German Chamber approves PL to legalize recreational marijuana

The Bundestag –Germany’s Parliament, similar to the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil– approved this Friday (23.Feb.2024) the bill that aims to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the country. There were 407 votes in favor and 226 against. Another 4 deputies abstained. The information is from German wave.

The proposal, called the “Cannabis Law” or “CanG”, will go to the Bundesrat, a body also known as the Federal Council, equivalent to the Brazilian Senate. The text must be evaluated by the legislative body from March 22nd.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach celebrated the approval of the project. On his account on X (formerly Twitter), he said that the achievement meant “a good day for failed drug policy” from the country.

The bill (full – PDF – 1 MB, in German) was presented by the German coalition government. The group is known as the Semaphore Coalition and is made up of the center-left party SPD (Social Democratic Party), of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the liberal FDP (Free Democratic Party) and the center-left party the Greens.

With the proposal, marijuana will be removed from the list of prohibited substances in the Narcotics Law. In addition, the country will allow, from April 1st, adults aged 18 or over to cultivate up to 50g at home and carry up to 25g of marijuana in public places for their own use.

The law also establishes rules for the non-commercial cultivation and distribution of marijuana by government-licensed associations from July 1st. Among them is the prohibition of advertising and any form of sponsorship of associations. The proposal also prohibits members of cultivation associations from providing cannabis to third parties.