The 2021 German election has seen the Free Democratic Party (FDP) emerge as a kingmaker in a move that could lead to the legalisation of recreational cannabis.
Provisional results show the FDP won 11.5% of the vote while the Greens won 14.8% and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) 25.7% in what may become a ‘traffic light’ coalition.
When asked what could be easier to achieve with the Greens and SPD than with Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, FDP leader Christian Lindner said: “The legalisation of cannabis.”
When pressed on other issues, he responded: “I can’t think of many right now.”
Currently, Germany’s stance on cannabis resembles de facto decriminalisation despite possession of the flower still being illegal. It is deemed a lesser drug than others such as heroin and there there is more leeway in prosecuting cannabis possession.
The FDP supports legal, but limited, sale of adult-use cannabis in licensed shops, ‘leisure consumption’ and growing global sales of medicinal cannabis.
