The legalization of recreational cannabis in Germany, which is the subject of disagreements in the tripartite government led by Olaf Scholz, will take effect on April 1, ruling coalition lawmakers announced on Friday, AFP and dpa reported. Agerpres.

The text, adopted by the Council of Ministers in August, continued to be discussed in the Bundestag between the parliamentary groups of the Social Democrats (SPD), where there were votes against the Greens and the liberals from the FDP, allies in the federal government.

Thus, the deputies agreed on a “quick” assessment of the consequences of legalization from the point of view of the protection of children and teenagers, as well as in relation to organized crime, an assessment that will also take into account the expertise of the judicial police, the vice-prime minister noted. – heads of three parliamentary groups.

The reform is “a major step forward for modern drug policy,” they said in a joint statement.

According to the government, this should allow a more effective fight against the black market, which is opposed by the conservative opposition, police unions and some SPD MPs.

With this new law, the flagship project of Olaf Scholz’s government, Germany will adopt one of the most liberal laws in Europe after Malta and Luxembourg, which legalized recreational cannabis in 2021 and 2023 respectively.

The regulations allow for the purchase of cannabis in a limited quantity of a maximum of 25 grams per day through non-profit associations. It will also be possible to grow up to three cannabis plants for personal use.

However, the possession and use of this drug will remain strictly prohibited for young people under the age of 18.