The CBD.fr team has translated the MARIJUANA DAILY BUSINESS article into French for your convenience… you will find the origin of this article written by .
The summary
The German federal parliament has rejected a bill to legalize a "strictly controlled" adult-use cannabis market, representing a major setback for recreational marijuana reform efforts in the country.
The rejection occurred despite the fact that the majority of Bundestag members belong to a political party that favours a certain type of reform.
Efforts to legalize the law during this legislative period are extremely unlikely because:
- Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic political alliance – the Union – opposes any liberalization.
- The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is in favour of some reform – at least allowing experimental pilot programmes – but cannabis reform has taken a backseat among the Social Democrats who prefer to vote in tandem with their governing coalition partner, the Union.
- Without favorable votes from at least some members of the parties in the governing coalition – which have a majority in parliament – no legalization scenario is possible.
- Although most opposition parties support some type of legalization, they remain in opposition and cannot agree on how this should be accomplished.
The rejected bill was introduced by the Green Party and received support only from the Left Party. The combined votes of the two parties failed.
The Free Democratic Party (FDP), for its part, abstained from voting.
FDP lawmakers voted in favor of legalization, but disagreed with the specific bill introduced by the Green Party – preferring a more practical approach to legalization.
Wieland Schinnenburg, the FDP's spokesperson on drug policy, said his party wanted a "cannabis freedom law" instead of the Green Party's proposed "cannabis control law," which is "full of regulations" that would prevent a future legal marijuana market from functioning.
As expected, the parties in Germany's ruling coalition, the Union and the SPD, voted against the bill.
Without their votes, no legalization is likely in the foreseeable future, contrary to what some Canadian cannabis leaders had predicted.
SPD lawmakers who have spoken on the issue have signaled their support for some relaxation of cannabis laws, but they rejected the legalisation bill because of “coalition discipline”.
The Union – the largest political alliance in parliament – rejected the bill because members strongly oppose any reform of recreational marijuana.
The right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party was the only opposition party to vote against the bill.
Other proposals
Furthermore, several cannabis-related motions proposed by opposition parties were also rejected. These included proposals to:
- The AfD wants to treat medical cannabis products like any other medicine, requiring proof of treatment efficacy. This measure was firmly rejected. It was the only positive outcome of the day for the regulated cannabis industry, which favors more flexible regulations.
- The FDP to allow a recreational marijuana experience.
- The FDP to significantly increase the amount of medical marijuana grown in Germany.
- The left decriminalizes the possession of up to 15 grams of cannabis.
Another left-wing motion, to allow a small amount of THC in the blood while driving, comparable to the maximum alcohol concentration currently permitted in Germany, has been sent to the Bundestag's transport committee for further discussion.
Upcoming elections
With little chance that recreational marijuana reform will be passed during the current legislative period, the question becomes what might happen after the next federal election, which is expected in about a year.
Although it is still too early to predict the results – particularly which parties will be in government and which will be in opposition – one signal is positive for the reform of cannabis for adults.
Current polls indicate that the Green Party is gaining popularity at the expense of the SPD.
Although the SPD and the Green Party both support marijuana reform, recreational cannabis reform appears to be a higher priority for the Greens.
Editor-in-Chief specializing in CBD
Julien, born on July 17, 1978, in the Paris region, is a prominent writer and expert in the field of CBD products. Following his studies, Julien developed a passion for natural remedies, including CBD. In 2022, he joined the CBD.fr team as an expert and regular contributor. Thanks to his scientific expertise and clear writing style, Julien helps demystify the complexities of CBD, while highlighting its benefits and potential applications through his articles and conference presentations.
