This week, top German officials will present a revised plan for legalizing marijuana in the country.
In a Tuesday tweet, Karl Lauterbach, the German Health Minister, stated that “there will new cornerstones tomorrow.” This is in reference to the cannabis reform legislation the government has been working on.
On Wednesday, he and Cem Ozdemir, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, will discuss the proposal for marijuana.
So wird es sein! Mit @cem_oezdemir gibt es morgen neue Eckpunkte, die Legalisierung von Cannabis: sie kommt doch. https://t.co/zxjPPniW5P
— Professor Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach April 11, 2023
Lauterbach stated, “The legalization and regulation of cannabis is coming.”
Initial plans called for the legislation to be published by the end 2023 first quarter. However, that date was extended due to scheduling reasons. Officials reportedly tried to modify it to avoid any conflict with international laws.
Reports have indicated that the bill has been reduced from the nationwide cannabis framework , which was previously made public by the government. Details indicate that officials intended to adopt a split approach to reform.
According to the government, the revised plan would allow adults to grow and possess cannabis on a limited basis. It would also permit growers to organize and distribute cannabis at so-called marijuana clubs, which are similar to those found in Spain or Malta.
According to unverified reports, there would then be a sales component. It would be limited to creating pilot programs in regions, and placing dispensaries that can sell marijuana in certain parts of the country for the government to assess the possibility of a wider commercial legalization.
Germany would request the European Union’s approval for the sales component of the bill if it had been so revised. The body would not have to review the home grow language.
Lauterbach has not confirmed that the reporting of the changes is correct, but it should be clarified on Wednesday when the official makes the announcements about the “new cornerstones”. Last week, Lauterbach seemed to backtrack, stating that cannabis would be legalized in Germany.
RND reported Tuesday that the government would pursue the scaled back plan. It included new details about the proposal including the fact that consumers could possess up to 25g of marijuana and grow up three plants for their own use.
In addition to the pilot programs for regional commercial sales, the cannabis clubs and the regional commercial sales pilots would be included. The country would run limited trials for five years and simultaneously conduct scientific studies to determine how the shops impact consumption patterns and the illicit market.
Endlich!
Morgen stellt Gesundheitsminister @Karl_Lauterbach neue Eckpunkte zur #Legalisierung von #Cannabis vor!
Ich bin sehr gespannt!
https://t.co/nj3Dj6rqya
Kristine Lutke MdB April 11, 2023
The coalition government’s lawmakers have, however, been critical of the reported attempt to limit the legislative scope.
The earlier framework, which the government released last year with the support of the coalition, allowed adults over 18 to purchase and possess 20-30g of marijuana in federally licensed shops and pharmacies.
They can also grow up three plants for their own personal use. However, there are rules that they must keep them contained to protect youth access.
All criminal proceedings relating to offenses that were legalized under the reform will be stopped and closed immediately after implementation.
Marijuana would have to be subjected to the country’s retail tax. However, the plan doesn’t call for an additional “special consumption” tax. Instead, it argues that it should be set at a rate comparable with the illegal market.
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Lauterbach stated last month that German officials received “very positive feedback” from EU regarding the previous reform framework. He would be revising the plan before officially introducing a bill to the legislature.
The initial framework for legalization in Germany was approved by the Federal Cabinet late last year. However, the government needed to obtain the approval of the EU in order to make sure that the reform would not violate their international obligations.
This framework was developed after months of negotiations and review within the German administration and the country’s “traffic light” coalition government. Officials made the first step towards legalization last summer by launching a series hearings to inform legislation that would end country’s prohibition.
To inform their country’s legalization strategy, a group of German legislators, along with Burkhard Blienert (Narcotic Drugs Commissioner), visited California last year and toured cannabis businesses .
This visit was two months after high-ranking officials from Germany, Luxembourg and Malta met to discuss the challenges and plans related to recreational marijuana legalization.
In 2021, leaders of the coalition government stated that they had reached an accord to end the prohibition on cannabis and enact regulations for legalization. They first saw certain details of this plan last January.
An international survey, released last year, found that majority support was given for legalization by several key European countries including Germany.
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The post German Officials Unveil ‘New cornerstones’ of Marijuana Legalization Plan on Wednesday was first published by Marijuana Moment.
