Germany, on Monday, liberalised rules on cannabis to allow possession of small amounts. According to an AP report, the new law legalizes possession by adults of up to 25 grams (nearly 1 ounce) of marijuana for recreational purposes and allows individuals to grow up to three plants on their own.
However, people won't be allowed to smoke joints near schools, sports centres and "pedestrian zones" between 7 am and 8 pm. July 1 onwards, growers associations or 'social clubs' can be formed with up to 500 members. Members should be above 18 and consuming the drug on the site will not be allowed. Members will be allowed to procure only 50 gms per month.
“From our point of view, the law as it is written is a disaster,” Katja Seidel, a therapist at a drug addiction centre in Berlin, the Tannenhof Berlin-Brandenburg, told AFP. There's been heated debate around the legalisation of cannabis, with a sizeable faction expressing concern over its impact on the youth.
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, has promised a major campaign to educate young people about the health risks around using cannabis.
The legislation also calls for an amnesty under which sentences for cannabis-related offenses that will no longer be illegal are to be reviewed and in many cases reversed. Regional authorities worry that the judicial system will be overburdened by thousands of cases, an AP report reads. Christian Democratic leader Friedrich Merz has vowed that his party will reverse the legislation if it wins national elections expected in the fall of 2025.