What is it about?
More and more countries around the world are legalizing cannabis. Within the EU as well, first Member States are considering more lenient approaches towards the soft drugs. The biggest obstacle to this endeavour is the EU law as it adheres to a strict drug prohibition. The article analyzes the legal challenges EU member states are facing when considering the implementation of a cannabis legalization. Besides issues related to EU crime policies there is also the logics of the EU free market that have to be taken into account.
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Why is it important?
The global cannabis prohbition have come increasingly under pressure with countries like Canada, Uruguay and some US States having legalized the soft drug entirely. While many EU member states have legalized cannabis for medical use first attempts to legalize the drug for recreational purposes remain half baked. But with a 'green wave' sweeping over the world it seems unlikely that the EU commissions scepticism towards change in drug policies will be a sustainable strategy in the future.
Perspectives
Cannabis has somewhat become a lifestyle drug all over Europe used by millions of people on a regular basis. Still it remains illegal and consumers are dependent on a black markt posing considerable risks to health and security. I am often asked why this is the case and if there are alternatives that take into account these realities. In my article I try to sketch out why there has been so little movement by the EU commission and the European Court of Justice and how this might change in the future.
Robin Hofmann
Maastricht University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The ‘Total-Legalization’ of Cannabis in Germany: Legal Challenges and the EU Free Market Conundrum, European Journal of Crime Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, June 2023, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/15718174-bja10044.
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