Germany From this Monday, recreational consumption of is permitted cannabisdespite stubborn resistance from conservatives and medical associations who fear negative consequences for young people.
The law requires adults over 18 to carry 25 grams of marijuana on public streets, grow up to 50 grams and have three plants per adult at home.
In the early hours of Monday, around 1,500 people celebrated the change amidst clouds of smoke in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin, an AFP journalist saw.
In the middle of the crowd, 25-year-old Niyazi said that with legalization there would be “a little more freedom.”
It is “the end of the criminalization of several million people in Germany,” said Torsten Dietrich, an activist of the measure for several decades.
This reform makes Germany one of the countries with the greatest freedom of movement for cannabis in Europe, alongside Malta and Luxembourg, which legalized recreational use in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
The Netherlands, known for years for its liberal drug policy, has adopted a stricter strategy to reduce cannabis tourism.
Although the law goes into effect this Monday, consumers will have to wait three months to legally buy marijuana from “cannabis social clubs.”
The purchase of cannabis will remain illegal until July, Georg Wurth, managing director of the German Cannabis Association, told AFP.
By law, cannabis social clubs can have a maximum of 500 members and distribute 50 grams of cannabis per member per month.
“Catastrophe”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, allied with liberals and environmentalists, argues that legalization will help fight drug trafficking more effectively.
Cannabis “leaves the taboo zone,” said Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who is a doctor, on the station on Monday,” he added.
The government has promised a campaign on the risks of use, stressing that cannabis remains banned for those under 18 and that use is not permitted within 100 meters of schools, daycare centers and children’s playgrounds.
But health organizations warned that legalization could lead to an increase in use among young people.
In people under 25, cannabis can impair the development of the central nervous system, leading to an increased risk of psychiatric problems such as schizophrenia, experts say.
“From our perspective, the law in its current form is a catastrophe,” said Katja Seidel, a therapist at a Berlin center for the treatment of cannabis addiction in young people.
A “responsible” reform
The new legislation has also been criticized by police, who fear it will be difficult to ensure compliance.
“From April 1, our colleagues will be faced with conflict situations with citizens, as there is uncertainty for both sides,” said Alexander Poitz, vice president of the GdP police union.
Another controversial point is that the law provides for a retroactive amnesty for cannabis-related crimes, which may lead to administrative backlogs in the legal system.
According to the German Association of Judges, this pardon can be applied to more than 200,000 cases under review.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative opposition CDU party, said he would immediately repeal the law if his party wins the 2025 parliamentary election.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the liberal FDP party defends a “responsible” reform, arguing it is better than people buying cannabis on the black market.
SPRING: AFP
