Germany: Cannabis Legalization Becomes Election Campaign Issue

Europe has always had very rigid rules regarding cannabis despite most countries making efforts towards legalizing it. The COVID-19 pandemic enabled a lot of positive changes with legalization worldwide as the revenue from the sales of marijuana helped economies bounce back.

Yet, it had no significant impact on Europe's cannabis industry. But the lack of legalization doesn't mean people weren't using marijuana as they mostly gained access through the black market. Then things started to change with the debate on illegal drugs, and now it has become the focal point of the election campaigns.

With millions of people in Germany, in particular, using such "Illegal drugs," the situation has propelled parliament to make the possibility of legalizing cannabis a political agenda. Politicians are now talking about new approaches to drug control that will enable Germany to tap into the economic potentials cannabis has to offer. Will their efforts yield results?

The race towards legalizing marijuana in Germany

Just as it is in America, members of parliament in Germany are beginning to wake up to the reality that cannabis is no longer the 'Bad substance" that it has been labeled to be for centuries. All over Europe, the sales of illegal drugs are reported to be worth € 30 billion ($15.5 billion), making it the most popular prohibited drug in Europe.

Irrespective of crackdowns on cannabis dispensaries in Europe, the Europe Monitoring Center for Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) released figures suggesting that almost 30% of adult Europeans will attempt smoking cannabis. The report explicitly stipulates that the adults in Europe will smoke cannabis as a joint or pipe at least once in their lifetime.

These statistics and verified facts explain why an increasing number of prosecutors, police officers, lawyers, criminologists, and social workers are questioning cannabis prohibition policies. If up to 30% of adults in Germany will eventually smoke cannabis, why isn't it legal? Why are adult Germans resorting to the black market to get cannabis when it can be legalized?

Politicians are asking these questions, with four of the six political parties represented in the German parliament backing the bill will bring an end to the cannabis prohibition policy.

Seeking the right policy and strategy for potential legalization

Any country's parliament that discusses the possibility of legalizing cannabis is constantly faced with the same challenge: the right approach. Many of these countries are keen on legalizing cannabis but not making it a freeway policy to avoid the potential of abuse.

Germany is no different as various political parties are coming up with varying ideas and strategies o how to get it right with cannabis legalization. The Green Party, the FDP, Left Party, and Social Democrats (SPD) agree that prohibition strategies have failed.

These four political parties seek and call for new approaches to pave the way for the legalization, regulation, and decriminalization of cannabis. According to the FDP's parliamentary spokesman Wieland Schinnenburg, there are an estimated 4 million regular marijuana users in Germany.

He argued that the fate of these millions of users is left to the callous black market that lacks proper quality standards. Additionally, Wieland Schinnenburg maintains that Germany is missing out on the juicy revenues the cannabis market can offer the German economy.

The FDP party advises that the revenue generated from the cannabis market can be spent on prevention and therapy. So how much money can Germany generate from the cannabis market? In 2018, Justus Haucap, a professor of economics, totaled the amount at € 2.6 billion.

Has Germany made progress made with legislation?

Thus far, only the Green Party has come forward with comprehensive draft legislation to handle the cannabis challenge. They proposed the "Cannabis Control Bill" to ensure a controlled distribution of cannabis to adults at specific sales points. The bill aims to dry out the black market such that young people are better protected from abuse.

The bill is also provided to remove the burden of checking the youngsters from the police and legal systems, thus bringing in tax revenue that will be used for prevention and treatment. However, the Bundestag (The German Parliament) rejected the bill.

Criminalizing consumers

Experts agree that Germany is long overdue for drug control policies because it will help with reducing the number of drug-based offenses. The criminalization of cannabis consumers wouldn't end the circulation of cannabis from the black market.

With prohibition policies currently in place, there are still cannabis criminal cases: a reported 358,000 offenses were recorded. Nearly four-fifths of the reported number entails actual consumption, while other offenders were caught possessing a few grams of marijuana.

Criminalizing consumers will only worsen the situation as it will drive the reported 30% of adult cannabis users to the black market, where they are sure of getting their fix. The black market will consistently thrive, and the German government will not make progress with this idea.

So what can be done?

Yes, Germany is late to the legalization party globally, but with political parties showing interest in changing the narrative, things can change. The future may still be uncertain as the cannabis market in Germany is still on shaking ground.

But if the conversations, ideas, proposals, strategies, and legislations are still upheld at this stage, there is a higher probability that Germany can join the league of cannabis legalized countries.

Bottom Line

The topic of legalizing cannabis is always a very intriguing one that sparks debate, research, and strategies on how to achieve it. For many years, Europe has missed out on the benefits it has to offer, and Germany is beginning to realize that it needs a regulated cannabis market.

With the topic now being an election campaign issue and four out of the six political parties taking action, the possibility of legalizing cannabis in Germany is becoming real.

However, there are still questions to be answered on the policy to adopt going forward. If the German Parliament commits itself to provide answers, it can tap into the endless possibilities of a cannabis-based revenue system.