Saarland Cannabis Social Club Receives Cultivation Approval
One of the main components of Germany’s adult-use cannabis legalization model is permitting consumers to join a member-based cultivation association. German cultivation associations are also sometimes referred to as ‘cannabis social clubs.’
Per our prior reporting, as of last month, 293 cultivation association applications had been approved by regulators in Germany, and hundreds more applications are pending. At least one application had been approved in every German state except Saarland. The southwestern German state was a notable holdout, but it has reportedly finally approved its first application.
“In Saarland, the first Cannabis Social Club (CSC) has received a permit from the state government to cultivate cannabis communally.” reported Saarbrücker Zeitung in its local reporting (translated from German to English). “The responsible Ministry of the Environment announced this in response to an inquiry by the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ).”
“Saarland is thus the last federal state to issue a cultivation permit. The Saarland SPD state government had spoken out against the legalization of cannabis in the Bundesrat (Federal Council).” the outlet also reported.
Starting on July 1st, 2024, adults in Germany can apply to their local authority to launch a cultivation association. Once approved, adult cannabis consumers in Germany can become members of the association and source products legally. German adults can only be members of one association at any given time, and additional association regulations apply.
Whereas current European Union agreements prohibit national adult-use cannabis sales, such as what is occurring in Canada and Uruguay, EU agreements do permit member nations to allow cultivation associations since they fall under the umbrella of boosting public health outcomes. Malta also includes cultivation associations in its national recreational legalization model.
A major premise of the European recreational cannabis policy modernization effort is that when adults consume regulated cannabis or cannabis that they cultivate themselves, it is better for public health outcomes compared to when adults consume cannabis from unregulated sources.
That premise is the basis for the European Union allowing Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and the Czech Republic to adopt national adult-use cannabis legalization measures. Recreational cannabis legalization measures are also currently being considered in Slovenia and Switzerland.