In November 2021, when it was announced the German government would send a law to the Bundestag to legalize the consumption and possession of marijuana - which was approved on August 16 - a team of researchers led by Justus Haucap, professor of economics at the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, published a study that made the German Finance Minister, Christian Lindner, the leader of the liberal party that had been one of the primary backers of the idea along with the Greens, very happy indeed. The Düsseldorf researchers constructed an economic scenario based on the consumption of 400 tons of cannabis per year, a scenario that would bring provide the public coffers with around €4.7 billion ($5.1 billion) per year.

Recreational use of cannabis is set to become legal in Germany. The government has agreed the final draft of the legislation that will be discussed and voted on in the Bundestag next year. According to the latest draft, the bill is set to be less strict than previously planned. Possession of up to 50 grams will be allowed - instead of 25g. Criminal liability will only apply from people being in possession of 60g in private areas, and from 30g in public areas. The possession and consumption of cannabis will remain prohibited for young people under the age of 18. In a second later phase, the government plans to set up so-called "model cities" that will pilot the sale of weed in licensed shops. (See also: Ent­kri­mi­na­li­sie­rung zum 1. April 2024)

The SPD Health Minister coming out for legalisation put an end to some rumours that he was being pushed into it by the socially liberal Free Democrats, who negotiated cannabis legalisation as a key part of their coalition agreement with the SDP and Greens to form the three-way “traffic light” government. Lauterbach emphasised that his legal team was working to make sure such an ambitious legalisation approach would be in line with EU law, but says he doesn’t anticipate any problems. The government will likely finish drafting its law to go before the Bundestag sometime before the end of this year, before finally coming into force in early 2023. But it could take longer than that to set up all the supporting infrastructure.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir released the updated legalization plans, scaling back the framework announced last year. There will not be a country-wide commercial cannabis market as originally envisioned. Instead, adults wiil be allowed to possess up to 25 grams and grow up to three plants for personal use, while permitting nonprofit cannabis “clubs” with a maximum of 500 members. The plan would involve authorizing dispensaries in “certain districts/cities in several federal states” throughout Germany that would be licensed for five years, to study the impact of the shops on consumption trends and the illicit market. (See also: Germany waters down plan to legalize cannabis after EU talks | Germany's two-step plan to legalize cannabis)

Social Democratic Party (SPD) health expert Karl Lauterbach ourged the SPD, Greens and Free Democrats (FDP) hoping to form Germany's next government to legalize cannabis should they come to power. Speaking with the Rheinische Post newspaper, Lauterbach said, "I was against legalizing cannabis for years. But now, as a doctor, I have come to a different conclusion." His change of heart was prompted by the fact that police now report finding other substances mixed into cannabis. Lauterbach said legalization would protect consumers. Coalition negotiations between the SPD, Green Party and the FDP are ongoing, with many of those involved voicing optimism about the prospects of success in forming a government. (See also: Why Germany could be on the brink of legalising cannabis)

Earlier this month news broke of recent analysis conducted by the Bundestag’s scientific service suggested the creation of a legal recreational cannabis market could contravene a number of European treaties which Germany had signed. While many commentators were quick to point out that this was nothing new, the news reinvigorated debate and scrutiny surrounding the progress of Germany’s ambitious cannabis project following a period of relative radio silence from the Government. Days later, two members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) made the unusual step of hosting an Instagram Live session to provide insight on how discussions were developing within their party, one of the three that form the German coalition government. 

The German federal parliament rejected a bill to legalize a “strictly controlled” adult-use cannabis market, dealing a major setback to recreational marijuana reform efforts. The bill was tabled by the Green Party. The rejection came despite the fact that a majority of the members of the Bundestag belong to a political party that favors some type of reform. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is in favor of some reform – at least allowing experimental pilot programs – but cannabis reform has taken a back seat among Social Democrats who prefer to vote in tandem with their government coalition partner, the Union. Without favorable votes from at least some members of the government coalition parties – which have a majority in parliament – no legalization scenario is possible.

"Does the Swedish government see a need of acting within the EU and vis-à-vis Germany in response to the country’s plans to legalize cannabis to ensure compliance with the EU agreement to 'take all necessary measures to prevent and punish drug trafficking', and if so, in what way ?", Pia Steensland, who is a member of the Christian Democrats in the Riksdag’s social committee, asks Minister Hans Dahlgren. The newly formed German coalition government announced that it wants to allow cannabis and "introduce controlled distribution of cannabis for adults for consumption in licensed stores". It could be interpreted as a violation of both the UN drug conventions and several EU agreements.

The political parties known as the "traffic light" coalition are pushing for a change in legislation meaning the sale of cannabis will be legal for consumption purposes. According to Der Spiegel a representative of the working group tasked with the policy change said: "We are introducing the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes in licensed shops." The policy will be revisited after four years to assess its social impact. A survey, carried out by the Institute for Competition Economics (DICE), found that a legalised cannabis market in Germany could add around 3.4 billion euros in tax revenue to the nation's economy. It would also save the judicial system in the country around 1.3 billion euros every year. (See also: How Germany’s next government is planning to legalise cannabis)

The Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) are set to engage in coalition talks in a bid to become the next German government. And the future of cannabis will likely be one of the topics to be thrashed out. In drug policy, the three parties are not too far apart in their positions. So it’s possible that the drug could be decriminalised. The leader of the Liberal FDP, Christian Lindner, has now come out in favour of allowing cannabis products such as hashish to be sold in a controlled manner. Consumers should be allowed “to purchase a quantity for their own use, for example, in a pharmacy after health education,” Lindner told a live broadcast on German daily Bild on Sunday.

When Germany's new coalition included the legalization of recreational cannabis in its political agenda in late 2021, there were few details on how to regulate the industry. However, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced last week that it would start the legal process for cannabis legalization soon. Finance Minister Christian Lindner confirmed that the process of legalizing recreational cannabis has started. He is planning a comprehensive technical preparation to legalize cannabis through a consultation process together with the Ministry of Health and other departments. The process will also involve the federal states, municipalities, associations, science, and civil society players. According to Lauterbach, the technical talks will likely start this summer, and a draft bill is expected to follow in late 2022.

The first of five rounds of expert testimony on the liberalization of cannabis laws was to begin in Berlin, the first step in Germany's plan to legalize recreational use of the plant. Titled "cannabis, but safe", the first closed-door presentation will come from Social Democrat (SPD) Burkhard Blienert, the federal government's drug policy expert. Legalizing and regulating the cannabis market was one of the progressive reforms promised by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government when his SPD signed a coalition agreement with the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Green Party last year. Expert testimony, the first step in creating new laws, is expected to last until the end of June. (See also: German officials formally launch marijuana legalization effort, with hearings set to begin this week | 5 things to know about Germany’s push to legalize cannabis)

Germany has awarded contracts to supply domestically-grown cannabis to two Canadian companies, as it seeks to develop its own medicinal marijuana industry and reduce reliance on imports. Drugs regulator BfArM said it would purchase 4,000 kg and 3,200 kg of cannabis over four years from German production subsidiaries of Canada’s Aurora Cannabis and Aphria, respectively. Another tender over a four-year harvest of 3200 kg has been delayed because an unidentified bidder who lost out is challenging the procedure with a regulator. The first home-grown harvest is slated for late 2020. (See also: Canopy Growth CEO expects to hit $1B in revenue for fiscal year 2020)

Germany's government is taking steps toward the legalization of cannabis by publishing the draft bill for the first pillar of a two-pillar model designed to dismantle prohibition policies. German's Ministry of Health published on July 5 the long-waited draft bill to regulate the use of cannabis for personal use, home growing, and the establishment of cannabis growers' associations designed similarly to the cannabis social clubs' model. The proposed legislation aims to address the first pillar of a comprehensive two-pillar model that will put an end to cannabis prohibition. Under the draft bill, adults aged 18 and above will be allowed to possess up to 25 grams for personal use and cultivate a maximum of three plants. (See also: Top German officials unveil draft marijuana legalization bill)

Cannabis has become a part of everyday culture in Germany and now, policymaking. The coalition government of center-left Social Democrats (SPD), environmentalist Greens and neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) stated clearly: "We are introducing the controlled supply of recreational cannabis to adults in licensed shops." To turn these words into practical policies, however, is proving to be a monumental task. It involves almost every federal government ministry, which makes the legislative process very complex. Although all signs point toward legalization, a cannabis consumer gets caught in the net of the police and judicial system every three minutes. That is why activists are calling for the consumption of cannabis to be decriminalized immediately as a first step, something provided for in the UN conventions.

The coalition government in Germany is finalizing details for long-awaited cannabis legalization, including dates for cannabis cultivation and the establishment of cannabis clubs. The legalization of cannabis possession and cultivation will take effect on April 1, 2024, while the establishment of cannabis social clubs is expected to become possible from July 1. The coalition has adjusted the rules concerning the possession and consumption of cannabis, aiming to make them less stringent than initially intended. The quantity of dried cannabis allowed for home cultivation is set to be doubled, increasing from 25 to 50 grams.

With watershed elections looming in Germany, some politicians are talking about a new approach to drug control. The opposition Free Democrats (FDP), for whom civil liberties are a major issue, have called for the limited and legal sale to adults of "cannabis for leisure consumption." In view of growing global sales of cannabis for medical purposes and private pleasure, the business-friendly FDP is even looking to turn "Cannabis Made in Germany" into a lucrative export product. Four of the six parties currently represented in the Bundestag, the German parliament, are committed to backing an end to the cannabis prohibition policy.

Two articles published this week, in Der Tagesspiegel and LTO, throw cold water on expectations that the European Commission could give green light to Germany’s ‘Interpretationslösung’ to justify its cannabis regulation plan under EU law and UN treaties. No surprise, as I’ve also argued that the approach taken in the ‘Eckpunkte’ brings the whole project legally on thin ice. The way Peter Homberg (Dentons), Dirk Heidenblut (SPD) and Cornelius Maurer (Demecan) are ‘flirting with Plan B’, however, is equally problematic. Their narrative, based on the ‘Gutachten’ the Dentons law firm produced for Demecan, claims that a solution can be found by using the treaty exemption for ‘scientific purposes’.

April 19 will go down in German political history as the day Annalena Baerbock was elected the Green Party's first-ever chancellor candidate. Assuming the party is ready to govern, the very next day may well be remarkable as well. April 20, referred to among marijuana enthusiasts as 4/20, has become an international counterculture holiday, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis. Many such events have a political nature to them, too, advocating the legalization of cannabis. On Twitter, the Greens wrote: "Cannabis is the most consumed illegal drug in Germany — the proportion of minors consuming it is increasing. For real youth & health protection there must be rules for the trade and a controlled distribution of cannabis!” 

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented his plans on the legalization of cannabis. He said that Germany's drug policy had to be renewed because the current policies weren't successful. His aim was to evoke better health policies and increased protection for minors. Germany was not trying to imitate the Dutch model, as the country didn't have a regulated market. Rather, the plan signified "the most liberal legalization of cannabis in Europe", while also entailing "the most regulated market" in the EU. This approach could become a model for Europe. However, before it can be taken forward, the European Commission has to check whether the plan was viable under European and international law. (See also: Germany sets out plans for cannabis legalisation amid EU law worries | Kiffer müssen auf grünes Licht aus Brüssel warten)