From now on, people of legal age in Germany will be able to legally consume, grow and possess cannabis under certain conditions. The introduction of these new freedoms was celebrated by hundreds of people in front of the Brandenburg Gate, but the law continues to be criticised. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann has predicted that the partial legalisation will lead to a reduced workload for the judiciary and police in the medium term. ‘The changeover will initially require more work, but in the long term, the police and judiciary will be relieved,’ the FDP politician told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). ‘They can then concentrate more on relevant criminal offences.’ There are currently over 100,000 criminal proceedings against cannabis users, which, according to Buschmann, points to a failed cannabis policy to date. ‘This policy has placed a heavy burden on the police, public prosecutors and the judiciary, but has not effectively prevented consumption. Instead, users were driven into the hands of dealers with inferior products and hard drugs.’ Smoking marijuana or hashish has been permitted since midnight, a goal that was set out in the coalition agreement of the traffic light coalition and supported by parties such as the FDP in recent years. People aged 18 and over are allowed to keep up to 50 grams at home and carry a maximum of 25 grams outside. Smoking pot is permitted in certain places, but is prohibited in playgrounds, near sports facilities and children’s and youth centres.
The Federal Government Commissioner for Drugs and Addiction, Burkhard Blienert (SPD), called on the coalition government to decide on pilot projects for commercial trade following the partial legalization of cannabis. “With the first step, we are initially only improving the situation for regular users. However, it is now urgently necessary to implement the pilot projects as a second pillar,” Blienert told RND. “Only then can we ensure that occasional users are no longer dependent on dealers.” It is important that a strict ban on advertising applies to sales in state-licensed stores and that the protection of minors is guaranteed. Originally, the traffic light coalition planned to link partial legalization with the liberalization of commercial trade, but this point was dropped for the time being following talks with the European Union. As an alternative second pillar, regional and scientifically supported pilot projects are now planned, for which, however, no corresponding legislative changes have yet been initiated.
The partial legalization of cannabis was celebrated by numerous people in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with lit joints. Several hundred people gathered in an exuberant mood, some dancing to reggae music. A reporter from the news agency dpa reported on a meter-high cannabis leaf decorating the scene and lighters that were lit punctually at midnight. Shortly afterwards, a strong smell of cannabis spread across the square. Activists in other places in Germany also celebrated legalization and invited people to joint stoner events, discussions and demonstrations.
The CDU and CSU reiterated their strict rejection of partial legalization. Tino Sorge, health policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, described April 1st as a historic day that will go down in history as the day on which the traffic light government launched an unprecedented economic stimulus program for the black market. He warned that illegal cannabis from old stocks would flood the market in the coming weeks and described legalization in its current form as a risk to internal security. Bavaria’s Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) expressed a similar view, describing the law as a fatal mistake that would be reversed following a change of government. He emphasized that Bavaria would apply the law extremely restrictively and make life difficult for stoners.
