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DRUGS

Germany set to legalise cannabis ‘soon’, says minister

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has confirmed that the process of legalising recreational weed has started.

Published: 6 May 2022 16:22 CEST
Cannabis legalisation parade Berlin
A protester smokes at a demo for weed legalisation in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Carsten Koall

In a tweet sent out on Friday, Lindner wrote: “A question that people keep asking me: ‘When will Bubatz be legal? I would say: soon.”

“Bubatz” is German street slang for cannabis and is normally heard in hip-hop and rap music rather than statements from government ministers.

Lindner was referring to a policy formulated by Social Democrats (SDP), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) in their coalition agreement last November, which vowed to legalise the use of recreational cannabis.

Weed is already legal in medical contexts in Germany, but the move to full legalisation marks a significant change for recreational users of the drug.

Back in January, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) told Spiegel that the changes to the Narcotics Act had to be carried out by the Ministry of Health.

“It is obvious to everyone at the moment that the ministry and the new minister, Karl Lauterbach, now have their hands full with the fight against the pandemic,” he said.

But with the threat of Covid-19 receding in the past few months, it appears that the Ministry of Health is now turning its attention to legalising the psychoactive drug.

READ ALSO: How Germany’s next government is planning to legalise cannabis

On Friday, it emerged that the Federal Commissioner on Narcotic Drugs, Burkhard Blienert, was planning the technical details of the policy in consultation with government ministries and other experts.

“The point is to pool knowledge and experience, but also to address objections and reservations very openly,” he told DPA.

This part of the process, which will help the government iron out things like regulation and supply chains, should be completed by autumn. 

“Hardly any other drug policy issue has occupied people as much as cannabis for decades,” Blienert said. “We all know how complex this project is.”

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) agreed with this timeline, saying expert discussions would start over the summer and a draft law would be presented in the second half of the year.

Where will people be able to buy cannabis?

Currently, cannabis is only available for medical purposes in Germany, but the change in the law will make it available at licensed shops for recreational users. 

It’s unclear how widespread these licensed shops would be at present: it could be as commonly sold as alcohol or it could be restricted to more specialised vendors like pharmacies.  

At the very least, staff training is likely to be a prerequisite for a sales licence. This would enable vendors to provide customers with information about the potential harms of the drug and recognise people who may be addicted. 

Unfortunately for fans of Amsterdam, the Dutch model of licensed coffee shops for smoking weed with friends seems unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Instead, weed will be available to buy for smoking at home or elsewhere.  

READ ALSO: Germany should make cannabis available at pharmacies not ‘coffee shops’, says FDP boss

Member comments

  1. I hope they don’t legalize it. It stinks. EVERYWHERE you went in California it was a big cloud of smoke. Even the park, parents high out of their minds, pushing kids on swings blazing out. It was gross. Then you’ll have all those lovely needles to pick up soon enough too.

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MUNICH

Bavaria moves to ban cannabis at Oktoberfest and beer gardens

Germany may have legalised cannabis, but anyone hoping to enjoy a joint with their beer at this year's Oktoberfest may be disappointed.

Published: 17 April 2024 09:24 CEST
Bavaria moves to ban cannabis at Oktoberfest and beer gardens

The southern state of Bavaria on Tuesday announced that it wants to ban the consumption of cannabis in beer gardens, at public festivals, on restaurant terraces and in some parks. 

The state government wants to “limit the public consumption of cannabis despite the federal government’s dangerous legalisation law”, according to a statement.

Clemens Baumgaertner, the head of the Oktoberfest, told the web.de news portal he specifically wants to make the festival a weed-free zone.

“A family festival like the (Oktoberfest) and cannabis consumption don’t go together,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bavaria state premier Markus Söder, of the CSU, tweeted that Bavaria was strengthening the protection of children and young people. 

“We will ban smoking weed in beer gardens and at public festivals,” he said. “In addition, local authorities will be able to prohibit smoking and vaping of cannabis products in public areas where large numbers of people regularly congregate, for example at tourist attractions, outdoor swimming pools and amusement parks.”

On April 1st, Germany became the largest EU nation to legalise recreational use of cannabis, despite fierce objections from opposition politicians and medical associations.

READ ALSO: What to know about Germany’s partial legalisation of cannabis

Under the first step in the much-debated new law, adults over 18 are now allowed to carry 25 grams of dried cannabis and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at home.

However, cannabis will remain banned for under-18s and within 100 metres of schools, kindergartens and playgrounds.

The changes leave Germany with some of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe, alongside Malta and Luxembourg, which legalised recreational use in 2021 and 2023 respectively.

But under Germany’s federal system, each state retains a degree of freedom to decide how it will impose the rules.

Bavaria plans to amend the state Health Protection Act to limit how cannabis can be legally consumed. 

Politicians also plan a ban on consumption in the Englisher Garten, Hofgarten and Finanzgarten in Munich as well as the Hofgarten in Bayreuth.

The amended law is to be presented before the Whitsun holidays, which begin in mid-May this year. It is not yet clear when the law could be passed by the state parliament.

SPD legal expert in the Bavarian state parliament, Horst Arnold, criticised this  approach as “cannabis hysteria”.

With reporting by Rachel Loxton

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