Cross-Border Impacts of Germany’s Cannabis Legalization
May 17, 2024

As of 1 April 2024, the recreational cannabis use is legalised in Germany. According to the German government, this legislation aims to reduce the illegal cannabis market, foster open debates, enhance health prevention and education, and reduce criminal prosecution costs.

Since the enactment of this law, a lot of discussions and debates were initiated. Our euPrevent partners in the Addiction programme line have also engaged in intensive discussions. An expert panel was conveyed, and the partners from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands had a comprehensive dialogue where they shared their perspectives on this issue. They all agreed that drug law is complicated and precision in the law is crucial to facilitate implementation of the law and to streamline effective public health measures. On the other hand, the German legislation on cannabis provides a great opportunity for neighbouring countries to have more exchanges and this will stimulate mutual learning. Cross-border collaboration is considered a useful means to achieve a more comprehensive strategy to tackle the common challenge of drug use and enhancing prevention efforts.

The results and the preliminary findings of our experts panel are published on our website: https://euprevent.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DE-cannabis-EN.pdf.