Written by Staff Writer
The new coalition government in Germany unveiled policy plans on Tuesday to decriminalize marijuana, phase out coal and eliminate nuclear power.
During a joint press conference with Bavarian conservative premier Markus Soeder, Social Democratic (SPD) leader Martin Schulz announced plans to scrap an existing law that carries a fine for people caught growing fewer than 50 plants in their homes.
German police will be given permission to “require weed to be destroyed even if it’s obtained from other sources,” Schulz said.
Germany’s 2018 Cannabis Survey lists “smoking weed in public, chewing, rolling/harpooning or using butane hash oil” as the most common forms of cannabis consumption, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. The survey also states that about a third of smokers do so before 11 a.m.
The popularity of marijuana in Germany has been on the rise since 2015. In 2016, there were approximately 300,000 cannabis-related incidents in Germany, an increase of 25% on the previous year, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.
Germany is one of about 30 countries that have taken steps to legalize cannabis, with Chile, Colombia, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland among the nations that have liberalized their drug laws.
The most common form of consumption in Germany was “smoking marijuana in a public place,” according to the 2018 Cannabis Survey.
Last year, German prosecutors initiated at least six investigations into individuals suspected of possession for intent to sell. Prosecutors have prosecuted more than 600 people for cannabis-related offenses, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
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Germany hopes to bring its car industry into the clean energy age, Schulz told media.
“Car companies have a key responsibility, and must make a strong commitment to eliminating fossil fuels. The energy transition must also be a long-term operation.”
The government plans to phase out all coal-fired power plants by 2036.
“Without the coal-fired power plants, Germany won’t be able to meet its green energy targets by 2030, even if global carbon emissions are stabilizing.”