Berlin, 02/21/2024 | The lead Health Committee has finally cleared the way for the passage of the Cannabis Act in the Bundestag. The 2nd & 3rd readings of the Cannabis Act (CanG) will therefore take place in the Bundestag next Friday at 1:10 pm. The Cannabis Act will not only decriminalize cannabis users, allow the private cultivation of three plants for adults and enable cultivation associations, it will also further improve access for patients and strengthen the medical cannabis industry in Germany.

Jürgen Neumeyer, Managing Director of the BvCW, comments: “It is a paradigm shift and the greatest progress in drug policy in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. In order to strengthen Germany as a business location and make a contribution to climate protection, the next step needs to be an industrial hemp law that simplifies cultivation and processing and abolishes the so-called intoxication clause. We also welcome the first improvements for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis in Germany. This step was long overdue.”

Dirk Heitepriem, Vice-President and Coordinator of Recreational Cannabis Regulation at the BvCW, emphasizes: “We are pleased that politicians have reached an agreement. In order to sustainably strengthen youth and health protection, Pillar 2, i.e. the pilot projects, is also needed in the near future. As an industry, we are ready to fight against the black market.”

An open letter published on Monday by experts for a balanced partial legalization, i.e. for the CanG, can be found here.

You can find an overview of detailed positions and materials in our ELEMENTE publication series.