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The German parliament is about to vote on a new law to allow the recreational use of cannabis.
If MPs vote yes, over 18s in Germany will be allowed to possess substantial amounts of cannabis, but strict rules will make it difficult to buy the drug.
Smoking cannabis in many public spaces would then become legal from 1 April.
Possession of up to 25g, or almost an ounce, would be allowed in public spaces, and in private homes the legal upper limit would be 50g.
Already police in some parts of Germany, such as Berlin, often turn a blind eye to smoking in public, although possession of the drug for recreational use is illegal and can be prosecuted. Use of the drug among young people has been soaring for years despite the existing law, says Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who is instigating the reforms.
He wants to undermine the black market, protect smokers from contaminated cannabis and cut revenue streams for organised crime gangs.
But legal cannabis cafes will not suddenly spring up all over the country.
A ferocious debate about decriminalising cannabis has been raging for years in Germany, with doctors’ groups expressing concerns for young people and conservatives saying that liberalisation will fuel drug use.
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