Legalization of Recreational Cannabis in Germany – The Consultation Process

In late 2021, the German government announced its plan to expand the legalization of cannabis to include recreational-use sales in Germany, which, since 2017, has been limited to cannabis sales for medicinal purposes only. By June 2022, the government confirmed it would begin its consultation process with leading German and international experts in preparation for the planned legislative process to legalize recreational cannabis. 

In connection with the consultation process, I met with a member of the German parliament and the German Consul General to discuss the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada. We discussed how Canada has dealt with health concerns, consumer protection, protection of minors, supply chain issues, restrictions on marketing and advertising, the black market and impaired driving, among other pertinent topics.

In our consultation, I highlighted the elements of Canada’s rollout that went smoothly and as planned, as well as components that were more challenging in the Canadian model, to inform the German government on how best to proceed in shaping the framework of its recreational cannabis regime. It is anticipated that German lawmakers will introduce draft legislation on recreational cannabis legalization before the end of 2022.

If you are a German company involved or interested in becoming involved in this new sector in Germany, or in collaboration with a Canadian industry participant, or a Canadian cannabis industry participant looking to expand operations into Germany, please contact me or any member of the Cannabis Law Group.