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The entry into force of the legalization of cannabis consumption (cannabis), which was recently approved by the Federal Parliament, the Bundestag, in Germany - Monday - sparked widespread interaction across social media platforms.

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Over the past decades, the possession and consumption of hashish has remained a crime under German law, and the possessor and user of it are punishable by imprisonment for a period of up to a year, but it was present in the streets and alleys, and the number of its users reached 7 million last year.

But the German Parliament passed a law last February, which the Minister of Health presented to the government in August 2023, allowing the recreational use of cannabis, decriminalizing cannabis use, and adult possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal use in public places.

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The legislation also allows the cultivation of 3 cannabis seedlings at home, and the possession of up to 50 grams for personal use there, but it prohibits smoking cannabis in public places, such as schools and sports facilities, and within 100 meters of these facilities.

In the capital, Berlin, a crowd of revelers gathered in front of the historic Brandenburg Gate just after midnight, smoking rolls of hashish and carrying signs in the shape of a cannabis plant that read, “We don’t want to be criminals!”

Black market

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said that the government's goal is to "fight the black market" and better protect young people, pointing to the failure of the laws that criminalized the possession of cannabis with the high rate of consumption and the increasing problems of contaminated cannabis.

The Shabakat program (2/4/2024) monitored some of the interaction of tweeters with this legalization, including what Sami wrote: “I believe that legalizing cannabis is a double-edged sword, because it may backfire and spread addiction among young people.”

While Rina believed that “cannabis is a narcotic substance whose harms to health are incalculable, and allowing its promotion, sale, and possession encourages and spreads these harms,” Daniel commented that this legalization “is an anesthesia for the people after successive economic crises... Now they want us to smoke and forget what they are doing to our country.”

On the other hand, Samuel considered the law “logical,” and that those who oppose it “do not know its advantages,” and said that “possessing a small amount for personal use is a normal thing, and one should not be tried for it and considered a criminal.”

In turn, the opposition in Germany promised to repeal the law once it came to power, and said, "Legalizing the use of cannabis will not solve any problems. Now drug dealers will not have to fear prosecution."