Germany passes law to legalize cannabis - the ninth country to do so
msn.com
Gemini summary:
Germany has become the ninth country in the world to legalize cannabis. The new law allows individuals to grow up to three cannabis plants for personal consumption and to possess up to 25 grams of the drug. Cannabis clubs will also be allowed to grow and sell cannabis to their members. The law is expected to come into effect in April 2024.
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I had to look it up: Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Uruguay, South Africa, Georgia, Luxembourg, Malta, and now Germany. It's legal in a little over half of the US including territories.
Did Germany change their plan though? Originally they were just going to open up 3 cannabis shops in Berlin as a test, now it seems they're just going with full legalization across the country as of April. Anyone have more insight into the rollout?
To comply with EU law, cannabis won't be sold commercially. Instead, people can form cannabis clubs where they grow it for their own use. Only members can get cannabis at such a club. Alternatively, you can grow it at home.
I really like this. Yes, it should be everyone's choice to consume it or not. But there really shouldn't be commercial incentives to get people addicted and to get rich from their addiction.
Imgine the same rules applying to alcohol and tobacco... (yes you can absolutely grow tobacco in Germany).
I'd like to smoke a joint once in a while, like two or three times a month. A single plant would last me years, home-grown or at a club doesn't matter it'd be way too much.
So expect there to be a large second-hand market. "You can't sell" doesn't do anything about supply and demand.
Maybe there will be growclubs that are cheaper but only give you a little instead of 50g a month.
I’m a fan of the ‘speed bump’ for a lot of the same reasons, if nothing else than requiring a certain level of interest or effort beyond swiping a credit card. But I’d like to have a medical and/or compassionate carer exemption for non-recreation patients.
I have enjoyed my time with the herb and agree that legalization is our best harm reduction route, but I’m not going to pretend it’s a net societal gain either - like you said look at how we treat alcohol and: cars, marketing, licensing, enforcement, child access, addiction, rehab industry, etc
That makes a lot of sense as a law, actually. Most of the problems that have arisen from state legalization in the US has been from people trying to jump on the money train by starting huge questionable grow sites in remote areas (such as where I live). And, of course, getting some of the organized crime elements involved because there's money to be made. I'm sure some will skirt this law but promoting it to be small scale, personal consumption only is pretty based.
This is the same as in Spain. I think you can have up to 6 plants at home, lol.
There are already EU countries that sell cannabis commercially
Which would that be?
Netherlands coffee shops. Legal or not on paper, it is widely sold commercially with coffee shops in most towns openly selling to the public.
You suspected it already, it's not actually legal in the Netherlands either.
Netherlands.
Legal to use but the coffee shop business might be some gray territory if I remember right
Legal to sell and have, but not legal to grow in large quantities.
How do shops get their inventory? That's the gray area.
No, that's a common misconception about the Netherlands that even many of their own citizens don't know is wrong. It's not legal to own, even under 5g, there just isn't a punishment for it if you get caught, except for police confiscating it
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_the_Netherlands#:~:text=Cannabis%20has%20been%20available%20for,car%20checks%20near%20the%20border.
How long is it by train from Berlin or Frankfurt to Luxembourg City and does Luxembourg's bill allow for sales to German residents? I know the Netherlands had been trying to restrict their weed sales to Dutch residents (and I'm not sure if they were successful), but is this a situation where people were already just making day trips to buy it so might as well make it legal?
Smuggling weed across the border is still very much illegal.