Representing Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is currently on vacation, the incumbent President of the Federal Council, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD), signed the law on Wednesday. It can therefore come into force on April 1st following publication in the Federal Law Gazette.
“The order for publication in the Federal Law Gazette has been given,” said the Federal President’s Office. It “examined the law as usual, and there were no constitutional concerns preventing it from being copied.” According to the information, Schwesig also signed the Growth Opportunities Act and the Second Budget Financing Act.
At the weekend, Union representatives called on Steinmeier to stop the controversial cannabis law, which the Federal Council also gave the green light on Friday despite concerns from several federal states. However, the Federal President only checks whether a law was formally legally enacted and does not obviously violate the Basic Law.
That’s in the law
The law will allow the possession of 25 grams of dried cannabis in public spaces to remain unpunished in the future. The cultivation and distribution of the drug should be made possible through cultivation associations. When growing at home, up to 50 grams and three plants are allowed. Unlike the law as a whole, the regulations for grower associations only apply from July 1st. This is intended to give states and municipalities sufficient time to prepare.
