Germany to free Cannabis Offenders Ahead of April 1st Reform
German authorities are looking to release hundreds of inmates serving time as a result of cannabis convictions ahead of the partial legalisation of the drug that commences on April 1st..
From April 1, German citizens will be permitted to retain up to 25 grams of cannabis in their homes as well as grow three cannabis plants in their private residences.
Cannabis social clubs will be initialised in June where cannabis will be permitted to be sold to members, however, the size of these associations will be capped at 500 members.
The new law will be applied retroactively so that anyone convicted of a cannabis possession offence may be in line to have their sentence voided.
State prosecutors in each of the country’s 16 provinces have been manually considering thousands of cases to see which prisoners will be lucky enough to be released ahead of the new law coming into Hamburg, police have already released 55 prisoners and called off an active manhunt that was connected to cannabis dealing.
In the region of North Rhine-Westphalia, 60,000 case files have been examined, making up just a portion of more than 100,000 nationwide.
What About Opposal to Reform?
The bid for partial legalisation in Germany almost fell at the final hurdle when more conservative states tried to intercept it, citing the extra-legal work involved, as well as asking questions about cannabis, driving safety and consumption limits.
The rebellion led by Bavarian first minister Markus Söder failed however to amass enough support and still managed to pass in the upper chamber of government.
Mr Söder has been very vocal about his position and said that the cannabis social clubs, which are not pencilled in to open until July, will be at the mercy of frequent “restrictive” enforcement by state powers. HE also made it clear that weed smokers “are better off out of Bavaria”.
Around 44% of Germans oppose the new complex legalisation, with only 32% in favour. Health minister Karl Lauterbach has however celebrated the law as a “turnaround in drug policy.”
More From Soft Secrets:
How will German Reform Change Canna Culture?
Germany Legalises Recreational Cannabis
Plans for German Canna Reform, Revised
German Reform Plans on Track for April 1st
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Liz Filmer
