After Malta in 2021 and Luxembourg last year, Germany today becomes the largest EU country to legalize the use of cannabis for recreational purposes, proceeding with a reform that has caused many expectations as well as fears.

At midnight, when the new legislation took effect, hundreds of people celebrated by smoking marijuana in front of the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin.

It is now legal to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal use in public places. It is also allowed to have up to three cannabis plants per adult in homes and to keep up to 50 grams of cannabis there for personal use.

However, Germans will have to wait another three months before they are able to legally buy cannabis through Cannabis Social Clubs.

These clubs will start operating from July 1, will be non-profit and will be able to sell their members up to 25 grams of cannabis per day and no more than 50 grams per month.

These clubs will be able to grow cannabis plants outdoors, but not in residential buildings. They will be audited at least once a year and each can have up to 500 members who live at least six months in Germany.

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According to the German government, the new legislation, strongly supported by environmentalists and liberal members of the governing coalition under Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, will help tackle illegal drug trafficking.

Assessing that the ban policy has failed, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach often states that countries such as Canada, which have implemented similar policies, have succeeded in curbing the black market.

However, many medical associations are concerned that there will be an increase in consumption, especially among young people.

By the age of 25, cannabis consumption poses increased risks to the developing brain, according to experts, who warn mainly about the risk of developing mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.

For Katia Seidel, an addiction prevention specialist at the Tannenhof center in Berlin, the new legislation is “a disaster”.

Lauterbach has pledged that measures will be adopted to make young people aware of the dangers of cannabis use, but did not provide any further details.

Besides, the authorities emphasize that the use of cannabis is still prohibited for minors, as well as its use by adults within a radius of 100 meters around some public places, such as schools and sports centers.

For their part the Christian Democrats (CDU) have stated that they will cancel the legislation when in power: “In our opinion, drug policy, especially in relation to the protection of young people, is an issue of such central importance importance that we will withdraw the legalization of cannabis if we win power,” MP Torsten Frei told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.