis and grow a maximum three plants for their personal use . The bill would also allow social clubs to distribute marijuana among their members. Officials said that a second phase of legalization would eventually launch a program for regulated commercial cannabis sales.
During the 45-minute discussion, SPD Bundestag member Carmen Wegge said that the country’s cannabis prohibition has failed. She said that illegal cannabis is “often contaminated” and profits from it can be used to support organized crime. Youth have access to cannabis in the unregulated market.
Wegge stated that “this is an unacceptable situation.” With this bill, Wegge said, “We are describing an entirely new path. A courageous path. A path that is on the side those who consume marijuana.” We have chosen to oppose state oppression in favor of a progressive drug law that educates people and gives them freedom.
Gleich debattieren wir das #Cannabis-Gesetz im Bundestag!
Unsere Cannabis-Expert:innen Dirk Heidenblut und @CarmenWegge erklaren Euch, warum wir die Legalisierung brauchen und worauf es uns dabei ankommt. pic.twitter.com/VSiTLH3JFT
— SPD-Fraktion im Bundestag (@spdbt) October 18, 2023
Kristine Lutke is a member of FDP in the Bundestag. She acknowledged that the draft bill was not final, but that it included essential provisions like the distance between grow facilities and public schools or other sensitive areas.
Lutke expressed her hope that lawmakers would refine the bill further during the legislative process.
She said that while the subject is emotional, “I think we can get back to a factual level,” noting the key points of the proposed law were revealed nearly a year earlier. “And now, the draft for cannabis law is now available.”
Kirsten Kappert Gonther is a member of the Green Party. She believes that marijuana prohibition makes it more dangerous. She argued that the prohibition of the black market increased the risk, pointing out that the illicit sellers do not provide verified information on product ingredients or potency. She said that legalization would prevent children from gaining access to the product due to ID checks.
The Green legislator said, “Instead a thriving illegal market we now create legal alternatives for adult consumers to consume.”
Heute leiten wir den uberfalligen Paradigmenwechsel in der Drogenpolitik ein.
Wir machen Schluss mit der gescheiterten Verbotspolitik und stellen endlich den Gesundheits- und Jugendschutz ins Zentrum!– @KirstenKappert zur geplanten Legalisierung von #Cannabis pic.twitter.com/QLbJ7xgjyp
— Grune im Bundestag
(@GrueneBundestag) October 18, 2023
Two motions were filed by opposition parties in the Bundestag ahead of the Wednesday debate. The Union (CDU/CSU), for example, urges lawmakers to stop any movement towards cannabis legalization. It says that this will lead the country in the “wrong direction” and increase cannabis consumption.
Translation: “The Federal Ministry of Health works on a law to legalize marijuana and warns of the dangers of its consumption,” the statement reads. Instead of legalization plans, it is important to increase prevention and educate people about the potential dangers of cannabis consumption.
Lauterbach, Minister of Health, responded to the CDU/CSU opposition on social media. Lauterbach responded to the CDU/CSU’s claim that “young adults up to 25 years of age are at particular risk” because their brain development has not yet been completed.
He wrote that “at the same time toxic THC levels are increasing, and there are also more additives”, suggesting that consumers would be safer if they purchased cannabis from regulated sources rather than those who did not. He asked, “Should complain about it and do nothing?”
Der Konsum ,,bis zu 25″ nimmt seit Jahren zu. Gleichzeitig steigen Drogenkriminalitat, toxische THC Konzentrationen und es gibt mehr Beimengungen. Sollen wir auch hier, wie bei anderen Themen, das Problem beklagen und nichts tun? Wenn Cannabis, dann sicher und ohne Dealer https://t.co/9xMNHprXPg
Prof. Karl Lauterbach 18 October 2023
A motion from the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), says that lawmakers should focus instead on medical marijuana. The party said the Bundestag should abandon adult-use legalization in favor of drafting a new bill to incorporate medical marijuana into the national health care laws, which could better address “benefits” and “risks” on an open-ended basis and lower costs for the patients.
Wegge has posted on social media that the bill will be discussed in committee, and this is expected to lead to a more heated discussion. The Health Committee is scheduled for the proposal to be discussed on November 6, at which time lawmakers will take testimony from experts.
Aber Achtung: zwar diskutieren wir den Entwurf in den Ausschussen, verhandelt wird er dort jedoch nicht! Vielmehr gibt es sog. Berichterstatter – Gesprache. Dort sitzen die Ampel Berichterstatter*innen. 4/10
— Carmen Wegge (@CarmenWegge) October 17, 2023
According to ‘s of last week, a second (final) and third reading will be held on November 16.
The readings take place after opponents failed to stop the measure last month in Germany’s legislative organ representing individual states called the Bundesrat.
In a recent statement, the Bundestag stated that the state representatives were concerned about the “high financial costs for the states” due to “control and enforcement tasks as well as preventive and intervention tasks”. “Control of cultivation associations as an example is given.”
The statement stated that the Federal Government “doesn’t share” Bundesrat’s concerns. The statement said that “the federal governments expect to save a lot of money from the federal state through fewer criminal cases and fewer criminal procedures.” The funds saved could be used to monitor the cultivation associations and for addiction prevention.
The legalization proposal as written would create social clubs which could distribute marijuana among their members. Purchase limits for those over 21 years of age are 25 grams of cannabis each day, up to 50 grams total per month. The monthly limit for people between 18 and 21 would be 30 grams.
The facilities could not be within 200 meters from a school and every jurisdiction could only have one club per 6,000 residents. The clubs would have a maximum of 500 members, and they would require a permit for a social club. This permit would last up to seven year with the option to extend it. The draft bill stipulates that membership in the clubs must last for at least two month.
summary also includes estimates of costs for implementing and regulating program as well as savings that will be made from reduced enforcement. New revenue is expected through wage taxes on people who work at cannabis clubs.
Officials plan to introduce a second complementary measure, which would create pilot programs for commercial sale in all cities across the country. This legislation will be revealed after it has been submitted to the European Commission to review.
As described previously by officials, the measure would allow cannabis to be sold at retail outlets in selected jurisdictions as a part of a pilot program. This would allow the country the opportunity to evaluate further reforms over a five-year period. Officials would specifically study the impact the shops have on consumption patterns and the illicit drug market. Localities must opt-in to allow these stores to operate.
The health minister has stressed that this reform will be accompanied by a “major public education campaign” in order to inform the public of the dangers of cannabis use.
He first revealed details about the revised plan for legalization in April. distributed the legislative text in April to cabinet officials.
Officials were working to update the framework to avoid any potential conflicts with international law. This timeline was originally set to end the first quarter 2023. However, it was extended due to “scheduling reasons”.
The government’s announcement in April laying out its policy proposals for cannabis legalization was mostly welcomed by lawmakers who have pushed the government to adopt sweeping policies. However, some pointed out areas that they would like to improve.
In March, the health minister stated that German officials received “very positive feedback” from EU regarding the previous reform framework.
The German Federal Cabinet approved an initial framework of a legalization initiative late last year. However, the government wished to receive the EU‘s approval to make sure that the reform would not violate their international obligations.
The framework is the result of months of discussions and reviews within the German government and its “traffic-light” coalition. Last summer officials began a series hearings to inform legislation that would end the prohibition of cannabis in Germany.
Last year, a group of German legislators, including Narcotics Drugs Commission Burkhard Blienert , visited California and toured California marijuana businesses to inform their approach to legalization.
The visit took place two months after the first meeting of its kind between top officials from Germany and Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands to discuss plans and challenges related to recreational marijuana legalization.
In 2021, the leaders of the coalition government announced that they had agreed to end the cannabis prohibition as well as enacting regulations for a new legal industry. They first revealed certain details of this plan in 2013.
In a new international survey released last year , the majority of respondents in Germany and other key European countries supported legalization.
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The first debate on marijuana legalization in Germany was held by German lawmakers.
