Slow start for cannabis cultivation clubs

Düsseldorf – Around six months after the partial legalization of cannabis came into force, municipalities have only received a small number of applications for cultivation associations.

So far, almost 300 such applications for approval from cultivation associations have been counted nationwide, said the general manager of the German Association of Cities and Municipalities, André Berghegger, today Rhenish Post. “The number of permits for cultivation associations is still at a very low level,” he added.

Berghegger criticized the barely legible control of the regulations in the Cannabis Act. “What is certain is that the regulations on consumption and the prohibited zones can hardly be effectively controlled by the municipal security services.”

Checks are only possible on a random basis or at certain locations, such as near schools or youth facilities. “The municipal regulatory authorities simply don’t have the staff to carry out effective controls across the board,” said Berghegger. However, a significant increase in violations of the law has not yet been observed.

The federal government’s drug commissioner, Burkhard Blienert (SPD), drew a mixed initial assessment. “The path to the controlled release of cannabis was difficult, and even six months after the cannabis law was passed, we have not yet achieved what we had formulated in the coalition agreement.”

Home cultivation in particular will “significantly reduce the size of the black market and significantly reduce the profits of organized crime,” Blienert told the newspaper. “The police can take care of dealers and the black market.”

The consumption of cannabis in public spaces has been permitted under certain circumstances since April 1st, and possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis is no longer punishable. Since July 1st, cultivation and distribution via cultivation clubs, so-called Cannabis Social Clubs, has also been possible.

The associations or clubs are allowed to distribute a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis per day and 50 grams per month to their up to 500 members. Only adults can become members. You may pass on seeds and cuttings to members to grow at home. A maximum of seven seeds or five cuttings per month are allowed. © afp/aerzteblatt.de