2024-04-01 12:59 United News Network 24 Hours Around the Corner The picture shows people celebrating the legalization of cannabis in Germany in front of Brandenburg in Berlin.Photo/AFP
【2024. 4. 1 Germany】
Germany’s legalization of cannabis is on the road: recreational use of cannabis is open, but domestic public opinion is polarized
“Hey!” Starting from April 1, 2024, the German Cannabis Bill will be on the road, and German adults will be able to legally use recreational marijuana; according to the content of the bill, people over 18 years old can possess up to 25 grams of marijuana in public places and in private places. Premises can possess up to 50 grams and each household can grow up to 3 cannabis plants; and as of July 1, German adults can join non-profit private cannabis clubs to grow and obtain cannabis. The German public has polarized opinions on the cannabis bill. Supporters believe that this bill can effectively curb black market transactions, but opponents point out that even in countries such as Canada, where cannabis has long been legalized, the black market cannot be eliminated, and the former ruling party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), ) has stated that he will repeal the bill if he regains power.
Germany’s cannabis bill was passed by the Bundestag on February 23, 2024. The bill is an important reform of Prime Minister Olaf Scholz. On April 1, the cannabis bill went on the road, declaring that recreational cannabis is partially legal in Germany. legalization. According to the content of the Cannabis Act, German residents over the age of 18 are allowed to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis in public places, 50 grams of cannabis in private places (such as homes), and grow up to 3 cannabis plants at home, but at 7 a.m. No smoking is allowed within 100 meters of schools, kindergartens, public playgrounds, stadiums or pedestrian areas between 0:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
The regulations implemented on April 1 are only part of the bill to decriminalize cannabis. By July 1, 2024, adult residents in Germany will be able to legally form and join non-profit cannabis social clubs, with a maximum membership limit of 500 per club. People, members can grow and obtain cannabis through the club.
The cannabis bill is only open to German residents and does not include tourists. Therefore, it is not expected that there will be an influx of international tourists from the Netherlands and Thailand trying cannabis.
The agenda of legalizing cannabis has been proposed in the coalition government negotiations composed of the Social Democratic Party, the Green Party and the Free Democratic Party since the 2021 German federal election. The left-leaning ruling coalition hopes to implement regulation through the legalization of cannabis, believing that this will help curb The black market protects consumers from buying marijuana that contains other harmful chemicals; and through legal channels, age checks can also be implemented to prevent minors from purchasing marijuana.
Photo/Reuters
A 2021 research report conducted by the University of Dusseldorf also pointed out that under a regulated market, the legalization of cannabis could bring more than 4.7 billion euros in additional revenue to Germany and create approximately 27,000 new jobs.
However, the opinions of the German people on this issue are quite polarized. According to the German media “Der Spiegel”, 40% of German citizens have a positive attitude (positiv) and 45% have a negative attitude (negativ) towards the legalization of marijuana; they support it. Opponents are more likely to be Green Party and left-wing voters, while opponents are more likely to be supporters of the CDU and the far-right Alternative for AfD (AfD).
The conservative former ruling party CDU (former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party) has stated that it will repeal the law if it wins the next election.
Erwin Rüddel, chairman of the German parliament’s health committee of the CDU party, pointed out: “Currently, there is a lot of criticism from the judicial system, the police system and local governments, because the new law is difficult to implement properly.” He gave an example, such as stipulating household regulations. Only up to three cannabis plants can be grown, making it virtually difficult to inspect and confirm.
Alexander Poitz of the German Police Union (Gewerkschaft der Polizei) also said that the police union believes that the black market will be strengthened because even if the bill allows the cultivation of cannabis at home, it takes time for cannabis plants to grow and the demand during the waiting period will increase. The supply will soon be far exceeded, and Poitz is even worried that in the long run, the criminal network of black market marijuana supply may penetrate into marijuana social clubs, and it will be a difficult task for law enforcement officers to track down; in addition, because the bill allows The amount of 25 grams of marijuana possessed in public places is already a lot, and it will become more difficult for the police to distinguish drug dealers from ordinary marijuana users.
And given that the bill prohibits minors under the age of 18 from possessing and smoking marijuana, opponents pessimistically believe that minors will still buy it on the black market.
Robin Hofmann, assistant professor of criminal law and criminology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, also said that there is currently no way to completely eradicate the black market or prevent youth drug problems, even in countries such as Canada and Uruguay where marijuana is legal. ized the country, the black market problem has not been completely solved.
According to a 2021 survey cited by the German government, 10.7% of German men and 6.8% of German women have used cannabis at least once in the past 12 months, and the age group with the highest proportion of use is 18 to 24 years old.
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2024-04-01 04:59:47
