Germany’s Government Says Cannabis Legalization Deal Has Been Reached

Germany’s Traffic Light Coalition government — led by the Greens, the Social Democrat Party, and the Liberals — announced that a final consensus on the coalition’s plan to federally legalize cannabis was reached last week, according to a Forbes report. The agreement by the country’s leading coalition signals that a parliamentary vote is likely coming soon, with the legalization policy set to take effect on April 1.

The announcement comes just weeks after Germany’s health minister said he had high hopes that the nation’s adult-use cannabis legalization proposal would see a parliamentary vote this February.

Under the plan, personal cannabis possession and consumption by adults would be legalized, as would home cultivation. Cannabis sales would remain restricted but adults living in Germany will be able to register with private cannabis clubs starting on July 1, where cannabis distribution — but not consumption — will be allowed. The clubs will be limited to a maximum of 500 members.

The reforms were temporarily delayed by concerned members of the Social Democrat Party and due to international pushback, and the proposal was ultimately watered down last year to remove a provision allowing for blanket adult-use sales. Instead, lawmakers initiated a multi-year investigation into the implications of a regulated adult-use market with the possibility of enabling retail access at a later point.

Once enacted, Germany will be the third member nation in the European Union to legalize adult-use cannabis after Malta and Luxembourg. Additionally, many industry experts predict that cannabis reforms in Germany, which has the biggest economy in the EU, may inspire other EU members to follow suit with their own legalization policies.