Germany legalises recreational cannabis use amid opposition
BERLIN: Berlin Cannabis aficionados lit up in Germany on Monday, as the country became the largest EU nation to legalise recreational use, despite fierce objections from opposition politicians and medical associations.
Under the first step in the much-debated new law, adults over 18 are now 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 legalised recreational use in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
The Netherlands, known for its permissive attitude to the drug, has in recent years taken a stricter approach to counter cannabis tourism.
As the law took effect at midnight, some 1,500 people cheered in central Berlin by the Brandenburg Gate, according to police, with some lighting up joints in celebration.
Fear of increase in usage
As the next step in the legal reform, from July 1 it will be possible to legally obtain weed through “cannabis clubs” in the country.
These regulated associations will be allowed to have up to 500 members each, and will be able to distribute up to 50 grams of cannabis per person per month. Until then, “consumers must not tell the police where they bought their cannabis” in the event of a street check, Georg Wurth, director of the German Cannabis Association, said. However, medical groups warn that legalisation may increase youth usage, impacting their central nervous system and heightening risks of psychosis and schizophrenia.