Entwurf eines Cannabiskontrollgesetzes (CannKG; "Draft of a cannabis control law") was a bill proposed in 2015 that would remove cannabis from the list of scheduled drugs in Betäubungsmittelgesetz, the federal controlled substances law in Germany. The issue was proposed by Alliance 90/The Greens (the German Green Party). It would regulate cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol, with adults 18 years old permitted to buy and possess up to 30 grams in regulated stores.[1][2]

2022 proposal

A new regulatory framework that would legalize cannabis in Germany was brought out with an Eckpunktepapier ("cornerstone paper", or framework paper), introduced on October 26, 2022 by Minister of Health and member of the Bundestag, Karl Lauterbach, who is a physician and epidemiologist trained in the United States and Germany.

The 2022 deregulation proposal was leaked around 19 October 2022.[3][4][5]

Provisions

Provisions of the October 2022 framework paper include sales in licensed establishments, and personal possession by adults over 18 years of 20 to 30 grams of cannabis without THC content limit. There may be sales limitations regarding persons under 21 years of age.[6][7]

Effect

The ministry document is intended to have direct effect under Directive (EU) 2015/1535. Germany will present the framework paper to the European Union before implementing legislation.[8]

Reception

The issuance of the draft regulations by Ministry of Health was called "decisive step toward legalization" by Politico.[5]

Deutscher Hanfverband criticized a 15% THC limit in the leaked draft.[9]

2023 proposal

In March 2023, the health minister, Karl Lauterbach, reported a positive reaction from European Commission on the plan, and intended to bring a bill forward soon.[10]

Details of a leaked version of a new scaled-back plan were published by German newspaper Die Zeit in late March. The new plan would have experimental controlled legalization in sub-national areas.[11][12]

The new plan was officially announced on 12 April. Provisions included legal possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis, and home- or club-grown cannabis, but did not allow large-scale commercial production and sale of the plant.[13]

The proposal was accepted by the federal cabinet on 16 August to be submitted to parliament.[14] If it goes through as planned by the health ministry, the law could be in effect as early as the beginning of 2024.[15] It survived a challenges by German states in the Bundesrat in late September, prior to its being taken up by the Bundestag.[16][17]

A version of the bill agreed to by the German governing coalition, the traffic light coalition, was released on 27 November 2023, with a vote planned soon to allow for legal possession by adults by 1 April 2024.[18] A vote on the bill was considered likely to pass by 1 December.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Cannabis-Gesetz der Grünen: Kiffen, aber richtig" [Cannabis law of the Greens: smoking pot, but the right way], Der Spiegel, 4 March 2015
  2. ↑ "Grüne wollen jedem drei Cannabis-Pflanzen gönnen" [The greens think everyone deserves to have three cannabis plants], Die Welt, 4 March 2015
  3. ↑ "Bundesregierung veroeffentlicht das Eckpunktepapier" [Federal government publishes [leaked] framework paper]. Hanf Journal (in German). 19 October 2022.
  4. ↑ Bernd Pickert (19 October 2022). "Geleakte Cannabis-Eckpunkte: Was haben die denn geraucht?" [Leaked cannabis framework]. Die Tageszeitung. Die geleakten Cannabis-Eckpunkte lassen die Hoffnung auf eine Freigabe schwinden. Qualität und Quantität sollen weiterhin massiv kontrolliert werden.
  5. 1 2 LOUIS WESTENDARP (19 October 2022). "Germany's plan to legalize cannabis is out. Here's what it says". Politico. Germany plans to decriminalize the purchase and possession of small amounts of cannabis, allow licensed sales in shops, but advertising would be banned. The so-called cornerstone paper represents a decisive step toward legalization in the EU's most populous nation
  6. ↑ Jan Drebes; Antje Höning (25 October 2022). "So soll die Cannabis-Freigabe ablaufen" [This is how the cannabis deregulation is supposed to work]. Rheinische Post.
  7. ↑ "Bundeskabinett befasst sich mit Cannabis-Legalisierung" [Federal cabinet deals with cannabis legalization] (in German). Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 26 October 2022 – via Die Zeit.
  8. ↑ Riham Alkousaa (26 October 2022). "Germany to legalize cannabis use for recreational purposes". Reuters.
  9. ↑ Christian Hensen (23 October 2022). "Gebt das Hanf frei – und zwar richtig". Stern.
  10. ↑ Karen Gilchrist (22 March 2023). "'Cannabis in Germany will be a success story': Europe's biggest economy moves closer to weed legalization". CNBC.
  11. ↑ Tim Neumann; Tilman Steffen (31 March 2023). "Karl Lauterbach plant Cannabislegalisierung light" [Karl Lauterbach plans cannabis legalization "light"]. Die Zeit (in German).(subscription required)
  12. ↑ "Cannabis-Gesetz lässt auf sich warten - Vorschlag "in Kürze"" [Wait longer for cannabis law - details "shortly"], Stern (in German), 31 March 2023
  13. ↑ "Germany scales back cannabis legalization plans to focus on home cultivation". Politico. 12 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Sarah Marsh; Andreas Rinke (16 August 2023). "German cabinet OKs landmark bill over legal cannabis use". Reuters.
  15. ↑ Patrick Freiwah (11 September 2023). "Cannabis-Legalisierung in Deutschland: Soll Eigenanbau möglich sein?". Augsburger Allgemeine. Augsburg, Germany. Wenn alles läuft, wie derzeit vom Bundesgesundheitsministerium geplant, soll das Gesetz bereits Anfang 2024 in Kraft treten. (If everything goes as currently planned by the Federal Ministry of Health, the law should come into force as early as the beginning of 2024.)
  16. ↑ "Länder kritisieren geplante Cannabis-Legalisierung" [States criticize planned cannabis legalization]. RBB24.de (in German). Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. 29 September 2023.
  17. ↑ Hasso Suliak (29 September 2023). "Legalisierungsgegner scheitern im Bundesrat" [Opponents of legalization fail in Bundesrat] (in German). Legal Tribune Online.
  18. ↑ "Toleranzmenge, Bannzone, Eigenanbau: Gesetz zur Cannabis-Legalisierung wird entschärft – die Beschlüsse im Überblick" [Tolerated quantities, exclusion zones, home cultivation: cannabis legalization law is being circulated: overview of the decisions]. Der Tagesspiegel. 27 November 2023.
  19. ↑ Meehan, Maureen (27 November 2023). "Historic Step For Germany: Lawmakers Agree On Revised Marijuana Bill, Vote Expected Next Week". Benzinga.

Further reading


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