German adults are now allowed to have 25 grams of cannabis on their person for personal use. It is also permitted to store 50 grams of cannabis in the home and to have three cannabis plants at home. The law also means that you can consume cannabis in public – as long as you do it out of sight of children or near sports facilities. Special cannabis clubs with a maximum of 500 members will be allowed. The law change makes Germany one of the most liberal countries in Europe when it comes to cannabis use.
Free for interpretations
“Now we don’t have to hide anymore,” says Henry Plottke, a member of the German Hemp Association, who joined the celebrations at the Brandenburg Gate on Monday night Deutsche Welle.
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Although many celebrate the new law, there are also question marks about how the law should be interpreted. What about, for example, if you live near a school or sports hall and smoke cannabis on your balcony? At what distance is it okay? Other questions are whether a police officer is allowed to smoke cannabis on his time off and whether you are allowed to drive a car under the influence of cannabis.
Risk of conflicts
The German police union believes that the new law is ill-conceived and increases the risk of conflicts between the police and the public. In addition, there is a lack of measuring instruments to check weigh cannabis. Police also warn that the demand for cannabis will now increase so much that demand cannot be met legally, opening the door for criminals.
Around seven million Germans are estimated to use cannabis regularly.
The EU countries Malta and Luxembourg have already legalized cannabis.