Berlin and Hamburg Bloom in June

With Germany set to legalize medical cannabis in 2017, did you know Berlin and Hamburg are the country’s two top cannabis-friendly travel destinations?

And it’s no surprise either as these free-wheeling German metropolises—Berlin and Hamburg (which are just a two-hour train or three-hour car drive away from one another)—are filled with summertime revelers in June as outdoor art, dance, music festivals, markets and even nightlife abound.

This summer, the celebrations of summer in cannabinoid-loving Germany (cannabis is more popular even than in neighboring Holland) may be ever more raucous as health minister Hermann Gröhe recently announced the country will pass a law by early 2017 to create a national medical cannabis policy.

Not only will chronically sick and terminally ill Germans supposedly be able to buy cannabis in local drug stores, but Germany will be the first European nation to allow the medicine to be covered by health insurance. This, in turn, will help cannabis patients cut down on their medication costs.

So, why Berlin and Hamburg for an uber-cool summer getaway?

Dubbed “the other city that doesn’t sleep,” Berlin blooms in June as the gateway to summer’s many frivolities. Berliners begin to wake up in June as summer’s warmth brings them out of doors for smoking in parks (especially at the notorious Görlitzer Park where illegal and mostly immigrant cannabis “dealers” sit at benches to offer their wares) and at the season’s many public classic cultural and pop culture events. Because of a legal loophole, Berliners cannot be arrested if they are found with 16 grams or less.

Perhaps it is Hamburg’s location as the “gateway of the world,” which makes Germany’s second largest city so vibrant. Situated east of Amsterdam, west of Berlin and south of Copenhagen along the city’s mostly industrial harbor, Hamburg sits in the very center of Northern Europe. Just like Berlin, cannabis is easy to get in certain public parks and it is legal to carry up to six grams of cannabis flowers.

Ready to relax and revel in Germany’s lax cannabis cities such as Berlin and Hamburg? Summer is definitely the time to visit these urban wonderlands where cannabis is about to take the stage as a viable medical option for medical cannabis patients.

Fun-Filled Facts

–Both Berlin and Hamburg are centers for Germany’s lively and sometimes queer community. The Berlin LGBT bar and nightlife scene is legendary while Hamburg is better for romance with its picturesque harbor.

–Don’t miss a day touring Berlin on any Sunday in summer. Open-air markets of all types—especially flea markets full of cheap retro items and antiques—can be found in every neighborhood along with quirky festivities such as karaoke at Mauerpark’s stone-laden amphitheater in northern Berlin (near Gesundbrunnen station).

If You Go

Cannabis is smoked rather casually in Berlin and Hamburg’s vast open public spaces, but tokers are smart. They mind the cops and avoid mothers with kids, schools, government buildings, libraries and classic restaurants and cafes. Open air beer gardens and temporary al fresco dance halls seem to not mind groups of smokers either. While studies show 30 percent of Germans are proponents of full legalization, it seems the upcoming 2017 legislation will usher in a state-controlled system of cannabis at dispensaries and pharmacies, which could usher in the legal sale and consumption of medical grade THC and CBD products (and bring a whopping €1-2 billion in annual to the government’s coffers). Perhaps soon, the eternal question one hears at Germany’s parks—Want ganja? or Alles klar?—may no longer be necessary once Germans can buy their medication cheaply and easily at state-supplied pharmacies.

Time to Go: June and through autumn

Weather: June begins the summer season in Germany with an average of 14 days of rainfall and temperatures ranging from a low of 63F to a high of 72F.

Budget: $$$