Possession of up to 20 grams and regulated sale for adults. The plan has been revealed legalization of cannabis in Germany. Let's find out all the details.
The proposal on soft drugs, reported in preview by Rnd, had been promised in the electoral campaign by each of the three parties that today make up the "traffic light coalition": socialists, greens and liberals, to "suppress the black market."
What the German legalization plan includes
Despite the one presented by the Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach is only a draft still to be submitted to the other ministries of the federal government, it seems that this reform represents the cornerstone on which the legalization of cannabis in Germany will be based. But what does it predict specifically?
- Possession up to 20 grams of cannabis for adults aged 18 and over
- Home cultivation permitted until two plants
- Despite legalization it will be prohibited any marketing and advertising
- The sale will be guaranteed exclusively by authorized shops and pharmacies who possess the appropriate license. Additionally, dispensaries will be located away from schools and facilities for young people and children
- Cannabis products will have to comply with a maximum limit of 15% THC, which drops to 10% for young people between 18 and 21 years old
- Marijuana for recreational use will have to be grown and produced in the country. Consequently, theimport from abroad it will be prohibited
- Minors caught consuming cannabis they will not be criminalized. However, care providers can force young people to participate prevention courses
As regards sales taxation, the reform provides for the introduction of a "cannabis tax" which should vary based on the percentage of THC. Ultimately, including the tax, the retail price to the consumer "will have to approach the cost of the black market."
Will the import ban stop legalization?
We arrive at the most controversial decision leaked from the document: the import ban cannabis. This move, justified by EU laws and international law which prohibit trade of drugs, could it undermine Germany's dream of legalization?
We remind you that in 2021 the country, producing only 2.6 tons of cannabis per year, will imported about 20 tons for medical and scientific purposes.
To ensure the demand of the next recreational market, which according to statistics is around 400 tons of cannabis per year, Germany will quickly have to come up with a plan for increase its own national cannabis production.
What happens in the rest of Europe
While in Italy one has been proposed law to ban light cannabis, Malta became last December the first country in Europe a legalize both the production and consumption of cannabis for recreational use. Instead, since 2001, Cannabis Social Clubs have been covering Spanish territory.
| For further information: "Cannabis Social Club: everything you need to know"
