The marijuana legalization plan has yet to be approved by the German parliament. The German coalition government has approved a plan to legalize marijuana. It is expected that starting in 2024, adult residents of this country will be able to legally use cannabis not only for medical purposes, but also for recreational purposes.
The legalization of marijuana was one of the pre-election promises of the German Green Party, which joined the Social Democrats (SPD) and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) in the governing coalition. Under the government’s plan, it will be legal to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana for personal use. It will also be sold in licensed stores and pharmacies. It will also be allowed to grow up to three cannabis plants per adult person.
The German government’s intention to legalize marijuana has yet to be approved by the European Commission and the German parliament. According to German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, the government plan could be finally approved and come into effect in 2024. According to Reuters, the legalization of marijuana will allow Germany to add about $4.7 billion a year to its budget and create 27,000 new jobs.
Citing Lauterbach, the agency reports that about 4 million people in Germany consumed cannabis last year, with 25% of them between the ages of 18 and 24. Of the countries that have joined the European Union, only Malta has legalized the recreational use of marijuana. In the Netherlands, there is no legal authorization, but the country’s authorities do not prevent the sale and consumption of small amounts of cannabis in coffee shops. Several countries in other regions of the world have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Canada and Uruguay have also legalized cannabis for recreational use.
However, the United States remains the largest legal marijuana market in the world: in this country, 37 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes, and 19 states have legalized it for recreational purposes (these are two separate lists, states can be repeated). At the federal level, however, marijuana is still prohibited. In early October, U.S. President Joe Biden pardoned all Americans convicted of marijuana possession under federal law, including several thousand people.
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