Germany

Germany

Since proposals to legalize cannabis were first announced in 2022, all those with one eye on drug policy have been watching Germany closely. In January, Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach told the press discussions were going “promisingly” and he expects the draft law for the Cannabis Act (CanG) to be passed in the Bundestag in the week of February 19, coming into force from April.

This will also see a staged approach, with Pillar One permitting personal use of restricted amounts of cannabis, home cultivation and the establishment of non-profit social clubs, similar to the Maltese model.

At a later date, Pillar Two will see the introduction of legal commercial supply chains in certain districts and states which will be scientifically monitored for five years—similar to recent developments in Switzerland and the Netherlands.

According to German cannabis lawyer, Olivia Ewenike, there is already significant interest from those wishing to open clubs and cooperatives.

“There is already a high demand for the establishment of these clubs and just as many interested parties on the customer side,” she tells me over email.

“The clubs play an important role as they will demonstrate that it is possible to grow and supply cannabis to the public in a compliant manner and to certain standards. The clubs will enable many people to acquire high-quality and tested cannabis. They will no longer have to turn to the black market to purchase it and consumers will no longer have to fear prosecution. This will be a milestone in German drug prohibition policy.”