United States journalist Shirley Ju, a freelance journalist and on-camera host from Los Angeles, was detained at an airport in Germany for possession of cannabis.
“Got caught for weed in Germany.. they came to grab me as I was boarding. They found it in my luggage & proceeded to search all my belongings.. wish me luck,” Ju posted on Instagram alongside a recording of her being detained.
Ju was in Spain to host the International Cannabis Awards, dubbed the “Oscars” of the cannabis world, before attending Spannabis, Europe’s biggest cannabis event. She was initially set to fly back to the U.S. with a layover in Paris but was told her flight was overbooked by “about seven to eight people” and was put onto a different flight that had a stop in Munich, Germany. Following the two-hour flight from Barcelona to Munich, Ju was approached by police officers who said they had found cannabis in her checked luggage.
“My weed use has always been medicinal over recreational, and now working in the industry, it baffles me that something completely legal where I live could result in these types of consequences,” wrote Ju. “I’ve been preaching how grateful and humbled I am to be able to travel to Spain for work because of the plant, I’d never anticipate the plant causing so much distress.”
Although legal in certain states, traveling with cannabis can result in a mixed bag of results. In the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration isn’t actively searching for cannabis in luggage but if cannabis is found during a search, TSA will refer to local law enforcement. Traveling with cannabis in other countries can have far more drastic results depending on the laws in the country. WNBA player Brittney Griner, who played overseas in Russia during the WNBA offseason, was arrested for bringing cannabis oil in her luggage while traveling into Russia and faced prison time before being released after a ten-month ordeal.
The timing of Ju’s incident is unfortunate, as Germany recently announced cannabis would become partially legal in the country beginning April 1, allowing adults over the age of 18 to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis in addition to allowing for up to three plants grown at home. Germany’s lower house of Parliament, the Bundestag, approved the bill in February 2024 before being approved by the upper house last week.
Prior to the vote, Federal Health Minister and main sponsor of the bill Karl Lauterbach called on other members of the parliament to back the new bill, claiming the country has seen an uptick in cannabis use among young people that has been obtained through the black market.
Other supporters of the new law, including the German Cannabis Association, said black market cannabis may contain various contaminants like sand or even glass and lead. Steffen Geyer, director of Berlin’s Hemp Museum, said Germany became “a little bit more free and tolerant” with the passing of the new law. A YouGov poll found a split response from the German public, with 47 percent voting in favor of the new cannabis plans and 42 percent voting against.
Under the new law, regulated “cannabis clubs” will be allowed to grow cannabis for members’ personal use and are set to begin work July 1. Individuals will be allowed to purchase up to 25 grams of cannabis a day with a maximum limit of 50 grams per month. The maximum limit is lowered to 30 grams for adults aged under 21. Membership will be limited to 500 members per club and membership in multiple clubs will be prohibited. All costs will be covered by membership fees, which will be staggered based on how much cannabis members use.
