© Ryan Garza + © Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Germany) – Adult recreational use of cannabis is now legal in Germany, despite some objections from medical groups in the country. This marks the third time a European country has legalized adult use of marijuana for recreational purposes, after Malta and Luxembourg. Although Amsterdam in the Netherlands is known for its weed cafes, those are allowed through local rather than country-wide legislation.
In Germany, the nation’s lower house of parliament voted to approve limited recreational use on Friday. It followed a controversy-filled debate concerning what easier access to cannabis will mean for Germany, its people, and in terms of the impact on health. More than 400 lawmakers voted in favor of legalization, while 226 voted against.
Adult use of cannabis for recreation was made legal in New York and Connecticut in 2021, and legal sales began in New Jersey in 2022, after the Garden State’s voters passed legalization via a ballot measure during the 2020 election.
