RECREATIONAL use of cannabis is on its way to becoming legal in Germany.
People will be allowed to have 25 grams (nearly one ounce) of cannabis for their own use.
Members of the Cannabis Social Club Berlin “High Ground” protest before the Chancellor’s OfficeRex
EPAHealth Minister Karl Lauterbach has backed the bill[/caption]
They will be allowed to grow up to three cannabis plants and buy the drug at cannabis cafes.
Germany’s government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has approved the plan which they hope will protect consumers against contaminated marijuana and reduce drug-related crime.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach called the draft law “a turning point” in Germany’s attitude towards cannabis.
Speaking at a news conference he said: “With the current procedures we could not seriously protect children and young people, the topic has been made a taboo.
“We have rising, problematic consumption, we couldn’t simply allow this to go on.
“So this is an important turning point in our drug policy.”
The bill, which has not yet become law, has led to a major political row with conservatives fearing it will increase the use of marijuana.
Armin Schuster, conservative interior minister for the state of Saxony, said: “This law will be linked to a complete loss of control.”
A U.N. narcotics watchdog said in March moves by governments to legalize the recreational use of marijuana have led to increased consumption and cannabis-related health problems.
There are also concerns the move could backfire by putting more, rather than less, pressure on the country’s legal system, according to a body representing German judges.
The government has said it hopes to bring in five-year tests of regulated commercial supply chains in select regions, which would then be scientifically evaluated.
But for some the changes have not been radical enough. Oliver Waack-Jurgensen, who heads the Berlin-based High Ground “cannabis social club” founded last year, accused ministers of “overregulation”, continuing to stigmatise cannabis users and making it “impossible for many, many (cannabis clubs) to work”.
Cannabis is still technically illegal in the Netherlands, which is famous for its cannabis cafes. However there is a tolerance for the drug when it is sold in the coffee shops. And people are allowed to have small amounts of cannabis in Portugal.
The adult use of cannabis for recreational purposes is legal in 23 US states.
APOliver Waack-Juergensen, who heads the Berlin-based High Ground “cannabis social club” fears the drug is still being stigmatised[/caption]