Germany's parliament votes to legalize limited marijuana possession and allow `cannabis clubs'
German lawmakers on Friday approved a government plan to liberalize rules on cannabis, paving the way for the country to decriminalize limited amounts of marijuana and allow members of “cannabis clubs” to buy it for recreational purposes.
Parliament's lower house, or Bundestag, backed the legislation, a prominent reform project of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's socially liberal governing coalition, by 407 votes to 226. There were four abstentions.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said the government's aim is to “fight the black market” and better protect young people. He said current laws in the European Union's most populous
nation have failed, with consumption rising and increasing problems with contaminated or overly concentrated cannabis.
“Whatever we do, we
can't carry on like this,” he told lawmakers. “You can stick your head in the sand ... but we won't solve a single problem that way.”
Lauterbach, who noted that he himself long opposed legalizing cannabis, argued that addiction researchers say removing the taboo around marijuana and giving information on its risks is the right approach.
The bill foresees legalizing possession by adults of up to 25 grams (nearly 1 ounce) of marijuana for recreational purposes and allowing individuals to grow up to three plants on their own. That part of the legislation is supposed to take effect on April 1.
German residents who are 18 and older would be allowed to join nonprofit “cannabis clubs” with a maximum 500 members each, starting July 1. The clubs would be allowed to grow cannabis for members' personal consumption.