The Governing Party Coalition in Germany has officially announced that they have a formal agreement to legalize marijuana and promote broader drug policy harm reduction measures when they take power.
The news of a potential agreement had already broke earlier this month but the coalition pact was formally announced and made official on Wednesday.
“We are introducing the controlled supply of cannabis to adults for consumption in licensed stores,” the parties said in a 118-page agreement, according to translation. “This controls the quality [of marijuana], prevents the transfer of contaminated substances and guarantees the protection of minors.”
Currently personal possession of marijuana is decriminalized in Germany, and there is a medical cannabis program in place.
The latest proposal seeks to establish a regulated market for adult-use marijuana. The joint government will also review the social impact of legalization four years after implementation.
The governing coalition is comprised of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens. The coalition additionally added that legislation will restrict advertising for marijuana, alcohol and tobacco products.
“When it comes to alcohol and nicotine prevention, we rely on increased education with a special focus on children, adolescents and pregnant women,” the agreement reads. “We are tightening the regulations for marketing and sponsoring for alcohol, nicotine and cannabis. We constantly measure regulations against new scientific findings and use them to align health protection measures.”
