For the first time, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, until recently unsupportive of legalization, has announced that he will launch the legislative initiative to legalize cannabis in Germany.
Cannabis legalization measures are to be drawn up this summer as part of a “health policy”. Lauterbach, who has dealt with the subject very intensively in recent years and revised his earlier opinion, now believes that the dangers of non-legalization are greater than those of legalization.
“In my opinion, the administration of contaminated cannabis now poses a greater risk than the controlled distribution to people who consume cannabis in a controlled manner with an appropriate quality. »
Cannabis legalization in Germany
It will therefore present a bill in the second half of 2022. The process will begin with Federal Drugs Commissioner Burkhardt Blienert discussing key issues around legalization with national and international experts.
“It’s about pooling knowledge and experiences, but also addressing objections and reservations very openly. States, municipalities, associations, science and civil society should also be involved in the preparations.
“Hardly any other drug policy issue has occupied people as much as cannabis for decades,” Blienert said. “We all know how complex this project is. »
According to Blienert, many details still need to be clarified regarding the legalization of cannabis. “That also includes the question of how the licensing process will go,” he said in a March interview. It is not only about “where”, but also about “how”, “what”, “how much” and “from where”.
In the coalition agreement, the parties agreed in November 2021 on the “controlled sale of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes in licensed stores”. In doing so, the government paved the way for a new multi-billion dollar cannabis market.
Cannabis shops in the franchise model
Startups such as Synbiotic SE are also working on the “how” question. The company recently announced a joint venture with the Enchilada group of companies, specialists in catering and franchising, on April 20. The merger of the two companies aims to lay the foundations for Germany’s first cannabis store franchise.
“We deliberately chose a German company from the catering sector”, explains Lars Müller, CEO of Synbiotic. “On the one hand, the Enchilada Group is a professional franchiser and on the other hand, the sale of so-called ‘recreational’ cannabis will probably be subject to rules similar to those of food law”.
