BERLIN.-Marijuana activists lit up celebratory joints early Monday as the country liberalized cannabis rules to allow possession of small amounts.
The German Cannabis Association, which campaigned for the new law, called a rally at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate that came into effect at midnight. Other events were scheduled across the country, including one in front of Cologne Cathedral and others in Hamburg, Regensburg and Dortmund.
The new law legalizes adult possession of up to 25 grams (almost an ounce) of marijuana for recreational purposes and allows individuals to grow up to three plants of their own.
Starting July 1, German residents aged 18 and older could join nonprofit cannabis clubs with a maximum of 500 members each. Each person will be able to buy up to 25 grams per day, or a maximum of 50 grams per month, a figure limited to 30 grams for those under 21 years of age. Membership in multiple clubs will not be permitted.
The clubs’ expenses will be covered by membership fees that will be calibrated based on how much marijuana members consume.
The law also calls for an amnesty in which convictions for cannabis-related crimes that are no longer punishable will be reviewed and in many cases annulled. Regional authorities fear that the judicial system will be overwhelmed by thousands of cases to process.
The law was promoted by the current coalition formed by the Social Democrats of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats, in the face of opposition from some German federal states and the center-right Christian Democrats. Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz has promised that his party will revoke the rule if it wins the national elections, scheduled for autumn 2025.
Large garden stores consulted by the dpa news agency indicated that they would not add cannabis plants to their horticultural offering, and the Association of German Doctors opposed the rule, pointing out that it could have “serious consequences” for “development and vital perspective of young people in our country.”
