Germany yesterday became the biggest EU country to legalize recreational cannabis, despite fierce objections from opposition politicians and medical associations.
Under the first step in the much-debated new law, adults over the age of 18 are allowed to carry 25 grams of dried cannabis and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at home.
The changes leave Germany with some of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe, alongside Malta and Luxembourg, which legalized recreational use in 2021 and last year respectively.
Photo: AP Warning: Smoking can damage your health
The Netherlands, known for its permissive attitude to the drug, has in the past few years taken a stricter approach to counter cannabis tourism.
As the law took effect at midnight, hundreds of people cheered by Berlin’s iconic Brandenbrug Gate, many of them by lighting up joints in what one participant, 25-year-old Niyazi, called “a bit of extra freedom.”
As the next step in the legal reform, from July 1 it would be possible to legally obtain weed through “cannabis clubs” in the country. These regulated associations would be allowed to have up to 500 members each, and would be able to distribute up to 50g of cannabis per person per month.
Initial plans for cannabis to be sold via licensed shops have been ditched due to EU opposition.
The German government, a three-way coalition led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, argues that legalization would help contain the growing black market for the popular substance.
However, health groups have raised concerns that legalization could lead to an increase in use among young people, who face the highest health risks.
Cannabis use among young people can affect the development of the central nervous system, leading to an increased risk of developing psychosis and schizophrenia, experts have said.
“From our point of view, the law as it is written is a disaster,” said Katja Seidel, a therapist at a cannabis addiction center for young people in Berlin.
Even German Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach, a doctor, has said that cannabis consumption can be “dangerous,” especially for young people.
The government has promised a widespread information campaign to raise awareness of the risks and to boost support programs, and has stressed that cannabis would remain banned for under-18s and within 100m of schools, kindergartens and playgrounds.
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