The walls of European cannabis prohibition continue to crumble, with the spread of adult-use legalization in Germany serving as the best example. Germany legalized cannabis for recreational use beginning April 1, 2024, and the nation’s multi-faceted approach to cannabis policy and regulation is expanding at an increasing rate.
Germany was not the first European Union member to adopt an adult-use legalization measure, nor was it the second country to do so. Those titles go to Malta and Luxembourg, respectively. However, recreational cannabis policy modernization efforts in Germany are the largest and most significant in the EU given Germany’s economic and political standing on the continent. Germany also boasts the largest population in the EU with roughly 84 million people. By comparison, Malta and Luxembourg combined have a total population of roughly 1.2 million.
It is fair to assume that if cannabis legalization works in Germany, it will pave the way for other European Union member nations to do the same. Conversely, if German legalization fails, it could hinder cannabis policy modernization efforts elsewhere in Europe. Data emerging from Germany’s cannabis industry is providing insight into how legalization implementation is going.
The Current State of Cannabis Legalization in Germany
