Yo, what up, it’s your boy Dan, and I got some dope news for you. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbauch just came back from Brussels, where he attended a meeting with the Council of Ministers for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers on March 14. This dude was talking about his cannabis proposal and when he thinks it’s gonna be ready to drop.
According to Europa Press, Lauterbauch said his proposal “has obtained a very good response from the Commission.” That’s what I’m talking about, fam! He also talked to NTV and said that his proposal will be out in the “next few weeks.” You hear that? We’re getting closer!
Lauterbauch knows that he has to follow European laws, but he still wants to “reduce crime and make cannabis use as safe as possible.” Some people are worried about legalizing weed, but Lauterbauch says they’re working on it. “One of them has been presented by the Netherlands, which proposes a centralized care and focuses on the recommendations of the experts,” he said. That sounds like a smart plan to me.
But wait, there’s more! A different cannabis proposal was talked about in a meeting with the German Bundestag Health Committee on March 15. They want adults to be able to buy and possess up to 30 grams of weed or resin. People would also be allowed to grow up to three female cannabis plants for personal or community use. You could even keep a year’s worth of your harvest from those plants. But if you go over those limits, you could get fined.
Lauterbauch’s proposal was leaked last October by RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland, but he gave it officially to German Chancellor Olaf Sholz one week later. According to that draft text, you won’t get punished for having between 20 and 30 grams of weed if you’re 18 or older. There will be limits on how much THC can be in products though (no more than 15% for most people, and 10% for young adults between 18 and 21). Only licensed businesses will be allowed to sell weed, and importing it will still be illegal. You’ll also be able to grow up to three plants at home.
Lauterbauch thinks his plan is “the most liberal legalization of cannabis in Europe,” but also the most regulated one. He said an updated version would be out soon and that they’d formally introduce the legalization measure in the first quarter of this year. That means it could happen any day now!
Germany already legalized medical marijuana back in March 2017 but only started looking into recreational legalization in late 2021. They’ve had five hearings since then to talk about public safety, youth prevention, supply chains, and more. Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drugs Burkhard Blienert said they want to protect kids and make sure everyone stays safe.
In September 2022, some officials from the Health Committee of the Bundestag even went all the way out to Cali to check out some dispensaries and cannabis facilities. They met with people from Oaksterdam University and CA NORML, learned about lab testing at SC Labs, and talked about conserving energy and water at Lowell Farms. These guys are serious about getting this right!
So there you have it, folks! Germany might be joining the ranks of legalized weed countries soon enough. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for Lauterbauch’s proposal!
