German lawmakers on Wednesday approved plans to decriminalize the acquisition and ownership of recreational cannabis, according to several media reports, a step on the road to legalization and an opportunity for the North American industry to gain a foothold in Europe’s richest and most populous country.
The German federal cabinet reportedly approved a proposal through the Ministry of Health to legalize the acquisition and ownership of small quantities of hashish for recreational purposes, as well as their sale and production.
The plan, presented through Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, would allow adults to acquire and possess up to 30 grams of hashish for their own recreational use.
The government would consider the production, sale and distribution of hashish as part of legalization efforts, Lauterbach said at a news conference, according to Deutsche Welle.
The cultivation would be two or 3 plants according to the user and the sale would be to specialized stores.
Hashish advertising and marketing will also be banned, according to the plans.
Lauterbach said the proposal is “the maximum liberal legalization of hashish in Europe,” according to Deutsche Welle, as well as its “maximum regulated market. “It recognizes the continued use of the drug and the health dangers on the black market that fuels it lately. He said the technique could serve as a style for all of Europe, where only a few countries have decriminalized recreational hashish and only one, Malta, has legalized it. it. The framework represents a forward-looking boon for Germany’s fledgling hashish industry, as well as for U. S. corporations that are already taking advantage of legalization and expansion.
Cabinet approval initiates a potentially lengthy procedure to legalize cannabis. As an EU member, German law will also have to comply with EU law and lawmakers fear a poorly designed framework could be demolished by the European Court of Justice. The court has in the past such member states deserve to spare you the sale of cannabis, an imaginable challenge to the regulation proposed by the German government.
According to Bloomberg, the German government plans to explore the option of restricting the amount of THC in products aimed at adults under the age of 21. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is a key psychoactive component of hashish and is to blame for the drug’s high. A potent herb with higher amounts of THC may have a greater effect and is linked to more health risks than a milder bureaucracy of the drug.
Weed v. Greed: How America ruined marijuana legalization (Forbes)
Recreational hashish is as innocent as people think, according to a study (Forbes)
Germany’s plan to legalize hashish is left out. Here’s what it says (Politico)
Germany’s resolve to legalize hashish slowed by concerns of clash with EU (Guardian)