In the fall of 2021, we broke a story regarding Germany legalizing cannabis, making them the first to (bureaucratically) do so in Europe. The now coalition-led government of Germany is debuting a few initial components regarding its cannabis legalization scheme, even if the drug reform is taking a lower priority to efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic that continues to run rampant across the globe.
Before being sworn into office in the fall of 2021, the traffic light coalition revealed that cannabis legalization would be (some type of) priority and spread out an arrangement on the matter. Today, a head government official listed some information regarding the limbo proposal.
Here is what we know thus far: the German administration wants adults to be able to own up to and purchase cannabis from authorized facilities. Those could be sanctioned pharmacies, but legislators “may also resume drawing the radius” to widen where cannabis could be bought in Germany.
Since there is a retail component attached to the cannabis legalization measure, National Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) informed the German Press Department that “there will also be cannabis producers who are permitted to cultivate and distribute it lawfully,” signaling that the lead administration is creating a licensing structure for various aspects of the emerging German cannabis market.
According to the press report, administrative leaders are also delving into staffing guidelines for cannabis dispensaries. In order to provide retail cannabis for adult use in Germany, there could be some “mandated skills and vocations of the retail cannabis sales team” so that they can “supply information regarding the cannabis products and to offset adverse cannabis use, mainly in the case of obvious addicts.”
Cannabis will also “employ some style of taxation, similar to any other consumer products,” the German Justice expressed.
He also denied the notion that most Germans will continue to work in the criminal underbelly of cannabis, thanks to the point that it isn’t subject to taxation. Moreover, the German official expressed that “the chance of prosecution should also be enclosed in the dealer’s price estimation on the avenues.”
When it comes to timing for the cannabis legalization plan’s debut, Buschmann expressed it is mainly up to the Ministry of Health, which, at this time, is busy “fighting the global COVID-19 pandemic.”
At this time, personal possession of cannabis is decriminalized in Germany, and there is a medicinal cannabis program established.
The joint government also previously declared that it would examine the social influence of cannabis legalization in Germany four years after implementation.
Aside from cannabis legalization, the new coalition said it would also advance other drug reform procedures like setting up drug-checking services where individuals can have street drugs tested for adulterations and additional harmful compounds like pesticides without worrying about being jailed.
When the coalition broke the news of the German legalization agenda, the leaders pointed out that the legislation would also bound advertising for cannabis, liquor, spirits, and tobacco products.
While the German lawmakers stressed that the purpose of cannabis legalization is not to increase tax revenue for the country, FDP declared.
This cannabis reform measure has been coming in the European country for a long time. Five years ago, constituents of the Christian Democratic Union and its sister organization, the Christian Social Union, joined into talks with Free Democrats and Greens regarding advancing cannabis legalization.
At this rate, the German government can have retail cannabis dispensaries and compliance installed within the next two years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to slow down. In fact, the CDC believes it has ramped up and bred new variants of the COVID-19 virus. The sooner the pandemic slows down. The quicker German administrators can produce tangible results regarding cannabis legalization.