On April 1st 2024, the German government shocked the world by announcing the legalisation of the personal possession of Cannabis for anyone over the age of 18. The bill had strong backing from the German Bundestag with over 64% of MPs voting in favour of it, however, public opinion was more divided, with only 47% in favour of the bill. So, with reports saying that over 4 million German citizens smoked cannabis in 2022, what does this bill entail for the future of the German drug market and how does it affect the citizens?
If you delve deeper into the specifics of the bill, the German Bundestag have tried to cover as many angles as possible, protecting minors and trying to limit usage to those who are eligible. Adults are allowed to carry 25g of dried cannabis on them any time and can cultivate and grow a maximum of 3 marijuana plants in their homes. Furthermore, the cannabis can only be smoked within designated Cannabis smoking groups in designated areas of cities and the law is only in place for German citizens (it is illegal for foreigners). In order to protect the youth of Germany and prevent addiction among young people, no cannabis can be smoked within 100 yards of a school, kindergarten, playground, or sports centre. The German Health Minister argued that the change would help to counteract the so-called ‘black market’ of Cannabis in Germany and allow citizens to know that what they were consuming was pure and unadulterated. The aim of this legislation was to try and ease the burden of the German police force and allow the controlling of a major part of the illegal German drug industry.
However, many medical professionals believe that the legislation is still too weak and may still cause harm. Cannabis contains a chemical called THC, which causes addiction and structural changes to regions of the brain. Professionals are worried that this THC could still cause damage to German youth as the brain isn't fully developed until our early 20s, meaning that consumption could still have some effect. It is also suspected that this legalisation may prompt ‘black market’ dealers to further target the younger German population with cheaper and more impure drugs, something that could cause a severe problem for the German government. German law enforcement is also expressing concerns, emphasising some grey areas in the legislation. With plenty of internal turmoil over this controversial legislation, the German government also received some international backlash, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz having to reassure students in Shanghai that ‘they did not have to smoke cannabis if they studied in Germany’; this is a worrying start to this law.
Germany is the first major European power to legalise cannabis, and with many governments, including the UK’s, considering a ban on smoking, the German’s bold decision could prove to be a trendsetter. Whether this bill will have the desired effect in allowing the monitoring of the drug industry and the destruction of the ‘black market’ is unknown, but the future of the German population is hanging in the balance.
