Germans celebrate legalization of cannabis possession and cultivation | Drugs

Hundreds of people celebrated this Sunday, in the center of Berlin, the moment in which Germany became the largest country in the European Union (EU) to legalize the possession and controlled cultivation of cannabis.

The law came into force at midnight (11pm on Sunday in Lisbon), allowing the possession of 25 grams of dried cannabis in public places, as well as cultivation at home, up to 50 grams and three plants per adult.

However, the representative of the German Cannabis Federation, Georg Wurth, warned that the situation will only change from July 1st, with the entry into force of the regulation of cannabis clubs. cannabis.

These non-profit associations will be able to grow the drug on outdoor land, in greenhouses or in uninhabited buildings and sell to members a maximum of 25 grams per day or 50 grams per month.

Controlled at least once a year by the authorities, each association will be able to accept, in exchange for a contribution, a maximum of 500 members who have resided in Germany for at least six months.

Germany has become the third EU country to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, after Malta in 2021 and Luxembourg last year. In the Netherlands, cannabis use is not legal, but tolerated, particularly through so-called coffee shops.

The German Government argued that the new legislation, a demand from environmentalists and liberals who are part of the Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, will allow for a more effective fight against drug trafficking.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach argued that the prohibition policy failed and that countries like Canada, which implemented legalization, managed to reduce the black market.

But many medical associations fear an increase in consumption, especially among young people.

Experts have warned that, up to the age of 25, consumption of cannabis carries increased risks for the brain, which is still in formation, and pointed in particular to the danger of developing psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.

Katja Seidel, an addiction prevention expert at the Tannenhof Center in Berlin, described the new law as “a catastrophe.”

The German Health Minister promised to increase resources to educate young people about the dangers of cannabis, without advancing concrete measures.

The authorities argued that the cannabis remains prohibited for children under 18, as is consumption within a 100-meter radius around schools, daycare centers and playgrounds.

The vice-president of the police union, Alexander Poitz, also criticized the new law: “our colleagues will find themselves in situations of conflict with citizens, because uncertainty reigns on both sides”.

The Federation of German Judges warned that, due to the amnesties resulting from the law, for crimes related to cannabismore than 200 thousand cases will have to be re-examined, which will prevent the criminal justice system from “devoting itself to other tasks for weeks and months”.