Is Germany Poised To Become The Next Weed Epicenter In Europe?
On Monday, Jul 8, Germany opened its first cannabis social club, just one year after the law allowing these places took effect. Lower Saxony Minister of Agriculture Miriam Staudte announced that the permit was awarded by her office to Social Club Ganderkesee.
The news comes some two months after in Germany, making it the third country in the European Union to legalize adult-use cannabis after Malta and Luxembourg. Under this first pillar of cannabis legalization, adults over 18 can legally possess up to 25 grams of dried cannabis flower and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at home. The German government is working on the second pillar of its cannabis legalization law –setting up municipal five-year pilot programs for state-controlled marijuana to be sold in licensed shops.
As the marijuana industry becomes more exciting in the second-most populous country in Europe, observers wonder whether Germany can become the next go-to place for weed consumption on the continent. The answer is a bit more complex to be answered as a simple yes or no, writes EuroNews.
Some Regions Say No
While other permits for more social clubs are expected soon, some regions in Germany expressed opposition. In April, Bavaria, a state in the southeast of Germany, banned cannabis consumption at the most popular beer festival in the world, Oktoberfest.
Bavaria’s local authorities are also allowed to ban weed use in public spaces like outdoor swimming …