1500 German Stoners Rally to Celebrate Cannabis Legalization
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Bright clouds of smoke rise from the Brandenburg Gate around midnight, and a sweet smell is in the air. Around 1,500 stoners celebrated cannabis legalization on the night of 31st March, as the new law for the partial legalization of cannabis has come into force on 1st April 2024 Adults are allowed to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis with them.
At the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, supporters celebrated the new freedoms with a so-called smoke-in starting at midnight, demonstratively lit joints and danced to reggae music in an exuberant mood
A meter-high cannabis leaf adorned the scene in front of the Berlin landmark, and a number of lighters lit up just in time for midnight. Shortly afterwards, a strong smell of cannabis wafted across the square. “We can finally show ourselves, we don’t have to hide anymore,” said Henry Plottke, a member of the German Hemp Association (DHV), to the German Press Agency before the start of the campaign.
The meeting was organized by the Berlin local group of the DHV and was registered with the police. By smoking weed together, the aim was to celebrate the “newfound freedoms,” said Plottke. It was a key event for him to be able to legally smoke a joint in front of the Brandenburg Gate. As a consumer, he feels “a lot of relief” about no longer being considered a criminal.
The legalization of cannabis for adults, initiated by the traffic light coalition, comes into force. Possession of certain amounts of the drug, private cultivation and consumption are permitted from the age of 18 under certain conditions as well as remove cannabis from the list of prohibited substances in the Narcotics Act.
However the new cannabis bill would allow adults to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis with them and also activate household cultivation but for consumption remains prohibited in the immediate presence of minors and near schools, daycare centers and sports facilities.
Legalization in two steps
Now, as a first step, the possession, private cultivation and consumption of certain amounts of cannabis will be permitted for adults. From July onwards, in a second step, so-called cultivation associations will be allowed to grow cannabis under strict conditions under state control and distribute it to their members. At the same time, the law provides for measures to prevent addiction.
When the changes came into force, cannabis disappeared from the list of prohibited substances in the Narcotics Act. Adults are now allowed to carry up to 25 grams of the drug in public and a maximum of 50 grams at home. It is also permitted to have up to three cannabis plants in the living area. Smoking weed is allowed in public, but not near children and young people, schools, daycare centers, playgrounds and sports fields and not in pedestrian zones during the day.
