Eleven German Cities Show Interest in Cannabis Legalization Trials

In a significant development for cannabis policy in Germany, at least 11 cities have expressed willingness to participate in local trials for regulated recreational cannabis sales. This initiative follows a proposal made earlier this year and highlights a growing interest among urban centers to explore the potential benefits of legalization

The city of Frankfurt-sur-le-Main, alongside Offenbach, was the first to announce plans to apply as a joint model region for this experiment. Shortly after, Munich's green-red coalition expressed similar intentions, although this move has been met with resistance from the state government led by the CSU, which opposes such trials in principle

Other cities, including Bremen and Hanover, have shown varying degrees of interest. Bremen is open to the idea, while Hanover has demonstrated a strong interest, according to a spokesperson. Conversely, cities like Bonn are firmly against the proposal, and others like Tübingen, Leipzig, and Schwerin are still contemplating their positions

Some cities, however, have clearly decided against participating in the trials. Notable among these are Nuremberg, Freiburg, Aachen, Essen, and Eisenach, which have all opted out. Meanwhile, major cities such as Hamburg, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, and Stuttgart are adopting a wait-and-see approach, pending the establishment of clear legal frameworks by the federal government

Berlin's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district has a history of pursuing cannabis pilot projects, having submitted proposals in 2015 and 2019, both of which were rejected. The ongoing legal battle initiated by Berlin in 2021 could potentially be influenced by the upcoming pilot projects, signaling a shift in Germany's approach to cannabis regulation