Germany’s new policy is complex, and full of nuance and caveats. Got questions? We’ve got answers.
Earlier today, Leafly Senior Editor David Downs hopped on IG live with Alex Rogers, owner and CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC), to get the inside scoop. Listen / watch the conversation below to learn more about the timeline for the rollout, possession limits, why Rogers thinks social clubs are the “most controversial aspect” of the program and more.
Looking for the TL;DR version? Here are a few highlights from Germany’s plan for legalization.
Decriminalization will go into effect quickly, on April 1. Adults will then be able to legally possess up to 25 grams of cannabis on their person in public (that’s just over 3/4 ounce). They will also be able to legally possess up to 50 grams at home.
Homegrow is in! As of April 1, adults can grow up to three plants at home. To be clear: that’s the limit per adult, not per household.
Germany will attempt a social club model. These clubs will be able to grow and sell marijuana.
Rogers expects legalization to be a boon for the country’s medical marijuana industry as well. He believes it could grow by 400% in the next two years.
We’ll have more from on the ground in Barcelona, Spain next month during ICBC’s March 14 event. Rogers brings ICBC to Berlin April 16-17.
World War II Air Force veteran Major Richard Olson never discussed his military service with his son, Dick Olson.
“I didn’t have all that much time to be asking these questions while he was at home,” Dick, a Westminster resident, told the Denver Post in an interview. “He was a distant father, and I imagine a lot of that came from what happened to him during the war and in service.”
After Richard died, Dick turned to military archives, old photos and interviews with the surviving members of his father’s B-24 Liberator airplane crew to learn about the veteran’s journey. Through his research, Dick discovered that his father, despite being seriously injured in a plane crash before enduring months as a prisoner of war, had never received a Purple Heart.
The global cannabis liberation movement took several steps forward this 4/20 with German cannabis legalization. But the specifics look like baby steps up close.
German smokers and tourists can partake of a more legal relaxed atmosphere that began April 1 countrywide. The country’s leaders have all but stopped adjudicating people for benign cannabis use or possession. But don’t expect stores, or smoky clubs any time soon. Instead, get ready to get cannabis covered by your insurance.
1) German legalization isn’t as liberal as legalization in the States.
“Certainly, there’s excitement about German ‘legalization.’ I put it in air quotes, because many don’t believe it’s full legalization because there is no market set up for consumers to purchase cannabis,” said Leafly CEO Yoko Miyashita, who keynoted the first day of the event April 16.
Locals describe “decrimin plus.” You can grow 3 plants at home and social clubs will start, but they’ll be pretty tame at first—no smoking together.
Dream on, Germany
How to order weed delivery online with Leafly
2) Medical cannabis just won, big-time.
In the two weeks since legalization, the volume of requests for cannabis prescriptions has increased significantly. As stigma falls, patients come out of hiding for their safe and effective botanical drug.
“Medical will be big in Germany,” said Miyashita. “What Germany has going is that ‘medical’ truly means it’s part of the healthcare system, with reimbursement from insurance and distribution through the pharmacies. Doctors will be able to prescribe this broadly.”
Patients report the compounds in cannabis can help with a variety of conditions.
3) The consumer knowledge gap is real.
Plenty of older folks still think weed is dangerous. Germany is going to be at Day One for questions like ‘What is THC?’, when do edibles kick in?, what’s one ‘dose’ of weed?, ‘what can I use this for?’, and the differences between eating versus vaping.
“I would reiterate the continuous need for educating consumers!” said Miyashita.
4) Germany is the domino
As the economic powerhouse of Europe, German decriminalization will trigger changes in neighboring states and countries. Germany is the heavyweight of the European Union—which has similarities to the United States’ federal government.
Like New Yorkers going to New Jersey (but legal!), the EU allows frictionless movement between member states, and with it, cultural change. The Czech Republic, for example, has reforms planned.
5) Expect many more details to emerge from the haze
More regulations will come down this summer, promising local restrictions regulations for social growing clubs and flavors of decriminalization. Berlin could see a cannabis golden age. The south of Germany might move slower.
Bottom line: Germany just became a safe spot for pot in Europe
Time to visit their beer fests, and reggae festivals, and sightsee Germany’s multi-thousand-year history—it’s safe for stoners to touchdown in Deutschland. Link up with your peers, and keep the flame of cannabis culture lit.
For more, listen to our interview with ICBC director and European local Alex Rogers
The GOP’s argument against marijuana took a body blow from Germany
Running against the grain of public sentiment, some members of the GOP are fighting against cannabis rescheduling and trying to be clever. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is still having internal discussions about whether to reschedule cannabis from a schedule I to schedule III-controlled substance with some in the GOP wishing to stop the process. But along comes Germany and they are deflating their efforts.
Germany has the biggest economy in the EU and are a leader in the United Nations and NATO. A practical country, they just legalized marijuana. Officials shared legalization would undermine criminal trade in the drug, guard against harmful impurities, and free police to pursue more serious crimes alongside providing medical benefits.
Republican Senators Jim Risch (R-), Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Pete Ricketts (R-NB) are unhappy with the the administration’s plan to reschedule marijuana. To stop or slow the process, these senators question if it violate US treaty obligations. Data shows 89% of citizens believe it should be legal in some form, so they are definitely swimming against the flow of public opinion. Additionally, science, data and the healthcare community have proven it has clear medical benefits.
The United Nations’s (UN) drug control body reaffirmed legalizing marijuana for non-medical or non-scientific purposes a violation of international treaties. But enforcement is non-existent. While Uruguay was technical the first, Canada was the first to fully implement it and the UN has done nothing. Since then Georgia, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand have made the move without any issues.
The Senators move has some support in the house, but Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has made it clear he wants progress on cannabis legalization. Germany’s move severely undercuts the GOPs efforts.
Andrew Cooper, partner at Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP, one of the top cannabis law firms believes “Consequently, if anything, the fact that Germany legalized adult-use cannabis despite all the hurdles (including not only the Single Convention, but the Schengen Convention of 1985, the EU Framework Decision 2004/757/JHA of 2004, and the Narcotic Drug Act (BtMG), when the U.S. only really needs to address (and likely ignore) the Single Convention, may provide some impetus to the DEA to follow suit”.
Tom Zuber, Managing Partner of Zuber Lawler whose west coast firm has a robust cannabis division states “It’s exciting to see Germany making history by legalizing cannabis at the recreational level as the largest economy in the European Union. I hope that Germany’s leadership on this front will inspire other countries throughout the world to do the same, including the United States.
