Coalition announces agreement on cannabis legalization

According to its own statements, the traffic light coalition has resolved the disagreements over the planned legalization of cannabis. The law could come into force on April 1, according to the deputy parliamentary group leaders Konstantin Kuhle (FDP), Maria Klein-Schmeink (Greens) and Dagmar Schmidt (SPD). However, the law still has to pass through the Bundestag first. In recent weeks, there has been resistance to the proposed legislation, particularly within the SPD parliamentary group.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had set the week from February 19 to 23 for the bill to be passed by parliament. The Federal Council also still has to deal with the plans. The new regulation is “a real milestone for a modern drug policy”, according to the parliamentary group representatives. Consumers would be decriminalized and the black market combated. The effects of the law on the protection of children and young people and on organized crime should be evaluated “promptly”, they said. The expertise of the Federal Criminal Police Office will also be included in this process.

According to the law, home cultivation and possession of the drug will be permitted for adults up to certain limits from April. From July, so-called social clubs are also to be made possible, in which cannabis plants can be grown collectively. A monthly defined maximum quantity can then be distributed to members. Consumption in the immediate vicinity of schools or daycare centers will remain prohibited, and prevention programs will also educate people about the dangers of cannabis consumption.