Top German officials say they expect the federal cabinet to approve a first part of their marijuana legalization plan in the “next few weeks.” He also said that the reform would be accompanied by a “major public education campaign” about the dangers of cannabis use.
In an interview published by Rheinische Post on Wednesday, Health minister Karl Lauterbach was questioned about the status the legalization proposals that were announced last month.
“I anticipate the cannabis approval will be in the cabinet by next week. According to a translated version, “there will be minor changes.”
The minister of health said, “But I can say this: Parallel to the legislation we will run an extensive campaign to bring attention to the dangers of cannabis consumption.” “Cannabis can be particularly harmful to a brain that is still growing. Up until the age 25, the brain is still undergoing a remodel. “Anyone who consumes during this age phase will be particularly harmful.”
He said, “My goal is to reduce cannabis use by young people while making it safer for anyone who wants to use it.”
The “small changes” that were made are not known, but according to the draft legislation released last month, adults could possess up to 25 g of cannabis for personal use and grow a maximum three plants. The bill would also allow adults to purchase marijuana through social clubs.
These facilities couldn’t be within 200 meters from a school and there could only be one club per 6,000 people in each city or district. The permit for a social club would be valid up to seven-years, with an option of extending it after five years. The draft bill stipulates that membership in the clubs must last for at least two month.
The summary of the 163 page bill outlines estimated costs for implementing and regulating this program as well as savings that will be made from reduced enforcement. New revenue is also 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 in the second half 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 part the 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 cannabis legislation will be formalized after it is approved by the Bundestag (the country’s national parliament) next week.
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In April , the health minister first shared details on the revised legalization plans. 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 , 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 cannabis prohibition. They also promised to enact regulations governing a legal cannabis industry.
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 article German official expects federal cabinet to approve marijuana legalization bill ‘next week’ first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
