German lawmakers reached an agreement on revising a marijuana legalization law, relaxing some provisions that were contested by supporters of cannabis reform and setting the stage to a final vote next week in the national parliamentary.
The traffic light coalition has agreed to a new version of the proposed legislation, which will be implemented next spring.
Kirsten Kappert Gonther, a Green Party legislator, told a translator that the bill was being altered in several ways following “intensive discussions” that would “make the law better.”
Das #Cannabis Gesetz kommt!Finally: Endlich beenden wir die
gescheiterte Verbotspolitik!
Nach intensiven Verhandlungen liegt nun ein Gesetz vor, das Jugend- und #Gesundheitsschutz in den Mittelpunkt stellt, die #Kriminalisierung beendet und praktikabel ist. 1/5— Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (@KirstenKappert) November 27, 2023
She said: “In the negotiation, we were able to find practical regulations which guarantee the protection of youth and health as well as the decriminalization for adult consumers.”
Keine Abstande zwischen CannabisClubs;
Keine Strafvorschriften (nur Ordnungswidrigkeit) bei geringer Menge von 25-30 G im offentlichen und 50-60 G im privaten Raum.
Erleichterter #Cannabis Anbau zu med. Zwecken.
Diese erreichten Anderungen machen das Gesetz nun noch besser! 3/5— Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (@KirstenKappert) November 27, 2023
The majority of amendments are intended to relax restrictions which were opposed by advocates and supporters within the Bundestag.
Possessing a small amount of cannabis over the allowed limit will not automatically be treated as a crime punishable with jail time. Possession of 25-30 grams will instead be treated as an administrative violation.
The limit on home-grown marijuana will also be raised from 25 grams to 50 grams.
Also, the rules for public consumption will be revised. As RND, Legal Tribune Online , and reported , the bill states that cannabis cannot be used in public within 100 meters of a school. Previously, the limit was 200 meters.
The lawmakers also agreed to implement the reform in stages, beginning with the possession of marijuana and home cultivation for adults. In July, social clubs that distribute marijuana to their members can now open.
Other revisions went away from the theme of loosening restrictions. Negotiators reached an agreement to strengthen the criminal penalties against underage sales.
The officials plan to introduce another complementary measure in the future that will establish pilot programs of commercial sales throughout the entire country. This legislation will be revealed after it has been submitted to the European Commission to review.
Kappert-Gonther stated that after the Bundestag passed the legalization measure the legislators would “continue to work together on Pillar 2”, which is the commercial sales pilot.
Next Step: Beschluss im #Bundestag und dann weiter gemeinsam arbeiten an Saule 2
#Cannabis
— Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (@KirstenKappert) November 27, 2023
The bill will not be considered by the Bundesrat until several months after the vote next week. This is a separate legislative institution that represents the German states. In September, members of the Bundesrat attempted to block the reform proposal but ultimately failed .
Earlier, the Bundestag had already postponed its first discussion on the legislation which was last month. This was in response to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The Health Committee of the Bundestag held an hearing recently, during which opponents criticised some aspects of the proposal. The Union, an alliance between the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Unions (CDU/CSU), also presented a competing proposal. This would not legalize cannabis, but “improve the health protection, strengthen education, prevention, and research,” Kappert Gonther stated at the time.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is leading the legalization initiative. He first revealed details about the revised plan in April. distributed the legislative text in April to cabinet officials. In response to criticisms of the bill by medical and law enforcement organizations, the health minister stressed that a major campaign would be launched to educate the public on the dangers of cannabis use.
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 was the result of months of discussions and reviews within the German government and the traffic-light coalition. Last summer officials began a series hearings to inform legislation that would end the prohibition of cannabis in Germany.
Last week, government officials from several countries, including the U.S. met in Germany to talk about international marijuana policy issues, as the host country works to legalize the drug.
Last year, a group of German legislators, including Narcotics Drugs Commission Burkhard Blienert , visited the U.S. separately and toured California marijuana businesses to help inform their country’s legalization approach.
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 last year.
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 post German lawmakers reach agreement on revised marijuana legalization bill, with final vote expected next week first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
