By Luke Sumpter

Cannabis users in Germany have eagerly awaited the parliamentary vote that will legalize the possession and cultivation of cannabis in the country. After hard negotiations among the nation’s coalition government, German citizens will get the green light to start growing weed from April 1st and to set up cannabis clubs from July 1st.

Find out more below!


Germany has become the next country within the European Union to legalize cannabis for personal use, following in the footsteps of Malta and Luxembourg.

The ruling coalition government gave the green light for citizens to start possessing and growing specific quantities of cannabis on April 1st, 2024.

On top of this, the government is preparing to make way for private cultivation clubs, similar to those found in Spain, by July 1st, 2024. Cannabis legalization in Germany remains behind schedule largely because of inner conflict within the three-party coalition government. While members of the Greens and liberal Freedom Democratic Party are keen for the legislation to pass, members of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have launched revolts that have slowed things down.

The bureaucratic process had to emerge from limbo before the vote took place. Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, the main advocate of the proposal, declared before the law's passing, foreseeing the momentum: 'I am continuing to assume that the Cannabis Act will be passed by the Bundestag and will go into force from April."

So, cannabis users and growers in Germany are about to live through a truly historic moment. But what exactly will the situation look like after the Cannabis Act comes to fruition?

Karl Lauterbach
Karl Lauterbach leads the proposed german cannabis reform.

What Will Cannabis Legalization Look Like in Germany?

Cannabis users in the country have long awaited this crucial vote, which has bestowed them more freedom than growers and users in many other EU nations. Keep reading to learn about the important restrictions that will remain in place, how much users can grow and possess, and what the cannabis clubs of the future will look like.

Important Restrictions Remain in Place

Legislators have taken special care to promote the protection of minors when putting together the Cannabis Act. Therefore, purchasing, possessing, and cultivating cannabis remain completely prohibited for citizens under the age of 18, and supplying a minor with cannabis remains a criminal offence. Any citizen over the age of 21 found helping minors procure or grow cannabis will face a jail sentence of up to five years.

Cannabis users will also be prohibited from consuming the herb within 100 metres of schools, playgrounds, and outdoor public facilities. The government is currently still setting legal guidelines for driving under the influence of cannabis. The Federal Ministry of Transport is set to release legal THC limits by the end of March 2024. Exceeding this limit will result in a fine and possible driving ban.

How Much Weed Can Users Possess?

The Cannabis Act will allow adult citizens to possess up to 25g of cannabis in a public space, and up to 50g in a private space. If found in possession of more than these amounts in either space, citizens could receive hefty fines of up to €30,000.

How Many Plants Can People Grow?

Adult citizens will have the freedom to grow cannabis in their own homes. Current guidelines state that each adult can cultivate up to three flowering plants at one time. Obviously, some variation exists here. Three small autoflowers will yield significantly less than three large sativa-dominant photoperiod strains. While it seems like a loophole, this poses serious problems considering the limits of private possession. Hopefully, future regulatory guidelines will make matters clearer for German growers.

How Will Germany’s Cannabis Clubs Operate?

German cannabis clubs will have a limit of 500 members, and all members must have German citizenship. Members aged 21 and over will have the right to legally purchase up to 25g of cannabis per day, and up to 50g per month. Citizens aged 18–21 will have access to only 30g of herb per month. German clubs will operate slightly differently than those found in sunny Spanish cities such as Barcelona. The biggest distinction? German patrons can’t legally sit back, sip a coffee, and spark up a joint inside; German clubs will serve as points of purchase, not smoking lounges.

Can Germans Buy Weed From Commercial Outlets?

Before being tweaked, the original bill featured a two-stage plan.

The first stage aimed to legalize the possession and cultivation of cannabis and the establishment of cannabis clubs, whereas the second stage was created to legalize commercial sales of cannabis within Germany.

During the political tussles that prolonged the parliamentary vote, the second phase has been put on pause while the federal government works on a feasible model with the European Commission.

Germany and the EU
The European Union has pushed back against the german plan.

Though the Cannabis Act passed and weed became legal in Germany via the democratic process, the opposing minority, both within and outside of the government, remains larger than most cannabis users would like. Dissenting voices within the SPD itself, namely Sebastian Fiedler and Sebastian Hartmann, view the planned regulations as a breach of the coalition agreement settled back in December 2021.

In their critique of the Cannabis Act, the pair stated: “Important goals of a modern drug policy, such as the fight against organised crime, the discharge of regulatory, police, and judicial authorities or the improvement of youth protection are not achieved”. The deputies went on to add that “A drug policy that deals exclusively with cannabis in this situation fails”, hinting toward their preferred stance manifest in the broad decriminalisation model of Portugal.

Interior minister Nancy Faeser, of the SDP, has also warned of the “serious negative effects” of legalization and the impact it will have on “the protection of children and young people and health protection”.

Despite the vote in favour of legal cannabis, several regulations still need addressing. Cannabis users in the country are awaiting official guidelines on the responsible limit value when it comes to driving under the influence of THC. So far, the motorist club ADAC has pushed for stricter requirements for novice drives, as well as educating the population on the risks of driving under the influence of THC.

Cannabis Legalization Bill Announced in 2022

The derailment of Germany’s sovereign policymaking might seem sudden and shocking to some, but politicians knew they’d face such a possibility straight out of the gate. Lauterbach introduced a detailed plan in October 2022 that served as a guideline for lawmakers to use to draft a bill. Knowing that they’d have to deal with EU approval regardless, the coalition government included the following details[4] in their desired policy changes:

  • Possession: The original guidelines suggested that all adults aged 18 and over could possess up to 1.1 oz of cannabis for personal use, regardless of THC content, in private and public places.
  • Cultivation: The government would regulate the sale of seeds, and citizens could grow up to three female plants at home, considering they are secured from children.
  • Supply: Germany would regulate its own cannabis supply chain in the interests of quality control and stamping out the black market. The country would seek to develop a new thriving agricultural sector and rule out the option of importing marijuana from abroad.
  • Marketing: Products would feature neutral packaging that states THC and CBD content.
  • Taxation: Cannabis products would feature VAT that correlates to THC content.
  • International declaration: Knowing the obstacles laid down by the EU commission, the German government crafted a declaration attempting to prove that legalization would reduce harm regarding youth protection and drug trafficking.

Germany Cannabis Supply
German cannabis clubs could look more like a state-controlled dispensary, rather than a recreational space.

German Weed Legalization: Important Moments in 2019

Many of Germany’s recent policy changes stem from legalization efforts back in 2019. Then, the government started to loosen numerous restrictions, and several politicians started calling for reform. While some pushed for decriminalisation, others started a movement backing legal recreational weed. One year later, in 2020, the government gave pharmacies the green light to start dispensing medical marijuana.

Weed in Germany became more accessible to citizens back in 2016 when the government gave doctors the ability to prescribe medical cannabis[5] to patients with certain conditions. The law enabled patients with multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and cancer to obtain cannabis to manage their symptoms.

Germany Became One of the First Countries to Legalize Medical Cannabis in 2007

German weed legalization first occurred in its primitive form way back in 2007. While far from sweeping reform, the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices made the groundbreaking step of approving the use of cannabis for medical purposes. This made the nation one of the first in Europe to legalize medical cannabis and set the stage for future progressive policies.

Weed in Germany: Decriminalisation Started in 1994

When looking at Germany’s past, progressive cannabis reform doesn't stop at the new millennium. In an era of harsh cannabis laws across the world, the nation's highest court decriminalised[6] the possession of small quantities of hash and marijuana in 1994. This order granted citizens the ability to possess up to 0.2 oz of either substance; getting caught would result in a mere fine instead of imprisonment. This marked the beginning of the end of cannabis prohibition in Germany, which dawned in 1929.

420 Berlin
Berlin's 2022 4/20 March

Germany: The Future Looks Green

Several politicians of the coalition party in Germany are driving cannabis policy forward. Despite EU roadblocks, they’re taking a pragmatic approach with the ambition to serve as a model for the rest of Europe. Regardless of recent pitfalls, these elected officials have still managed to outline a plan that sees cannabis social clubs, legalized possession for recreational use, and home cultivation on the horizon.

Motivation for this policy change has partly arisen from certain ministers recognising the failures of previous laws. Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann, an advocate of marijuana reform, stated: “The prohibition of cannabis criminalizes countless people, pushes them into criminal structures and ties up immense resources at law enforcement agencies”.

Agriculture Minister Özdemir has also weighed in on the nonsensical policies of the past, adding: “The use of cannabis is a social reality. A decades-long prohibition policy has turned a blind eye to this and thus caused problems above all: to the detriment of our children and young people, the health of users and law enforcement agencies”.

German politicians are approaching new cannabis legislation from multiple angles, emphasising how prohibition has sucked resources from the police and also enabled a black market that provides access to young citizens to thrive. With huge changes due in 2024, Germany will likely serve as a model of success for the rest of Europe and beyond.

External Resources:
  1. Germany To Introduce Bill To Legalize Cannabis In The Coming Weeks https://www.forbes.com
  2. Germany scales back plans to allow cannabis sale in shops and pharmacies | Germany | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com
  3. https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-two-step-plan-to-legalize-cannabis/a-65301438
  4. Germany Reveals How It Wants To Legalize Cannabis https://www.forbes.com
  5. https://www.dw.com/en/germany-gives-go-ahead-to-relax-rules-on-medical-marijuana/a-19234402
  6. German Court Legalizes Soft Drugs | Prison Legal News https://www.prisonlegalnews.org
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: