Regulation
Is Germany About to Legalize Marijuana?
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According to multiple reporting sources in Germany, party leaders likely to form Germany’s next governing coalition have agreed to legalize recreational marijuana. For now, adult-use marijuana is illegal in Das Land der Dichter und Denker. However, medicinal cannabis was legalized on 10th March 2017. Personal possession of marijuana is also decriminalized in Germany.
The legislation to legalize recreational marijuana nationwide is likely to be introduced during the next legislative session. It will provide broader regulation of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana while restricting advertising to minors. The new legislation will put in place measures to regulate the marijuana market. The legislators insist that the aim is not to generate tax revenues but to have a regulated adult-use market. That said, analysts estimate that legalizing marijuana will result in significant tax revenues for the government.
Germany’s next governing coalition comprises the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP), and the Greens Party. Once the new legislation has been introduced, adults in Germany will access marijuana legally from licensed shops.
The legislators hope that legalizing marijuana will help drive out the illicit market and ensure that all marijuana products are safe and regulated. The coalition party hopes to expand its drug checking model. All marijuana products will be checked to ascertain their chemical composition and to rule out the presence of any contaminants.
Taxing Marijuana Likely to Generate €1 Billion Annually.
The manifesto of the incoming coalition government hopes to collect €1 billion in taxes each year from the sale of recreational marijuana. A study conducted by the University of Düsseldorf found that legalizing cannabis would result in additional revenue of €4.7 billion each year. In addition, the government will also be saving money in law enforcement once cannabis is legalized. However, the German police unions are against legalizing marijuana and have advised the coalition government against making this move.
