The Bundestag’s key committee has approved the bill legalizing marijuana. This will now be considered by the floor and voted on in its final form this Friday. There are now new concerns about whether or not the law will be implemented in April, as originally planned.
The Health Committee passed the bill on Wednesday. The bill is being considered by eight panels of parliament on the same date before it goes to the floor.
It appears that the debate within the Health Committee was contentious. The measure was approved by the members with some previously agreed upon changes.
The next hurdle was overcome! Green MP Kirsten Kapert-Gonther said. She chairs the committee, but she passed the responsibility of overseeing Wednesday’s meeting on to another member of a different party, because she is a major advocate of the Bill.
Die nachste Hurde ist genommen!Der Gesundheitsausschuss hat dem #CanG mit allen Anderungsantragen zugestimmt.
Next Step: 2/3 Lesung am Freitag pic.twitter.com/Jq29y8DmAO— Kirsten Kappert-Gonther February 21, 2020
While a final vote on the floor is expected to take place Friday, it is not clear when implementation will begin.
Legal Tribune Online reports that when the bill is sent to the Bundesrat (a separate body representing individual German states), members could refer it to a mediator committee to resolve issues relating to the criminal justice policy implications of the measure.
The law does not require the approval of the Bundesrat. attempted to block the reform proposal in September, but ultimately failed. It does, however, have the authority to refer cases to a mediation committee.
The Health Minister Karl Lauterbach rejected a proposal that would have extended the timeline of implementation, which could have prevented such a referral. Therefore, the current thinking is to discuss the criminal justice component and the timeline for legalization over the summer.
Die letzte formale Hurde ist genommen. Der Gesundheitsausschuss hat unsere Anderungsantrage und schliesslich auch das #CanG angenommen! Damit konnen wir am Freitag die letzte Debatte im Plenum fuhren und final uber das Gesetz abstimmen.
— Kristine Lutke (@kristine_lutke). February 21, 2020
According to a translated statement, Kristine Lutke from the Free Democratic Party stated that “the last formal hurdle was overcome.” This means that we can hold the final debate in the Plenary Session on Friday, and vote on the Law.
Der Weg ins Plenum ist frei! #CanG
— Carmen Wegge February 21, 2020 HTML0
The developments in the committee on Wednesday follow weeks of announcements by leaders of Germany’s so-called Traffic Light Coalition Government that the coalition had reached a final deal on the legalization legislation, resolving outstanding concerns – primarily from Social Democratic Party (SPD).
The SPD leaders were concerned about the final vote that was originally planned for December. After committee review, it is expected that the bill will be brought to the floor for a vote on Friday.
The first debate was delayed in October , in response to the conflict between Israel and Palestine . also pushed back the vote for November while supporters worked to improve the bill.
The health minister answered questions at a December meeting from members who were opposed to legalization. He responded at several points to lawmakers who claimed that legalization could send the wrong message to youth , and increase underage consumption.
The bill was amended by lawmakers to remove restrictions, which were opposed by advocates and supporters of the bill in the Bundestag. The bill included raising the maximum amount of marijuana that can be kept at home and eliminating the possibility of prison time for possession slightly above the allowed limit.
In April, the legislators agreed to implement the reform in a phased manner. Possession and home cultivation will be legal for adults. In July, social clubs that distribute marijuana to their members will open.
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.
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 has approved an initial framework for legalization measures to be implemented in 2022. However, the government said that it also wanted the EU‘s approval to make sure the reform would not violate their international obligations.
The framework is the result of months of discussions and reviews between the German government and the coalition of traffic lights. Officials have taken a first step towards legalization by 2022. They launched a series hearings to inform legislation that will end prohibition.
In November, 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.
In 2022, a group of German legislators, including Narcotics Drugs Commission Burkhard Blienert , will separately visit the U.S., and tour California cannabis businesses , to help inform their country’s legalization approach.
The visit was made after the top officials of Germany, Luxembourg and Malta met for the first time 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 cannabis prohibition as well as enacting regulations for a legal marijuana 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.
Justice Department researcher says ‘We may need better tests’ for Marijuana impairment, questioning the ‘per se’ THC limits for driving
The article A German Committee Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill Before Floor Vote But Questions Are Raised About Implementation Timeline first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
