Last Wednesday, the German Ministers of Health, Karl Lauterbach, and Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, presented the plan to legalize cannabis in Germany at a press conference. Instead of full legalization with the sale of cannabis in specialized stores, the reform now rests on two pillars.
For the first, the consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes will be decriminalized and self-production authorized within limits still to be defined but which should turn between 3 and 5 plants per household. Instead of commercial cultivation and distribution, private associations, Cannabis Clubs, will cultivate cannabis themselves and can sell a maximum of 25 grams per day to their members at cost price. Possession of up to 25 grams for personal consumption will be more punishable for people over 18.
In the second part, pilot projects are to test the regulated sale of cannabis to adults. The results of these scientific experiments will provide the basis for further cannabis regulation.
Although the reform is still far from being ready, several municipalities are already showing their interest in becoming a model region for the distribution of cannabis.
Frankfurt applies to become a model region
The two cities of Hesse, Frankfurt am Main and Offenbach, have already expressed their willingness to apply for the implementation of pilot projects for the distribution of recreational cannabis. Frankfurt health deputy Stefan Majer commented on the matter:
“We welcome the fact that the federal government has now presented concrete plans for cannabis. It is obviously not possible to go further at the moment, but we must nevertheless implement now what is possible”.
Offenbach would automatically be involved in the cannabis project
But Frankfurt will not be the only one to present itself as a model region as soon as the foundations are laid. Due to a city council decision that the two municipalities adopted in 2021, Offenbach would be forced to follow suit. The two cities would then together form a model region and carry out their scientific project. The green mayor of Offenbach, Sabine Groß, however, pointed out that there were still many open questions that needed to be clarified.
The second phase of cannabis law reform is hardly achievable before 2024
In the weeks and months to come, other municipalities will probably express themselves on the legalization projects of the federal government and, if necessary, announce their candidacy as a model region. Already, the implementation of the first part of the cannabis reform will probably not be fully implemented before the fall.
It will therefore probably be necessary to wait until 2024 for the first German cities to start carrying out pilot cannabis distribution projects like those that already exist in Switzerland.
