On April 1, new legislation comes into force in Germany regarding the possession and cultivation of cannabis. Then adult Germans are allowed to have up to three cannabis plants in their home. It will also be legal to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis.
But the critics believe that there are many questions that have not been investigated, says Jona Källgren, foreign reporter for TV4 Nyheterna.
Many unanswered questions
– Are police officers allowed to use cannabis when they are not on duty. Can you drive while using cannabis? You are not allowed to use cannabis near a school, but you are allowed to smoke on your balcony, says Jona Källgren.
Several authorities are skeptical of the law, among them the medical authority and the medical union, as well as one of Germany’s police unions.
– Firstly, the law consists of a lot of theory and little practice. In addition, the law sends signals to customers that in the chaos phase will lead to a demand for cannabis that cannot be met legally. Criminals will adapt and increase their sales. We therefore need to strengthen and renew our controls. The law has not been thought through, says Alexander Poitz, vice chairman of the Police Union.
Vows to tear up the law
The three parties that implemented the law change are the Greens, the Social Democrats and the Liberals. According to them, it is an election promise that is being fulfilled.
The Christian Democrats are critical and promise to tear up the law if they win the next election.
– But they must have one of the parties that introduced the cannabis law with them if they are to reach the majority, says Jona Källgren.
It was in April 2023 that the German government presented a proposal for the legalization of cannabis. In February 2024, the law was voted through in the Bundestag, the country’s parliament. In March, the states also approved the law.
Third country to legalize
Germany thus becomes the third country in the EU to legalize cannabis. The other countries are Malta and Luxembourg.
In the Netherlands, it has been possible to smoke cannabis in so-called coffee shops in Amsterdam since the 70s. But the drug itself is not legal in the country. In 2023, an experiment was started in the cities of Breda and Tilbury, the so-called “grass experiment”, where cannabis will be allowed to be used, grown and sold legally for four years.