Germany has announced plans to legalise cannabis for recreational use as well as the decriminalisation of its sale and production. The plans – agreed on Wednesday (October 26) by the German cabinet – would allow the acquiring and possession of up to 20 to 30 grams of the drug.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said adults will also be allowed to buy cannabis from licenced premises, adding the market would be tightly regulated for adults using cannabis recreationally. If implemented, Germany would become the second country in the European Union to legalise cannabis after Malta.
Lauterbach – of the ruling Social Democrats (SPD) – said Germany’s drug policy must be renewed because the current policies were not successful in limiting consumption. He said a survey estimated around 4m adults in the country currently use cannabis.
