“If everything goes well, I think legalization could take place in 2024,” said the Social Democratic minister.
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Everything will, in fact, depend on the approval of the European Commission.
“We are checking whether the general lines we outline in this document are compatible with international and European law”, he highlighted.
If the European Commission does not give its approval, the document will not generate a bill, he specified, showing himself to be relatively confident that the text will overcome the obstacle.
Contain the underground market
The minister justified this reform, which will make Germany one of the most liberal countries in Europe, by the desire “to achieve better protection of children and young people“. In this sense, he assessed that the policy has not been “really effective” so far.
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Around 4 million people in the country consumed this considered mild drug last year. Of this total, 25% were between 18 and 24 years old, he indicated.
The Minister of Justice, Marco Bushmann, considered that the purely repressive policy “failed”.
“That’s why we want to legalize, in a responsible way, the consumption of cannabis. This will mean better quality products and, therefore, health protection” and relief for Justice, which will be able to “focus on more important things”, he said on his Twitter account.
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The document, adopted this Wednesday (26), provides for “public control of the supply chain” of cannabis with the aim of “guaranteeing health protection and curbing organized crime and the underground market”.
The plan organizes “the production, supply and trade of cannabis recreational within the scope of licenses controlled by the State” and authorizes the cultivation of three cannabis plants per adult for personal use, he details.
Its sale will be “strictly controlled”, sellers will not be able to advertise, and the packaging must be “neutral” and inform about the risks.
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Profits from the sale of cannabis for recreational use will be subject to a tax and a special consumption tax (“cannabis tax”) is foreseen, according to the document.
If the project is implemented, Germany will be part of the small group of countries that have legalized this drug, such as Malta, in Europe, and Uruguay and Canada, in the Americas.
(with AFP)
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