In a little over one week, adults in Germany will be allowed to legally grow, possess, and consume cannabis.
Germany’s Bundesrat, or Federal Council, voted on Friday to pass the adult use legalization bill approved by the Bundestag, or Parliament, last month. For weeks, a push mounted within the Council to call for a mediation committee to discuss potential amendments to the bill, which would have led to delays. However, that path did not receive majority support on Friday.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who has spearheaded the legislation, wrote on X that the “fight was worth it” and that this moment marks “the beginning of the end” for the illegal market.
Once the law takes effect on April 1, adults aged 18 and older will be allowed to grow three plants at home, and to possess just under one ounce outside the home. The law also allows for cannabis clubs in which up to 500 members can grow and sell among themselves, though the clubs cannot form until July.
Also on the horizon is a potential push to draft legislation for a fully regulated and licensed supply chain, from seed to sale. This retail model was part of Germany’s original plan, announced in 2022, but it was scaled back after Lauterbach sought feedback from the European Commission. His revised plan released in 2023 proposed a two-phased approach, and this current bill marks the first phase.
Still, even this initial step by Germany – the most populous country in the world to legalize cannabis – is likely to have ripple effects. Already, the Czech Republic is planning to follow in Germany’s steps.
The incremental approach to reform, both for medical and adult use, has taken hold in Europe. For example, France has had a medical cannabis pilot program for years to test out the policy before taking the leap, while the Netherlands is currently rolling out an “experiment” for legal cultivation and sales in ten municipalities.
Germany’s medical cannabis companies also celebrated Friday’s news, as with the passage of the bill on Friday, cannabis will no longer be classified as a narcotic. These companies argue that the ease of obtaining prescriptions for medical cannabis will expand participation by physicians and patients.
