Germany takes first step towards relaxing cannabis law
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach hopes to present a new law in the coming months
Tuesday, June 14, 2021
The first of five rounds of expert testimony on the liberalization of cannabis laws was to begin in Berlin, the first step in Germany's plan to legalize recreational use of the plant. Titled "cannabis, but safe", the first closed-door presentation will come from Social Democrat (SPD) Burkhard Blienert, the federal government's drug policy expert. Legalizing and regulating the cannabis market was one of the progressive reforms promised by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government when his SPD signed a coalition agreement with the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Green Party last year. Expert testimony, the first step in creating new laws, is expected to last until the end of June. (See also: German officials formally launch marijuana legalization effort, with hearings set to begin this week | 5 things to know about Germany’s push to legalize cannabis)
