German Health Minister Announces Details of Legalization Draft

German parliamentarians have officially laid out plans for the country to decriminalize the sale and possession of cannabis.according to Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach who spoke at Press conference in Berlin On October 26th, the legalization proposal will then be sent to the European Union (EU) Executive Committee for final EU approval after ensuring that it meets current EU standards. german parliamentIf the bill is passed and approved, it will proceed “on this basis.” Associated Press.

Lauterbach said the current law “could become a model for Europe”, but it won’t come into force until at least 2024. Q1 2023.

The proposal would require cannabis to be grown by licensed growers and sold only in licensed stores to discourage black market sales. Residents can grow up to three plants in their homes and can purchase and own up to “20-30” grams of cannabis.

Lauterbach explained the nature of the proposal in comparison to existing cannabis laws in other European countries. “This is Europe’s most liberal cannabis legalization project on the one hand and the most heavily regulated market on the other,” he said. Many of the drivers are consumer safety. “We don’t want to expand cannabis consumption, we want to improve youth and health protection,” he said. Guardian.

The Health Minister had previously opposed legalization, but was aware that the current law worked. Lauterbach said the country is home to his 83 million people, about 4 million of whom consumed cannabis in his 2021. Of the population, his quarter of young people from age 18 to age 24 have consumed cannabis before.

Lauterbach also suggested that Germany has taken a dramatically different approach to legalization compared to its northern neighbor the Netherlands. I don’t want it to be that way.” he explained“I want to control the whole market”

Ultimately, there are no plans to allow on-site consumption at cannabis retailers. Other restrictions on pharmacies include not being near schools and that cannabis shops cannot sell alcohol or cigarettes. Quality requirements are also expected for German cannabis products.

Lauterbach said the government had not decided whether to impose the tax in addition to the regular sales tax, and said the products should not be more expensive than those on the black market.

According to business owners such as SynBiotic CEO Lars Mueller, the reform plan is “like winning the lottery,” he said. bloomberg“When the time comes, we will be able to offer a franchise-like model to cannabis retailers in addition to opening our own stores.”

In May, the German Bundestag put pressure on the Ministry of Health, threatening to cut its funding if it did not start working on a draft legalization proposal.

In June, the German government held public hearings on recreational cannabis reform, attended by more than 200 people. On October 19, Lauterbach announced plans to draft a national reform bill, and an early draft of Germany’s cannabis law was leaked by his RND newspaper group. According to an early draft, products will be limited to 15% THC for adults over 21 and 10% THC for adults aged 18-21, and residents will be allowed to grow two plants at home. .

The country of Malta will become the first country in the EU to legalize adult cannabis in December 2021, with Germany potentially second (medical cannabis has been legal in Germany since 2017). ).