The experts call on the legislator to take measures to „reduce the health and social consequences that would be expected if cannabis use were to be expanded”. They also require that the legal distribution of cannabis not be allowed from the age of 18, but only from the age of 21. Medical cannabis was legalized in Portugal in 2018. [88] Today, cannabis containing THC is also legal in some medical settings, but illegal for recreational use. Its possible legalization is under discussion in many countries, including Germany. In December 2021, the Scholz government included the issue of release in its programme. [3] [4] A 2021 study by the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf found that legalizing cannabis in Germany could generate more than €4.7 billion in additional revenue per year. [5] On 30. In April 2021, the Health Committee of the National Council came out in favour of the legalisation of cannabis. [52] In October 2021, the competent committee of the Council of States also came out in favour of legalising the cultivation, production, trade and consumption of cannabis. [53] Peyote cactus in Mexico and Texas is full of mescaline, a hallucinogenic compound that is illegal under the International Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Mescaline changes thought processes and the sense of time and self-confidence. The cactus is cut into pieces and eaten or boiled with tea.
The cactus species is now on the red list as endangered. Medical cannabis has been legally available since 2013. [69] During coalition talks between the SPD, Greens, and FDP following the 2021 Bundestag elections, a proposal was made to release cannabis for legal distribution to adults as part of a government to be formed and to distribute it in licensed specialty stores in the future. [17] Among other things, it is necessary to impose a quantity limit on sales and warnings. In addition, illegal trade must be systematically prevented and, above all, the protection of minors must be taken into account and extended. The legal cannabis will then be offered by licensed dealers. According to Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP), anyone who wants to sell cannabis for recreational purposes must prove their knowledge of the drug and the associated risks. Pharmacies, for example, could serve as outlets.
In Canada, cannabis possession has been widely legalized since October 17, 2018. Individuals 19 years of age and older (18 in Alberta, 21 in Quebec) are allowed to transport up to 30 grams of cannabis outside their home and obtain it from government-licensed stores or over the Internet. Usually, cannabis use is allowed wherever tobacco products can be smoked. However, regulations in the country`s 13 provinces differ. For example, consumption in Newfoundland or Nunavut is only permitted in the private sector outside the public sector. Black market trafficking and driving under the influence of drugs remain illegal. [124] Under German law, drug use itself is not illegal: it is legally considered non-punishable self-harm. Legal commentaries recognize that, in a legal sense, it is possible to consume narcotics without first purchasing or possessing them.
This means that a positive drug test alone does not lead to a conviction under the Narcotic Control Act. [11] Although there is no de jure criminal liability for consumption, holders of a driver`s licence may be medically and psychologically assessed for their fitness to drive (MPU). Temporary loss of driver`s license is not uncommon, followed by a series of drug tests to prove fitness. Unlike alcohol, it is possible to lose your driver`s license, no matter if you have been on the road. As a general rule, for example, the presence of regular or occasional consumption combined with alcohol is considered unfit to drive motor vehicles. [12] In November 2020, Israel`s Minister of Justice announced that the legalization law would go into effect nine months after its adoption. [117] In July 2021, the Israeli parliament passed a bill to legalize the possession of up to 50 grams of cannabis. However, due to the lack of approval from the Joint List, the bill did not gain a majority in the Knesset vote on July 28, 2021. [118] In the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, an attempt to legalize recreational cannabis was halted in September 2022 by the refusal of the UK-appointed governor, Rena Lalgie, to sign the bill.
[101] In December 2018, the New Zealand government passed a law legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. In the Netherlands, cannabis is still illegal, but it is tolerated up to 5 grams, which means that possession of small amounts goes unpunished and cannabis products can be sold in cafes under certain conditions. Social acceptance of the drug cannabis has also risen sharply and enforcement is only very superficial in this regard. However, these coffee shops must be supplied via the black market, as the production of cannabis products is still prohibited. This leads to the problem of the so-called backdoor. The illicit trade in cannabis (especially in large quantities) therefore remains a major problem in the Netherlands; Some politicians are therefore calling for regulated but legal or tolerated trade. In addition, there is a form of drug tourism in cities close to the border, which mainly causes noise nuisance for the local population, but also requires controls by the authorities of neighboring countries, which have a less liberal cannabis policy, due to drug trafficking. The Dutch do not consume more cannabis per person per year than, say, Germans or other Europeans.
From 15 May 2021, applications for pilot tests with non-medical cannabis can be submitted to the Federal Office of Public Health. These studies aim to increase knowledge about the benefits and harms of controlled access to cannabis. In particular, they should make it possible to examine and document the consequences on the health and consumption patterns of users in a scientific framework, but also to measure the effects on the local illicit drug market as well as on the protection of minors and public safety. Angela Merkel`s CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, remain fiercely opposed to legalization, as does the far-right populist AfD. The only party still on the fence is the centre-left Social Democrats, who have expressed their openness to new ideas. On 23 August 2006, Law No. 11.343 Nova Lei Antidrogas was adopted, which entered into force on 6 October 2006. This new law departs from the principle of zero tolerance. Instead of following a path based on the American system (escola americana) and criminalising illicit drug users, as has been the case up to now, we are taking a path more in line with European principles.
Coalition circles had previously said they had already agreed to start directly with the „Canadian solution”: cultivation, processing, wholesaling and trade will be legalized at the same time and could take place in Germany after the law is introduced. The parties justify this approach by the fact that „quality is controlled, the transfer of contaminated substances is prevented and the protection of minors is guaranteed,” according to the coalition agreement of the SPD, Greens and FDP. Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) added: „The planned legalisation would relieve the police. It could then focus on combating the black market and the trade in hard drugs.