Local Marijuana Tax Ballot Measures Pass All Around Missouri!
After Easter, the government will formally present a measure to legalize marijuana across the board in Germany, according to a top health official. He also appears to be disputing recent claims that the legislation has been substantially reduced from the original structure made public last year.
According to reports, officials attempted to alter the legislation in order to avoid a potential clash with international rules. The legislation was originally scheduled to be released by the end of the first quarter of 2023, but that deadline was extended owing to scheduling issues.
Karl Lauterbach, the German health minister, stated on Wednesday that national legalization is still the goal and that he firmly believes the new proposal will be unveiled the day after Easter next week.
Last month, there were indications that the measure was being changed from the framework that the government had previously given, with information indicating that officials intended to approach the reform in two ways.
Originally, it was claimed that the legislation had been altered to permit marijuana growers to set up and market their product through “cannabis clubs,” which are akin to those in the Netherlands and Spain.
The unconfirmed claims said that there will then be a sales component. But, it would be restricted to developing a regional pilot program, and setting up marijuana dispensaries in specific regions of the nation so that the government could examine more extensive commercial legalization.
If the law has been altered, Germany would ask the EU for approval of that part of the legislation. The body’s evaluation of the home grow language would not apply.
Although the health minister hasn’t confirmed that information, he did say on Wednesday that legalization is being planned across Germany, suggesting that national commercial legalization may still be feasible in the near future.
Meanwhile, the apparent effort to pull back the proposal has drawn criticism from lawmakers in the coalition government.
According to Kristine L. Tke of the FDP, who spoke to Zeit Online, the illicit market can only be resisted if quality-assured cannabis for recreational use can be purchased at licensed stores across Germany. The black market will endure if you can only legally purchase cannabis with a guarantee of quality in a few cities.
We must make every effort to put the things agreed upon in the coalition agreement into practice, she said, even though it may be challenging to develop a legally secure solution [under international law].
According to Canan Bayram of the Green Party, it is doubtful that the amended regional strategy will enable us to eradicate the illicit market.
Before to the coalition’s support, the government had authorized adults age 18 and older to purchase and possess 20–30 grams of marijuana through establishments with federal licenses, including maybe pharmacies.
Additionally, they were permitted to grow up to three plants for personal use, subject to restrictions on the enclosure to keep children out.
Upon implementation, any ongoing criminal cases involving offenses made legal by the legislation will be halted and ended.
The country’s sales tax would apply to marijuana, and the proposal also includes a separate consumption tax. It doesn’t, though, and instead makes the case that the price should be set at a level that rivals the black market.
Lauterbach stated last month that German authorities would be making changes to the plan before formally proposing a bill in the assembly since they had received an extremely positive response from the EU on the preceding reform framework.
Late last year, the German Federal Cabinet accepted the basic outline for legalization legislation, but the government required EU approval to make sure that adopting the change wouldn’t violate their international duties.
Those 18 and older would have been permitted to possess 20 to 30 grams of marijuana, which they could buy from establishments with government licenses and possibly pharmacies. A person may also grow up to three plants for personal use, subject to restrictions on the enclosure to keep children out.
The country’s sales tax would apply to marijuana, and the proposal also includes a separate consumption tax. Also, upon adoption, all pending criminal cases involving offenses made legal by the legislation will be halted and ended.
The framework was the end result of months of analysis and discussion within the German government and the nation’s traffic light coalition. Last summer, authorities took the first step toward legalization by starting a series of hearings intended to inform legislation to eliminate the nation’s prohibition.
