Germany's landmark legislation legalizing personal recreational cannabis use, passed by the previous centre-left government on April 1, 2024, remains a subject of intense debate two years later. The law allowed adults over 18 to grow up to three plants for private consumption and possess 50g at home or 25g in public, but critics warned it would lead to a sharp rise in drug use, including among teenagers, and benefit criminal gangs.
Preliminary results from an ongoing study into the policy's consequences, released on Wednesday, presented a mixed picture. MPs Carmen Wegge and Christos Pantazis of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) claimed that partial legalization was the right approach, as the feared negative effects on consumption patterns or public health had not materialized, youth consumption was declining, and the burden on police and judiciary had been significantly reduced. However, Health Minister Nina Warken of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), whose ministry commissioned the study, called the relaxed cannabis policy "a mistake," pointing to a sharp decline in early intervention programs designed to prevent drug use among children and young people.
The expert study, conducted by researchers from three major German universities, found that consumption among adults from legal sources was gradually increasing, thereby "slowly squeezing out" the underground trade. Professor Jörg Kinzig, a criminologist at the University of Tübingen, assumed that the black market had declined, but no overall increase in consumption attributable to the reform was apparent. Non-commercial growing associations, or cannabis clubs, permitted subject to authorization, still played a minor role due to complex licensing requirements, with only 3.5% of consumers sourcing cannabis from them last year.
Wegge and Pantazis warned that organized crime would remain strong in regions like Bavaria, which have blocked the establishment of cannabis clubs, arguing that these clubs are essential for safe and controlled supply to curb criminal activity. Police reported difficulties in prosecuting illegal trade due to dense regulations, while judges' associations welcomed a "significant reduction" in caseloads. Youth consumption had fallen steadily since 2019, possibly because fewer violations led to criminal charges, according to the study.
Given the complexities of acquiring legal cannabis, many Germans obtain marijuana for recreational use via doctors' prescriptions through online pharmacies—a loophole the government is moving to close. The study also revealed that Germany had created Europe's largest legal commercial market for medical marijuana, with imports reaching 200 tonnes last year, nearly 200% higher than the previous year, much of it high in THC. The final report is due in April 2028, based on which the government will decide on the CDU/CSU's push to abolish the legislation.
Source: www.theguardian.com