"Germany Enters Legal Cannabis Market"

Germany has joined the ranks of countries legalizing cannabis, allowing individuals and voluntary associations to grow and possess limited quantities of the drug. The law permits cultivating up to three plants for private use and owning up to 25 grams of cannabis, with larger-scale non-commercial production allowed for cannabis clubs with up to 500 adult members. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach emphasized the goals of cracking down on the black market and protecting children and young people, citing the increasing use of cannabis among young people and the stronger, more impure drugs available on the streets. Germany becomes the ninth country to legalize recreational cannabis use, while maintaining its illegality for minors and near schools and playgrounds.