Yo, what’s good? This is Dan, and I gotta tell y’all about the buzz in the cannabis industry. Apparently, Germany, the biggest economy in the European Union, is considering legalizing recreational weed! Last October, the Health Minister, Mr. Karl Lauterbach, proposed a plan for full legalization to the cabinet, and now it’s just a matter of time.
But hold up, there were concerns that Germany wouldn’t be able to make it happen cuz of its obligations to the UN treaty and EC regulations. But guess what? Mr. Lauterbach recently announced that they’re developing a new plan that puts public health and safety first.
So here’s the deal: Germany is taking a two-pronged approach with limited commercial opportunities for now. The plan includes non-profits growing cannabis for personal use among members and region-specific pilot initiatives with commercial supply chains for data collection purposes.
Germany ain’t the first country to talk about legalizing weed but then back down. Mexico, Israel, and New Zealand all had plans but they all fell through for different reasons.
Some folks think that countries signed onto the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs can’t legalize weed for recreational use. But Michael Krawitz, a US Air Force vet, says there’s a loophole in Article 2 that could make it possible. Canada is also part of the treaty and they fully legalized weed in 2018.
But Germany is part of the European Union (EU), which means they gotta get authorization from the EC to move forward with their plan. They gotta show that they won’t violate any drug treaties. In their previous plan, Germany said they wouldn’t import weed from other countries and would only satisfy local demand. But since they’re a Schengen member with borders to nine other countries, restricting cross-border trade could affect others.
But now Germany’s got a new plan. Non-profit associations can grow and distribute weed for personal use among members, with evaluations every four years. Individuals can possess up to 25 grams without penalty, and home cultivation of up to three plants is allowed. There’s also gonna be documentation and reporting for production and distribution, a ban on advertising weed, and membership fees to cover expenses.
The second part of the plan involves regional trials with commercial supply chains for data collection. The success of these trials will determine if full legalization is possible in the future.
Germany is taking a measured approach, adjusting their plan based on international treaties. It’s gonna be interesting to see how the market develops in the coming years.
So there you have it, Germany’s making moves towards legalizing recreational weed. Stay lit, folks!