Up in Smoke: Germany was all set to legalise weed. Then it didn't. What happened?

The German government is scaling back plans to liberalise the country’s rules on cannabis, including decriminalising possession of limited amounts and allowing marijuana sales for recreational purposes to members of nonprofit “cannabis clubs." The initial plans, which would have permitted the sale of cannabis in authorised shops across the country, have been altered in response to EU concerns. As proposed by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, the legislation would only permit the commercial distribution of cannabis under specific conditions in so-called clubs, reported Associated Press. “The previous cannabis policy has failed. Now we have to go new ways,” Lauterbach said. Let’s understand the proposed legislation. Also read: ‘High time’ to follow US? Examining cannabis’ legal status in India The two-step legalisation The proposed legislation foresees legalising the possession of up to 25 grams (nearly 1 ounce) of cannabis and allowing individuals to grow up to three plants. It would let German residents 18 and older join nonprofit “cannabis clubs” with a maximum of 500 members each, which would be allowed them to grow cannabis for members’ personal consumption. Individuals would be allowed to buy up to 25 grams at a time, or up to 50 grams per month — a figure that would be limited to 30 grams for adults under age 21. According to DW.com, Özdemir said that draft legislation will be finalised this month and that “consumption will become legal this year already.” Officials hope that the first step will help push back the black market. In a second step, German officials also envision setting up regional test projects to sell cannabis through “commercial supply chains,” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said. The clubs must also appoint “youth protection, addiction and prevention officers.” Members would be able to cultivate cannabis at home, with a maximum of seven seeds or five cuttings per month allowed to be passed on by clubs. The bill for this step will be ready by the end of April, according to Özdemir. [caption id=“attachment_12449412” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, left, and German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, right, address the media during a press conference in Berlin, Germany. AP[/caption] Also read: Is former German mid-fielder Mesut Özil joining politics in Turkey? What will this mean for Recep Tayyip Erdogan? The reason The new plan comes after the German government revised its initial plans to legalise cannabis in October last year. Originally, the government planned to allow the sale of cannabis to adults across the country at licensed outlets. The German government revised the plan following talks with the European Union’s executive commission. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir said EU law “sets us limits we must respect, but that I will also say we are pushing.” Lauterbach had cautioned all along that the government would only proceed with its original plan if it got the green light from the EU. After holding talks with Brussels, the German government has decided that such sales will be trialled only in certain model regions. The ministers said the legislation foresees amnesties for people who have previously been convicted of cannabis possession. They didn’t specify who would be eligible for the amnesties. The feedback so far from Brussels “is on the one hand, something that perhaps disappointed us, but on the other hand also an opportunity — the opportunity to build the basis for a European cannabis policy with a well-conducted study,” Lauterbach told reporters in Berlin. Approval is needed The plans will need the approval of the German parliament’s lower house, but officials said an endorsement is not needed from the upper house. That chamber represents Germany’s 16 state governments, many of which include the country’s main centre-right opposition bloc. The bloc has opposed liberalising cannabis laws. One conservative regional official went to Brussels to lobby against Lauterbach’s initial plan. “We are not creating a problem,” Lauterbach insisted. “We are trying to solve a problem." The minister argued that existing policies have failed. He said the government’s aim is to offer greater safety, protect consumers against contaminated and toxic products, and reduce drug-related crime. Lauterbach reiterated that Germany doesn’t want to emulate the model of the neighbouring Netherlands, which combines decriminalisation with little market regulation. The cannabis plan is one of several social reform projects that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s socially liberal three-party governing coalition agreed to embark on when it took office in December 2021. This fall, the government plans to map out the next step: five-year tests of regulated commercial supply chains in select regions. Lauterbach said details, including which regions would be chosen, have yet to be thrashed out. The government wants to have the pilot projects scientifically evaluated. The ministers were optimistic that successful tests would enable them to build pressure for a change of policy at the EU level and ultimately clear the way for their original plan to allow licensed sales. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.