Gemini summary:

Germany has become the ninth country in the world to legalize cannabis. The new law allows individuals to grow up to three cannabis plants for personal consumption and to possess up to 25 grams of the drug. Cannabis clubs will also be allowed to grow and sell cannabis to their members. The law is expected to come into effect in April 2024.

  • ninjan@lemmy.mildgrim.com
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    9 months ago

    Germany doing it will likely set precedent in all of northern Europe. My prediction is Denmark will follow in 2 year time, Norway in 3-4 years and Sweden likely last at 5 years, even though I think we consume more of it per capita… Swedish stance on drug use has been extremely conservative for many, many decades by now and is super rooted in the common Psyche, which is why so many die of overdoses and kill themselves if it comes out they use. The stigma is heavy.

    • no banana@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I honestly don’t believe Sweden will come around that quickly. We’re way too deep into prohibition to swing over like that. A majority of people do really hate drugs. This being said I absolutely think it will happen within a decade unless something goes wrong elsewhere.

      • TwanHE@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Hopefully we in the Netherlands will finally legalize it as well instead of it being a gray area. Although that would require us to give up on beating Belgium’s record of not forming a government.

      • KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        9 months ago

        Yeah, I also don’t see it happening in 5 years, the government knows its policy has caused Sweden to have the highest drug related death rate but they just double down on prohibition.

        Anyway, if it’s not legalised in the next 3-4 years, I’m moving to Spain, I like who I am when I smoke, I like the control I have over my anxiety and the boos of life and energy I get.

      • Lorindól@sopuli.xyz
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        9 months ago

        Sweden and Finland will be among the last in Europe to decriminalize/legalize.

        “Drugs are bad because drugs are bad” is too deeply ingrained into the older population. It will take years to change this attitude, even if the results of legalization in other countries will be positive.

        “It just would not work here” is the eternal argument. And the only one.

        • barsoap@lemm.ee
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          9 months ago

          Meanwhile both of those country inject caffeine intravenously. I have no idea how one could possibly go through a kg of coffee a month, yet for Finns that’s nearly the average.

          • Lorindól@sopuli.xyz
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            9 months ago

            1kg per month sounds about right for what I drink at home.

            But if I add the 2-4 daily large cups at work and a few “social visit cups” per month, I’d say that my personal total comes closer to 2kg/month.

    • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Copenhagen loves regularly beating up Christiania too much for Denmark to make weed legal.

    • WindowsEnjoyer@sh.itjust.works
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      9 months ago

      While Germany attempts to legalize cannabis, in Lithuania you can buy alcohol Mon-Sat from 10:00 to 20:00, except Sundays, where you have 3 hours window, from 12:00 to 15:00…

      If it happens that cannabis is legalized in many Eu countries, I am pretty sure that Lithuania might start considering it in 10-30 years. 🙆

      But oh well, I’ll simply travel more. I liked Berlin when I visited it few months back. :)

      • BaardFigur@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        in Lithuania you can buy alcohol Mon-Sat from 10:00 to 20:00, except saturdays, where you have 3 hours window, from 12:00 to 15:00…

        You literally just described Norway (with some minor differences). Anything above 4,7% can only be bought from the state owned Vinmonopolet (wine monopoly)

  • dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    9 months ago

    I had to look it up: Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Uruguay, South Africa, Georgia, Luxembourg, Malta, and now Germany. It’s legal in a little over half of the US including territories.

    Did Germany change their plan though? Originally they were just going to open up 3 cannabis shops in Berlin as a test, now it seems they’re just going with full legalization across the country as of April. Anyone have more insight into the rollout?

    • Manucode@feddit.de
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      9 months ago

      To comply with EU law, cannabis won’t be sold commercially. Instead, people can form cannabis clubs where they grow it for their own use. Only members can get cannabis at such a club. Alternatively, you can grow it at home.

      • notapantsday@feddit.de
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        9 months ago

        I really like this. Yes, it should be everyone’s choice to consume it or not. But there really shouldn’t be commercial incentives to get people addicted and to get rich from their addiction.

        Imgine the same rules applying to alcohol and tobacco… (yes you can absolutely grow tobacco in Germany).

        • barsoap@lemm.ee
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          9 months ago

          I’d like to smoke a joint once in a while, like two or three times a month. A single plant would last me years, home-grown or at a club doesn’t matter it’d be way too much.

          So expect there to be a large second-hand market. “You can’t sell” doesn’t do anything about supply and demand.

          • Flumpkin@slrpnk.net
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            9 months ago

            Maybe there will be growclubs that are cheaper but only give you a little instead of 50g a month.

        • Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee
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          9 months ago

          I’m a fan of the ‘speed bump’ for a lot of the same reasons, if nothing else than requiring a certain level of interest or effort beyond swiping a credit card. But I’d like to have a medical and/or compassionate carer exemption for non-recreation patients.

          I have enjoyed my time with the herb and agree that legalization is our best harm reduction route, but I’m not going to pretend it’s a net societal gain either - like you said look at how we treat alcohol and: cars, marketing, licensing, enforcement, child access, addiction, rehab industry, etc

      • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        9 months ago

        That makes a lot of sense as a law, actually. Most of the problems that have arisen from state legalization in the US has been from people trying to jump on the money train by starting huge questionable grow sites in remote areas (such as where I live). And, of course, getting some of the organized crime elements involved because there’s money to be made. I’m sure some will skirt this law but promoting it to be small scale, personal consumption only is pretty based.

    • Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works
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      9 months ago

      Thailand is in the middle of banning it as they elected a conservative government not long after legalising it.

      Also for recreational use it’s legal in one of eight states/territories in Australia. Medicinal in every state but that’s not really the same even if it’s dead easy to get.

    • AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works
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      9 months ago

      How long is it by train from Berlin or Frankfurt to Luxembourg City and does Luxembourg’s bill allow for sales to German residents? I know the Netherlands had been trying to restrict their weed sales to Dutch residents (and I’m not sure if they were successful), but is this a situation where people were already just making day trips to buy it so might as well make it legal?

  • Head@lemmings.world
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    9 months ago

    I fail to understand how you can only possess up to 50 g of weed at home. You’re allowed to have three plants and one plant produces normally over 100 g. What.

    • ShieldsUp@startrek.website
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      9 months ago

      Makes no sense at all! I just pulled 10 oz from a single plant in a 60x120cm cabinet. Guess you’ll have to smoke & eat the entire plant immediately!

            • anivia@lemmy.ml
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              9 months ago

              Yes, the law is still very restrictive, in some ways more restrictive than before even. Calling it a legalization is pretty dishonest, it’s a partial decriminalization at best

              • orrk@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                no it is very much legalization because now there is actually a legal pathway to acquiring, processing, and handling the stuff

          • ElCanut@jlai.lu
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            9 months ago

            German government: “It’s illegal to bake anything else than yourself”

    • DarthFrodo@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      It doesn’t make much sense, but conservatives are already losing their minds over the 25g we’re allowed to carry “nooo, we’re enabling drug dealers with those massive quantities”. If they went for 500g at home, there would’ve been a lot more negative press I imagine and it might not have gone through. Maybe it will be adjusted a few years down the line.

  • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Dear Germans,

    You won’t regret this as a whole but keep an eye on the old waistline.

    -a guy from a place where it has been legal for a while

    • Brocon@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Dear whereever you are from,

      We know. Some of us live next to the Netherlands, so we already had a steady access.

      Sincerely,

      Your Germans

      X0X0

  • SrTobi@feddit.de
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    9 months ago

    The cannabis clubs are bullshit… But I guess the only way to circumvent EU law :/ still feels like a half ass solution. Well… Better than nothing

    • Che Banana@lemmy.ml
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      9 months ago

      These are really common in Spain, IMO they’re…not great.

      As an old man who prefers edibles I really cant stand the smell/smoke/atmosphere.

      I would really appreciate if our governments allowed us to be the adults we can be, and this would include being able to open a “more refined” dispensary for people other than who they think uses “The marijuanas”.

      • anivia@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        As an old man who prefers edibles I really cant stand the smell/smoke/atmosphere.

        Well, you won’t get that smell in German cannabis clubs, since the law doesnt permit smoking there. But you also won’t be able to get edibles at a club, only buds. So if you prefer edibles you still have to make them yourself, and it will still be illegal

        • Flumpkin@slrpnk.net
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          9 months ago

          So if you prefer edibles you still have to make them yourself, and it will still be illegal

          Wait, you can’t make edibles yourself to eat? No cookie?

          • anivia@lemmy.ml
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            9 months ago

            No, sadly not. But of course the likelyhood of getting caught in your own home is slim, unless you do something stupid or live with people that report you to the police

            • nexusband@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              In welchem Gesetzestext soll das stehen? Mit den 50 Gramm die Zuhause benutzt werden dürfen, darf man alles machen, was man möchte. Man darf natürlich weiterhin keinen Kuchen oder Brownies mit Cannabis backen und die verteilen…

              Crude translation: There is no direct mentioning on use cases in the law, just things you can’t do in certain public places and selling hash browns or something like that. You can do anything you like in your home with it. And in those clubs, you are also not allowed to do anything with it, your just able to distribute a certain amount in leaf form.

              • silly goose meekah@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                I think your translation was pretty good but FYI hash browns is a food/dish more similar to Kartoffelpuffer than THC infused brownies ^^

            • Flumpkin@slrpnk.net
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              9 months ago

              What about a hash pancake?
              You could quickly eat the evidence of your crime? 🌿🥞🍽️

    • boredtortoise@lemm.eeOP
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      9 months ago

      Yeah dispensaries are better but is there something in particular you don’t like about social club style laws?

      • axo@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        There’s probably going to be membership/sign up fees and required unpaid shifts. For someone who might want to smoke a blunt once or twice a year, that might be excessive.