The federal government is working on the legalization of cannabis. In their coalition agreement, the SPD, Greens and FDP agreed to introduce “the controlled sale of drugs to adults for recreational purposes in licensed shops”. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) presented the first key points for implementation in autumn. The next step would be a finished bill. However, it cannot be ruled out that the European Union will veto the German plans in a so-called notification procedure if the Commission believes that they contradict EU and international law. The Union, which is against legalization, is counting on this.
Calls for the legalization of cannabis are coming from different directions. Health experts point out that regulated delivery would improve quality and ingredients, or at least make them more transparent. The police would be relieved in part because they don’t have to track every teenager smoking weed. And economists point out that legalization would create a whole new market – and with it jobs and tax revenue. Experts estimate that the legal cannabis trade will be worth up to $160 billion in the coming years.
Cannabis is legal in many parts of the United States
Several countries in Africa and numerous states in the USA have long been using the economic potential of the everyday drug marijuana. Trading and using the drug is legal in 21 states and the federal district of Washington DC, and a real cannabis industry has established itself almost everywhere. There are around two handfuls of countries around the world where citizens can smoke weed without worrying. It’s perfectly legal in some countries like Canada and Georgia, while in others, possession of small amounts is more or less condoned, including Argentina and Spain.
How the world deals with cannabis, a brief overview.