Entwurf eines Cannabiskontrollgesetzes (CannKG; "Draft of a cannabis control law") was a bill proposed in 2015 that would remove

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternativel ...

from the list of scheduled drugs in

Betäubungsmittelgesetz The Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG), generally meaning Narcotics Law, is the controlled substances law of Germany. In common with the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971 of the United Kingdom and Controlled Substances Acts of the US and Canada, it is a con ...

, the federal controlled substances law in Germany. The issue was proposed by

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a green political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens (formed in West Germany in 1980) and Alliance 90 (for ...

(the German Green Party). It would regulate cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol, with adults 18 years old permitted to buy and possess up to 30 grams in regulated stores.

2022 proposal

A new regulatory framework that would legalize

cannabis in Germany Cannabis in Germany is legal for certain limited medical contexts, but illegal for recreational usage, though possession of minor amounts is not always prosecuted. As of 2022, approximately 4 million adults in Germany use cannabis. After the ...

was brought out with an ''Eckpunktepapier'' ("cornerstone paper", or framework paper), introduced on October 26, 2022 by

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

and member of the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet (assembly), Diet") is the German Federalism, federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representat ...

Karl Lauterbach Karl Wilhelm Lauterbach (; born 21 February 1963) is a German scientist, physician, and politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) who has served as Federal Minister of Health since 8 December 2021. He is professor of health e ...

, who is a physician and epidemiologist trained in the United States and Germany. The 2022 deregulation proposal was leaked around October 19, 2022.

Provisions

Provisions of the October 2022 framework paper include sales in licensed establishments, and personal possession by adults over 18 years of 20 to 30 grams of cannabis without THC content limit. There may be sales limitations regarding persons under 21 years of age.

Effect

The ministry document is intended to have

direct effect In European Union law, direct effect is the principle that Union law may, if appropriately framed, confer rights on individuals which the courts of member states of the European Union are bound to recognise and enforce. Direct effect is not ex ...

under Directive (EU) 2015/1535. Germany will present the framework paper to the European Union before implementing legislation.

Reception

The issuance of the draft regulations by Ministry of Health was called "decisive step toward legalization" by ''

Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...

''.

Deutscher Hanfverband Georg Wurth (born 1972 in Remscheid) is a German lobbyist and activist. He is CEO and owner of the (DHV), the largest organisation of the hemp rights movement in Germany. See also * 2022 German cannabis legalization framework * Cannabis in G ...

criticized a 15% THC limit in the leaked draft.

2023 proposal

In March 2023, the health minister,

, reported a positive reaction from European Commission on the plan, and intended to bring a bill forward soon. Details of a leaked version of a new scaled-back plan were published by German newspaper ''

Die Zeit ''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles. History Th ...

'' in late March. The new plan would have experimental controlled legalization in sub-national areas.

2022 proposal

Provisions

Effect

Reception

2023 proposal

See also

References

Further reading