Smoking cannabis is now legal in Germany

Scope of Legalization in Germany

• Thread clarifies that drug consumption has long been legal; problems were possession, buying, selling, and production.
• New law: adults may carry up to 25g, grow up to 3 plants at home, and use cannabis clubs or medical channels under strict regulation.
• Sharing cannabis is still illegal; driving limit is currently 1 ng/mL THC in blood serum (widely criticized as unrealistically low; some say it may rise to 3.5).
• Public use is restricted near schools and child-focused areas.

Work, Policing, and Legal Culture

• Several comments contrast Germany (strong worker privacy, narrow drug-testing allowances) with the US (employer drug testing common, DUI-focused enforcement).
• Some argue positive employer drug tests almost never translate into criminal charges; impact is mostly employment-related.
• Others highlight Germany’s philosophy: self-harm (including drug use or fleeing the police) is not directly criminal, but surrounding acts can be.

EU, International Law, and Politics

• Debate over whether EU rules and UN drug conventions truly block legalization.
• Examples cited of Malta, Luxembourg, Spain, Canada, and the US ignoring or stretching treaties.
• Many expect Germany’s law to be adjusted by courts and potentially rolled back by a future conservative government.

Housing and Landlord Power

• Strong consensus that German rental law gives tenants broad freedom; blanket bans on cannabis use/growing are likely unenforceable or void.
• Real-world friction noted: landlords often insert dubious clauses; tenants either ignore them or rely on tenant unions and courts.

Public Nuisance: Smell and Smoking

• Repeated complaints about cannabis smell in shared spaces, compared to tobacco and car exhaust.
• Others reply that smell nuisance is already regulated (like loud music), and alternatives like vaping/edibles are nearly odorless.

Health, Addiction, and Social Harm

• Mixed views: some see cannabis as less harmful than alcohol/tobacco; others report real life-waste and mental-health issues, especially with heavy use or high-potency products.
• Comparisons made to sugar, junk food, TV, and social media as other “addictive” harms society tolerates.
• Many emphasize legalization for quality control, reducing black markets, and ending disproportionate, often racist, policing.

Experiences from Other Countries

• Canada: after initial commercialization and supply issues, usage patterns largely unchanged; legal market now normalized.
• Netherlands: “tolerated” rather than fully legal, with grey-market production and landlord inspections in some cases.
• Sweden and Singapore discussed as hardline counterexamples where positive tests alone can be criminal.