The coalition parties have agreed on the final version of the law on the legalization of cannabis. The law is to be less strict than previously planned, reports Tagesschau.

The parliamentary groups of the governing coalition have reached a final agreement on the law on the legalization of cannabis. “We are putting an end to the harmful prohibition of cannabis,” said Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (Greens), the current chair of the health committee in the Bundestag. She described the planned law as a “paradigm shift that many people have been campaigning for for decades”.
According to the decision, the law will be less strict than previously planned. Among other things, the parliamentary groups agreed to reduce the ban on consumption in the vicinity of schools and similar facilities to a distance of 100 m. The previous plan was 200 m.

The rules on home cultivation have also been relaxed: in future, possession of up to 50 grams will be permitted instead of 25 grams. Criminal liability will only apply from 60 grams in private areas and from 30 grams in public areas. Possession of less than this is considered an administrative offense.
According to Kappert-Gonther, penalties and fines should also be reduced to “reasonable levels”. Fines are to be reduced from a maximum of EUR 100,000 to a maximum of EUR 30,000. Experts from the Federal Ministry of Transport are to propose a THC limit value for road traffic by the end of March.

“In the negotiations, we have succeeded in finding practicable regulations that guarantee the protection of young people and health and make the decriminalization of adult users a reality,” said Kappert-Gonther. The possession and consumption of cannabis will remain prohibited for young people under the age of 18.
The government coalition’s original plan to also offer cannabis for sale in licensed stores will not be implemented for the time being.

The associated draft bill has has yet to be finally passed by the Bundestag. The law is due to come into force next year (spring 2024).