Germany: restrictions for cannabis associations

The Cannabis Act (CanG) legislates for the creation of cannabis associations, or ‘clubs’, that can supply up to 500 members with a maximum of 50 grams of cannabis per month. Based on current prices on the illicit market, this could see millions of euros change hands at the cultivation clubs.

However, due to international laws, a key aspect of these associations is that they must be ‘not-for-profit’, which also means they are unable to hire full-time employees or employ third parties.

This is why, german government is making everything in they behalf to prevent cannabis clubs to operate as commercialization spots for legal cannabis. It’s important to remember that the only legal cannabis for commercialization in Germany is medical throughout pharmacies and with a doctor’s prescription.

The new bill, should it be successfully passed, will ensure that several cultivation associations will not be allowed to cultivate in the same place or on the same property.

This is intended to make it easier for authorities to monitor the associations and prevent them from getting too large, restricting them to small-scale, non-commercial structures.

It would also grant more power to the federal states to refuse permits if they are ‘located in a structural association with or in the immediate vicinity of cultivation areas or greenhouses of other cultivation associations’.

Furthermore, local authorities will be granted more powers to monitor cultivation associations and already have the authority to take action against possible rule violations. According to CanG, the upper limit someone can be fined for breaching the rules is €30,000, with a lower limit of just €5.

Bavaria, which has been staunchly opposed to the cannabis bill since it was first introduced, became the first state to adopt a catalogue of fines for CanG infringements. This includes a fine of between €500 and €1000 for anyone caught possessing more than the legal amount of cannabis, and €1000 for anyone caught consuming in front of children.