Lawmakers in Germany approved legalization of limited amounts of cannabis for recreational use on Friday, bringing the country a step closer to becoming one of the few European nations — and by far the largest — to do so.
“By legalizing it, we are taking cannabis out of the taboo zone,” Karl Lauterbach, who as health minister is largely responsible for the law, said on public television before the vote.
In the end, 407 lawmakers voted for the proposal, and 226 voted against the plan, which must be now approved by the Federal Council.
Several other European countries, perhaps most notably the Netherlands, tolerate the use of cannabis, but legalization is rare: Within the European Union, only Malta and Luxembourg have gone that far.
Medical marijuana has been legal in Germany since 2017.
Persons:
” Karl Lauterbach
Organizations:
Federal, European Union
Locations:
Germany, Netherlands, Malta, Luxembourg