German cannabis professionals have gathered in Berlin to demand the legalization of cannabis use, urging Germany’s new coalition government.
............................................................On the 20th of April, the fourth month of every year, the special day ‘420’ is celebrated at 4:20 pm. On the occasion of the day, at least 500 cannabis growers of different ages and classes gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and demanded legalization of cannabis use.
There were also ordinary employees, activists, rappers, former police officers, lawyers, small cannabis traders as well as patients who used cannabis as a diet.
Germany’s current coalition government has previously promised to take the necessary steps to legalize cannabis in the country. Last December, the coalition government pledged to enact legislation to legalize the sale of limited quantities of cannabis to adults in licensed stores. The country’s government believes that legalizing cannabis use to a limited extent can stop the use of adulterated cannabis and protect young people from becoming addicted. The Green Party, one of the coalition partners, has already submitted a draft proposal to the Bundestag.
The cannabis users demanded the coalition government to enact a law as soon as possible to make cannabis use no longer a crime.
It is estimated that 4 million people in Germany use marijuana. According to a 2021 report by the University of Heinrich Heine in Dsseldorf, the financial value of police spending on cannabis cases across the country in 2020 is estimated at 1.63 billion euros. Adding 444.7 million euros to court costs, however, the country’s overall expenditure is huge.
