Tag: Germany

Weed is finally legal in Germany, but it may still be verboten at one of the country’s signature events. According to Forbes, the “German federal state of Bavaria is considering the possibility of restricting cannabis use at the famous Oktoberfest following the legalization of cannabis for personal use.” “Bavaria government aims to restrict public spaces for consuming cannabis at events like Oktoberfest by establishing cannabis-free zones, as first reported by DPA (German Press Agency),” Forbes reported. “Oktoberfest in Munich is the world’s… Read more.

It’s official – with the clock striking midnight in Germany, and the date changing from March 31st to April 1st, the nation’s new adult-use cannabis legalization policy has become the law of the land. Adults (18 years old and older) in Germany may now partake in the newly established freedoms created by the implementation of the first pillar of the CanG law. “It was time to initiate a paradigm shift in drug policy, ending the failed prohibition policy of the… Read more.

The German government last week adopted a bill to end the prohibition of cannabis for adults that will make possession and home cultivation of weed legal in Europe’s most populous nation as of April 1. The legislation, which also allows for the establishment of cannabis clubs, was given final approval on Friday in the Bundesrat, Germany’s legislative chamber representing the country’s 16 federal states. The bill has already been approved by the second chamber of parliament known as the Bundestag,… Read more.

Cannabis stocks soared Friday on the news Germany’s parliament legalized cannabis for personal possession and use. Canopy Growth Corporation’s stock (NASDAQ: CGC) surged a remarkable 39 percent, capping a weekly gain of more than 106 percent. Others on the NASDAQ, including Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACB, up 26.6 percent), SNDL Inc. (SNDL, up 21.5 percent), Tilray Brands Inc. (TLRY, up 18.5 percent), and Cronos Group Inc. (CRON, up 9.2 percent), also witnessed substantial increases in share prices. Under the new law,… Read more.

Germany’s lower house of parliament voted last week to legalize the consumption and cultivation of cannabis by adults, although the measure passed by the Bundestag does not permit commercial sales of recreational marijuana. The legislation legalizes cannabis clubs, however, allowing groups of no more than 500 adults to collectively grow weed for personal use by club members. “We have two goals: to crack down on the black market and improved protection of children and young people,” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach… Read more.

Germany became the third European Union country to pass adult-use cannabis legalization on Friday after lawmakers in the Bundestag, which is the country’s lower parliamentary body, approved the Cannabis Act in a 407-226 vote, the Associated Press reports. Following the approval, cannabis possession by adults aged 18 or older will become legal starting April 1, which coincides with German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach’s prediction from earlier this year. Under the new law, adults will be allowed to grow up to… Read more.

The groups that form Germany’s coalition government struck a deal last week on cannabis legalization, setting the stage for the new law to take effect in the spring.  Now, the proposal will be considered by the country’s parliament, with a vote expected later this month. Zeit, a German publication, reported last week that the “government coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP has agreed on the details of the legalization of cannabis,” and that the “law could come into force… Read more.

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach says he hopes to submit the nation’s adult-use cannabis legalization proposal for a parliamentary vote this February and see the proposal come into effect by April, according to a DW report. The proposal was initially agreed upon by Germany‘s three-part government coalition last year, and Lauterbach said that lawmakers’ discussion regarding the Cannabis Act has remained positive. While legalization critics have pushed back against the proposal, Lauterbach argues that the unregulated market carries risks such as contaminated products and extremely… Read more.

Germany’s health minister believes marijuana legalization will become a reality in the country this spring. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has set a target for the Bundestag, the national parliament, to approve the nation’s long-awaited cannabis law in February. Germany would then become the first country to legalize cannabis in Europe in April, according to German news reports. “I am continuing to assume that the Cannabis Act will be passed by the Bundestag in the week between Feb. 19 and 23… Read more.

The Germany’s coalition government called the Traffic Light coalition, which combines individuals from the Social Democratic Party, Free Democratic Party, and The Greens, reportedly reached an agreement for cannabis regulation on Nov. 27. These recent discussions estimate that cannabis legalization could take effect starting on April 1, 2024, with social cannabis clubs potentially allowed to open as early as July 1, 2024. “The #Cannabis law is coming! Finally: We are finally ending the failed ban policy! After intensive negotiations, there is now a… Read more.

Finding weed in Berlin is like going back in time. Sure, Germany has a medical cannabis program but it’s not Oklahoma. The regulations are very strict. You can’t just walk in off the street and start buying flowers and concentrates. It’s true that German legislators are working out plans for cannabis legalization, but adult-use cannabis dispensaries are estimated to be at least five years away. To find cannabis in Berlin, you gotta do it the old-fashioned way. You need a plug. A… Read more.

The most recent global cannabis market forecast from Colorado-based BDSA predicts that the industry will hit $55 billion in sales by 2027, a big increase from about $32 billion in 2022. But it is a significant downward revision from another BDSA report earlier this year, which projected that global marijuana sales would hit almost $60 billion by 2027. That change the German government’s decision to retreat from its original plan for a broad recreational market, opting instead for a more limited pilot program, BDSA executives told Green… Read more.

Germany’s cabinet on Wednesday passed a bill to legalize adult cannabis use and cultivation, Reuters reports. The measure still requires approval from parliament.  Under the proposal, adults would be allowed to possess up to 25 grams, grow up to three plants, and acquire cannabis as associates of non-profit clubs. Young adults would be allowed to purchase up to 30 grams per month, while older adults would be able to purchase up to 50 grams.  During a press conference, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach… Read more.

German adults aged 18 and older would be allowed to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal use and cultivate up to three plants under the country’s draft law to legalize cannabis published by the Ministry of Health last week, Forbes reports. The law would also establish cannabis growers’ associations which would allow members to obtain either 25 grams of cannabis per day or 50 grams per month for personal use, and associations could supply each member with up to… Read more.

German cannabis company Four 20 Pharma has inked a deal to be the main jersey sponsor for Sport-Club Paderborn 07, a professional German soccer club. Sport-Club Paderborn 07 – commonly known as SC Paderborn 07 and based in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia – competes in the German second division, under the Bundesliga. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The two-year deal commences with the 2023-24 season, which begins Aug. 18. Professional soccer teams typically sell sponsorship opportunities on… Read more.

Back in 2021, mere weeks before what would prove to be a historic election for cannabis policy in Germany, the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) hosted a panel of sitting federal lawmakers to discuss German cannabis policy. It was the first time in history that all major parties in Germany were represented in a panel discussion specific to national cannabis reform. As we learned weeks after the historic panel discussion, a new governing coalition was elected in Germany and many of the… Read more.

A top Germany health official has submitted a draft bill to legalize marijuana possession, cultivation and social clubs—the first of a two-part reform framework—to government cabinet officials. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach shared details about the legalization plan last month, and on Friday he distributed the legislative text to cabinet officials to consider before finalizing the bill and sending it to lawmakers. “Promise kept. Comments welcome,” Lauterbach said in response to news coverage about the latest development, according to a translation. While… Read more.

The German government has finally revealed its long-awaited revised plan to legalize cannabis. German officials held a press conference yesterday, attended by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, where they announced the country's plan to legalize cannabis. The revised plan for cannabis in Germany draws on policies and experiments from other European countries with a unique twist. It seems inspired by the Swiss model for a pilot project for the sale of cannabis products, which will also… Read more.

German officials have announced they are scaling back their widely anticipated cannabis legalization plan following a discussion with European Union officials, the Associated Press reports. The new plan, revealed on Wednesday, is to legalize cannabis possession of up to 25 grams and establish nonprofit “cannabis clubs” where registered members who are 18 and older can go and purchase the plant for recreational purposes. The clubs will be limited to 500 members each and individuals will not be allowed to hold memberships at more than… Read more.

European cannabis executives would welcome a decision by the German government to pursue a trial recreational cannabis program versus nationwide legalization – even if that meant a significantly smaller market for businesses to pursue. Still, some experts say any trial program in Germany would come with risks, pointing to the flailing Netherlands experiment and even parallels with Japan’s “scientific” whaling activities. German media reported last week that federal officials might resort to a “cannabis legalization light” model amid concerns that nationwide legalization could… Read more.

Germany imported a record amount of marijuana for medical and scientific use in 2022, according to fresh data from the country’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). While the top-line number suggests the import business is booming, a deeper look shows that 2022 posted the slowest annual growth since the BfArM started reporting cannabis import data in 2018. Moreover, a good chunk of those imports appears to have never reached patients, possibly because of poor quality or product… Read more.

Germany could be weeks away from introducing a bill to legalize cannabis under sweeping reforms that would greenlight the consumption and sale of the drug in Europe’s largest economy. Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach last week said that the plans had received “very good feedback” from the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, adding that the bill could be announced by the end of March or in early April. “We will soon present a proposal that works, that is, that conforms to… Read more.