Germany legalises cannabis possession for personal use from April
Al Jazeera
German laws on cannabis use now among most liberal in Europe, but medical experts warn it ‘makes you stupid’.
The German parliament has approved the partial legalisation of cannabis for personal use in a landmark vote that leaves the country with some of the most liberal laws on the substance in Europe.
Lawmakers in the Bundesrat, or the upper house, passed the long-debated bill on Friday, making it legal to obtain up to 25 grams (0.88 ounces) of the drug per day for personal use through regulated cannabis cultivation associations, as well as to have up to three plants at home, when the new rules come into effect on April 1.
The new law, which still prohibits possession and use of the drug for anyone under 18, will leave Germany with some of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe.
Malta and Luxembourg legalised recreational use of the drug in 2021 and 2023, respectively. The Netherlands, known for its liberal cannabis laws, has been cracking down on sales to tourists and non-residents in recent years.
The cannabis law has been the subject of bitter wrangling within the coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz‘s Social Democrats, the Greens and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). In their coalition agreement, the three parties had pledged to go further and allow cannabis to be sold in shops, a move slapped down by the European Union. They are now planning a second law to trial the drug’s sale in shops in certain regions.
