The plans to decriminalize the possession of up to 30 grams (1 ounce) of cannabis and permit its sale to adults for recreational use were unveiled by Germany’s health minister today. The government is still unsure if the plan authorized by the Cabinet will move forward since it wants to confirm that it complies with EU legislation first.
The possession of up to 30 grams (1 ounce) of cannabis will no longer be considered illegal in Germany, and the sale of the drug to adults for recreational use will also be permitted, the country’s health minister announced on Wednesday.
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The government is still unsure if the plan authorized by the Cabinet will move forward since it wants to confirm that it complies with EU legislation first. Only if that is the case, according to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, can legislation move forward.
Lauterbach added that the plan’s goal is to fight the criminal market and calls for the selling of cannabis to adults at authorized stores. The government will strictly regulate the market, he continued.
One of the improvements stated in the coalition agreement reached between the three socially liberal parties that comprise Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s cabinet last year was the legalization of restricted cannabis sales.
They agreed to review the “social effects” of the new legislation after four years in order to assure quality control while also protecting young people.
A prohibition on doctors “promoting” abortion services has been lifted from Germany’s penal law, among other liberalizing initiatives. Additionally, it seeks to remove barriers to dual citizenship, make it easier to become a German citizen, and lower the voting age from 18 to 16.