Germany moves to legalise cannabis in economy-boosting bid after Merkel departure
Proposals for recreational legalisation of cannabis will also include expanded drug checking measures
Thursday, November 18, 2021
The political parties known as the "traffic light" coalition are pushing for a change in legislation meaning the sale of cannabis will be legal for consumption purposes. According to Der Spiegel a representative of the working group tasked with the policy change said: "We are introducing the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes in licensed shops." The policy will be revisited after four years to assess its social impact. A survey, carried out by the Institute for Competition Economics (DICE), found that a legalised cannabis market in Germany could add around 3.4 billion euros in tax revenue to the nation's economy. It would also save the judicial system in the country around 1.3 billion euros every year. (See also: How Germany’s next government is planning to legalise cannabis)
