Germany looks set to legalise cannabis in a move that could be worth €4.7 billion annually
Germany looks set to legalise the sale of cannabis for
recreational purposes after a deal was reached between the three political
parties likely to form the country's next governing coalition.
The left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD), the
environmentalist Greens and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) have been
locked in intense coalition negotiations in recent weeks following a landmark
election in September.
All three parties campaigned around reforming cannabis laws,
calling for regulation of the sale and consumption of the drug and ending
Germany’s criminal prohibition.
According to Politico, the three parties plan to
"introduce the regulated sale of cannabis to adults for consumption
purposes in licensed stores."
According to their report on the subject, the new
legislation will ensure quality control, prevent the distribution of
contaminated products, and guarantee the protection of minors. However, it is
not yet clear whether the cultivation of cannabis within Germany will also be
legalised.
A major evaluation of the new law would also take place
after four years to assess its implementation and effects on German society.
According to a study conducted by the University of
Düsseldorf, and commissioned by the German hemp association, legalising
cannabis could see Germany add around €3.4 billion in tax revenue to the
nation's economy annually.
It would also save the judicial system in the country around
€1.3 billion every year and could create around 27,000 jobs - a notable boost
for Europe's largest economy.
Along with proposals for recreational legalisation of
cannabis, the new laws will also include expanded drug checking measures, in
which users can have their drugs checked for their chemical composition and can
be warned of particularly dangerous ingredients.
Germany's legalisation of adult-use cannabis would make it
the fourth country globally to end prohibition - joining Canada, Uruguay and
Luxembourg, which last month announced changes to the laws on cannabis that
will make it the first country in Europe to legalise production and consumption
of the drug.
Under a new raft of laws presented by the Cabinet, people
over the age of 18 in Luxembourg will be able to grow up to four cannabis
plants per household for personal use. The place of cultivation will be limited
to the usual place of residence, indoors or outdoors, on a balcony, terrace or
garden.
A ban on the consumption and transport of cannabis in public
will stay in place, but the new legislation would sharply lower fines punishing
people who carry three grams or less from the current €250-€2,500 to as little
as €25.
Under the new rules, the sale of cannabis seeds in shops
will also be permitted, along with the importation of them from abroad or
bought online.
Meris Sehovic, co-president of Luxembourg’s Green Party,
said the government intends to regulate large-scale growing as well, eventually
hoping to develop national organic production.
A vote in parliament is still required to confirm the
proposals and reduction of sanctions — but the plans have the backing of the
governing coalition.
The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes has been legal in
Germany since 2017.
Given the combination of Germany's size, with a population
of 83 million, and its global political clout, the move to legalise cannabis is
expected to create a positive ripple effect for legalisation efforts around the
world.
People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny previously told Buzz that
countries moving towards legalisation could have an effect on Ireland reforming
its own laws around the use of cannabis.
"Any kind of policy change in relation to cannabis in a
different country will have a knock-on effect, particularly in the European
Union," said Mr Kenny, who is set to introduce the Cannabis Regulation and
Control Bill 2021, which will be the first time in eight years that legislation
around ending the prohibition on cannabis will be before the Dail.
"So anything that is chipping away at prohibition is a
good thing in my opinion."
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