Cannabis Legalization Delayed Beyond New Year's Eve
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach of Germany's traffic light coalition government has conceded that the planned reform of cannabis laws won't materialize by New Year's Eve as initially anticipated. Addressing the "Tagesspiegel" newspaper, Lauterbach acknowledged that the consultations on the legislation's content had concluded, but the implementation timeline missed its mark. "Although the cannabis legislation will eventually succeed," he assured, "it won't kick off by the first of January."
Internally, there had been whispers that the rollout wouldn't be feasible by New Year's Eve. The original plan suggested passing the legislation in the final week of the Bundestag session between December 13 and 15. However, sources explained that the Bundesrat's deadlines for the December 15 meeting were too restrictive for the legislation's adoption process.
The upper chamber needs to discuss the bill, similar to any other legislation, but its approval isn't mandatory. The next meeting for the Bundesrat is scheduled for February 2, 2024, after which the bill could potentially take effect. Although holdup may occur, Lauterbach remains hopeful that the cannabis regulation will eventually bear fruit.
[New info] The anticipation of the Bundestag passing the cannabis legalization bill now lies in February 2024, which subsequently translates to implementation from April 1, 2024.[1][2]
The proposed policy would remove cannabis from the prohibited substances list in the Narcotics Act. Adults aged 18 and above would be permitted to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis. Additionally, individuals could privately grow up to three plants, while cannabis clubs could encourage collective cultivation and sharing among members.
Even with the delay in implementation, Lauterbach maintains an optimistic outlook on the eventual commencement of cannabis legalization. He highlighted that the discussions on the content of the cannabis bill have ceased, and his intention is to push for the legislation during the Bundestag's last session week of 2023, hoping for favorable outcomes in the future.
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