By: Buz Deliere | October 27, 2022
Germany's Federal Cabinet has given its support for a plan to legalize recreational cannabis use after it was presented by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on Wednesday. The proposal details various aspects including allowed production and sale as well any restrictions such as possession limits that would exist in connection with this law change; one thing worth mentioning here is consumers would now be able to have up to 30 grams legally, currently the law says possession of 20 grams or more is illegal.
Lawmakers in Germany have developed a bill to legalize cannabis with hopes European Union will give its approval. The legislation was crafted so it would not fail if passed, but before this becomes law there is still one more step: The commission must weigh-in on whether or not they approve of its adoption within their borders. Lauterbach said that developing such laws was necessary because current policies aren't working -especially regarding youth access who often find themselves caught up into addiction rings despite repeatedly warnings parents.
"We want to decriminalize the use of cannabis in order to achieve better protection for children and young people, but also better health protection," Lauterbach states.
Europe has generally been against the idea of unrestricted marijuana use, but there are some countries where it's become legal. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction says that this change in policy should be restricted to medical or scientific purposes only because other aspects have an effect on society, such a Spice-related crimes which increase when people grow cannabis without any kind approval from authorities.
The idea of cannabis as a moral compass has been spreading across Europe. Last December, Malta became the first country in this region to legalize recreational marijuana with an overwhelming majority voting yes and now several others countries are looking into legislation that would decriminalize possession or use for personal consumption. Countries including Spain and the Netherlands already have pot smoking clubs called “marijuana cafes” where members can gather without fear they will get caught by police.
If the bill passes its preliminary review, legislation could be drafted as early in 2023, but there is not a definite timetable established for its review and approval.
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