One Year of Legal Cannabis in Germany
Cannabis has been legal in Germany for a year now, or to be more precise: decriminalized. But what exactly has really changed for cannabis users since April 1, 2024? Has the new law improved distribution and availability of cannabis, and has it reduced the amount of work for law enforcement?
For the vast majority of Germans not much has changed since Germany enacted the Cannabis Act a year ago. Apart from the fact that carrying a few grams of cannabis is no longer a criminal offense. Even before April 1, 2024, hardly anyone was bothered by this, because the amount consumed has not increased significantly, according to reports.
Black Market
One of the major goals of legalization, namely to significantly reduce or completely eliminate the black market, has been missed. This is because there aren’t any functional legal sources of supply for cannabis consumers. Most cultivation associations or cannabis social clubs, which are supposed to be the places where a larger number of recreational users can supply weed, these places are still struggling with the high bureaucratic requirements. The supply of medicinal cannabis, which has been legal since 2017, works however, and has become more efficient in the meantime. Otherwise, the only other option to get weed is the black market.
Self-sufficiency
Interest for homegrowing has been on the up in Germany. Since April 1, 2024, it has been legal to grow up to three plants for yourself. Still, this only accounts for a small fraction of the total amount consumed. Of course, it’s nice to have three plants legally in the garden or on the balcony. But you have to have a garden or balcony first. And the majority of people don’t actually have one.
Police Enforcement
Cannabis legalization has made things more difficult for the German police and judicial system, who were actually supposed to get some relief from it. A senior public prosecutor in Stuttgart says that the law is unclear and uncertain in many places, resulting in much more complicated situations. The head of the narcotics department adds that the investigation workload for the police has increased with the legalization of cannabis. This is because the Cannabis Act makes it legal to carry up to 25 grams for personal use. Now, the police have a lot more work to do when they have to figure out if a person was dealing cannabis or it was just simple possession in question.
Normalizing Cannabis Use
The greatest success of the law is probably that cannabis is becoming more and more accepted in society. It is generally rare for someone using cannabis to face the stigma of being called a junkie. Apart from that, nothing should have changed for the vast majority of people. Neither the amount nor the use of cannabis is any different than it was before 1 April 2024. It is encouraging that the new German government coalition has announced that it intends to maintain legalization. And they will certainly have a lot to do to make it work.
Soft Secrets Germany originally reported on this story.
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Stephen Andrews
