Germany is known for a number of unique cultural happenings. The European country made waves for legalizing adult-use cannabis earlier this month, but there are plenty of longstanding traditions that have kept folks traveling to Germany for centuries.
One of the biggies is Oktoberfest, an annual two-week celebration held in Munich that first started in 1810, largely showcasing a wide array of brewery offerings alongside plentiful entertainment.
As Germany now looks ahead at its new chapter of establishing a legal recreational cannabis market, the historic shift has crossed paths with the longstanding tradition. Namely, it looks like the southern German state will not allow cannabis smoking or vaporizing at public festivals and beer gardens, and Oktoberfest is not exempt according to an AP News report.
Additionally, German news agency dpa reported that local Bavarian authorities will be allowed to prohibit cannabis consumption in public areas like outdoor swimming pools and leisure parks. Bavaria, a state in southeast Germany, has a conservative-led state government and maintains its opposition toward recreational cannabis legalization.
The regulations are not necessarily all that different from many of those implemented across the U.S., which broadly prohibits the public use of cannabis.
“Our aim is to limit cannabis consumption in public spaces,” said Bavarian Health Minister Judith Gerlach. “That is important for health protection and especially for protecting children and young people.”
Regulations nearly always forbid the sale of both cannabis and alcohol at the same business or event in the U.S., but American consumers can often find festivals, bars, concerts, and other spaces with smoking areas to use cannabis in legal states.
Conversely, the Bavarian government is looking to ban cannabis consumption in designated smoking rooms and smoking areas in public spaces. In reference to Oktoberfest and other public festivals, the government cited cannabis smoke near children and young people as a primary concern.
Germany approved its cannabis reform plan to end the prohibition of cannabis on April 1, effectively legalizing possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis and 50 grams at home along with the cultivation of up to three cannabis plants at private residences.
The legislation also establishes non-commercial cannabis clubs with a limit of 500 members per club, which allows members to access legally cultivated cannabis and are set to open July 1. Members would be allowed to buy up to 25 grams of cannabis at one time and could not exceed 30 grams in a given month.
The bill did not include provisions allowing for-profit recreational cannabis retailers to set up shop, however.
This recent move acts as the first step for Germany’s new cannabis market, though authorities are currently working on the “second pillar” of the country’s cannabis laws, expected after a decriminalization plan takes effect. The next steps aim to establish five-year municipal pilot programs for state-regulated cannabis to be sold at licensed retailers.
“The fight was worth it,” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, according to a translation from Politico. “Please use the new option responsibly. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for the black market today.”
According to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke with students last week and touched on the country’s recent legalization move, the goal of the reform measure was to lower cannabis consumption, not encourage it.
“We don’t want more people to consume cannabis, we want fewer people to consume cannabis, we want there to be more public education about it,” Scholz said. “The answer is very simple: don’t smoke. I’ll be 66 this year and I’ve never smoked cannabis.”
Earlier this month, a member of Bavaria Minister President Markus Söder’s team said that proposals are being examined surrounding municipalities’ potential ability to create their own cannabis-free zones, so it’s possible that states like Bavaria may eventually be able to establish unique rules surrounding cannabis use in their respective regions.
