Adults would be able to possess up to 25 grams (0.88 oz) of the drug, grow a maximum of three plants, and purchase marijuana as members of non-profit cannabis clubs under the proposal, which still needs to be approved by parliament.
The law is intended to safeguard customers from tainted marijuana, stop the illegal market, and lessen drug-related crime, according to the center-left government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
According to Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, a crucial component of the strategy to end the taboo surrounding cannabis use is a campaign to increase public awareness of the hazards, which should ultimately lead to a reduction in consumption.
If such a campaign weren't launched in conjunction with a change in the law, it wouldn't attract as much notice, he claimed.
"With the current procedures we could not seriously protect children and young people, the topic has been made taboo," Lauterbach said at a news conference in Berlin to introduce the law.
We couldn't just let the escalating, problematic consumption continue, he argued. Therefore, this marks a crucial turning point in our drug policy.
According to the health ministry, the proportion of adults in Germany between the ages of 18 and 25 who used cannabis at least once nearly doubled to 25% in 2021 from the preceding ten years.
Young individuals are thought to be more susceptible to cannabis' negative effects on their health. According to the new regulations, young adults will only be allowed to purchase 30 grams of cannabis every month, as opposed to 50 grams for older adults.
COMMENTS ON BOTH SIDES
Conservative officials in particular have voiced strong opposition to the law, claiming that it will promote marijuana usage and add to the workload of the authorities.
According to conservative Saxony interior minister Armin Schuster, "this law will be associated with a complete loss of control."
A U.N. drug watchdog reported in March that efforts by governments to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes had boosted consumption and exacerbated cannabis-related health issues.
However, Lauterbach claimed that Germany had learnt from the mistakes of other nations.
After consulting with Brussels, Scholz's administration already softened initial proposals to permit the mass selling of cannabis in authorized stores.
Instead, it announced that it would start a pilot program for a small number of authorized stores in some locations to examine the outcomes of a commercial cannabis supply chain over a five-year period. In a subsequent phase, it will need to present distinct legislation for that.
In the Netherlands and Switzerland, similar projects either already exist or are being proposed.
Since 2017, numerous European nations, including Germany, have legalized cannabis for specific medical purposes. Others have made its widespread use legal.
In late 2021, Malta became the first nation in Europe to legalize small-scale cannabis cultivation and personal possession. Germany would be the first significant nation in Europe to do so.
In accordance with the regulations unveiled on Wednesday, cannabis clubs with up to 500 associates must have burglar-proof windows and doors, and greenhouses must be enclosed. Associates are not permitted to smoke marijuana within the clubs or close to playgrounds, schools, nurseries, or athletic fields.
The hemp organization in Germany claimed that the regulations were "unrealistic" and that the only effective way to combat the criminal market was to allow cannabis sales in retail establishments.
Lauterbach was accused of maintaining a "prohibition policy" and producing a "bureaucratic monster" by Kristine Luetke, the Free Democrats' parliamentary drug policy spokesman.