European cannabis legalisation moves into the slow-dopey lane

Germany has got nervous
The Economist (UK)
Thursday, May 11, 2023

europe cannabisGermany’s plans to move to full legalisation of consumption and sales of cannabis came to an abrupt halt last month. Until recently, Germany’s health minister, Karl Lauterbach, had been upbeat about the prospects for radical change. But following talks with the European Commission the plan has gone up in a cloud of smoke. Martin Jelsma of the Transnational Institute, a Dutch-founded think-tank, thinks the reason is that the proposals are not in compliance with an EU Council framework decision on drugs in 2004, nor with three relevant UN treaties. Mr Jelsma says it would be helpful if the European Commission were to give some indication as to what its position is on the question.