Germany Celebrates Its First Legal 4/20
History was made over the weekend in Germany where adults celebrated the nation’s first-ever legal April 20th (4/20) on Saturday. For decades the 20th of April has held a special meaning to the global cannabis movement, and that includes Germany’s thriving cannabis community.
Speaking from firsthand experience in the State of Oregon where we legalized cannabis for adult use roughly a decade ago, there are three dates that longtime cannabis advocates will always remember for the rest of their lives.
The first date is when legalization is first approved. In the case of Oregon, it’s when voters first approved a cannabis legalization measure that was on the ballot in November 2014. For Germany, February 23rd, 2024 will forever live in infamy, as it is the date that members of Germany’s Bundestag first approved the CanG bill.
A second date that will forever live in the minds and hearts of Germany’s cannabis community is, of course, April 1st, 2024 – the date that personal cannabis cultivation, possession, and consumption officially became legal.
The third memorable date for cannabis consumers in legal jurisdictions is the first April 20th after legalization has become effective. Longtime cannabis consumers have presumably celebrated on April 20th every year, however, the annual cannabis holiday holds an extra special meaning when people can consume cannabis without fear of incarceration.
To be fair public cannabis use remains prohibited in Germany, although that didn’t stop thousands of cannabis enthusiasts from collectively consuming cannabis on Saturday in the shadows of the iconic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Subsequent 4/20s in Germany will likely yield less public fanfare.
The first-ever legal 4/20 in Germany was made possible by the tireless work of dedicated cannabis advocates in Germany over the course of many decades. Everyone who contributed to Germany’s successful cannabis policy modernization efforts deserves massive kudos, and the International Cannabis Business Conference team salutes them and hopes that they enjoyed their first 4/20 in a post-legalized Germany.
With all of that being said, there is still a lot of work left to be done in Germany and at the European Union level. National adult-use sales are still prohibited in Germany due to European Union agreements, and advocates need to keep working hard until EU agreements are amended to permit robust adult-use commerce.
Additionally, inside of Germany’s borders cannabis advocates need to keep pushing back on the ongoing fearmongering from domestic opponents, and work to ensure that Germany’s implementation of the CanG law is fair and complete. Consumers and patients must be considered throughout the process, and regulations need to be reflective of the will of the people.