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10/29/2025 - 10/29/2025 | Hamburg

From Reform to Reality: Germany’s Cannabis Policy in International Perspective

One year after Germany’s significant – and controversial – cannabis reform, leading experts draw on experiences of marijuana legalisation elsewhere to discuss the intended and unintended outcomes, the opportunities for improvement, and the uncertain outlook for the country’s new cannabis policy.

Following the general elections of February 2025, Germany’s approach to cannabis policy has once again gained political relevance. The decriminalisation of cannabis possession and the partial legalisation of its production through home cultivation and membership associations a year prior marked a significant – and controversial – step for domestic drug policy. Yet, implementation of these legal reforms has been uneven across the country’s different federal states, with these measures’ political future also appearing uncertain under the new government.

One year after the reforms first took effect, it is high time to take stock. What impacts can be observed so far? What are the political and practical challenges of implementation? And what can Germany learn from international experiences with revised cannabis policies – such as those in Canada, South Africa, and Uruguay?

At this GIGA Forum, international experts will reflect on the development of Germany’s cannabis reform in comparative perspective. Together, they will assess how international experiences can help to make sense of the key features of the regulatory design, preliminary outcomes, and what lies ahead in discussing especially what lessons may be relevant for policymakers in Germany from changes to cannabis policy already enacted elsewhere.

Speakers:

Dr. Jakob Manthey is a Researcher at the “Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Suchtforschung”. Universitätsklinikum Eppendorf

Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Suchtforschung » Dr. Jakob Manthey

j.manthey@uke.de

Prof. Rosario Queirolo, Catholic University of Uruguay

Profesor Rosario Queirolo | UCU - Universidad Católica del Uruguay

rosario.queirolo@ucu.edu.uy



Dr. Elle Wadsworth, Bath University

Elle Wadsworth - the University of Bath's research portal

elw200@bath.ac.uk

Dr. Simon Howell, University of Cape Town

Simon Howell | Global Risk Governance Programme

simon.howell@uct.ac.za

Moderator:

Dr. Jonas von Hoffmann is a Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies

Information on participating / attending:
You can register online on the linked website.

Date:

10/29/2025 17:00 - 10/29/2025 18:15

Event venue:

Online
Hamburg
Hamburg
Germany

Target group:

Journalists, Scientists and scholars

Relevance:

international

Subject areas:

Law, Nutrition / healthcare / nursing, Politics, Social studies

Types of events:

Presentation / colloquium / lecture, Seminar / workshop / discussion

Entry:

10/13/2025

Sender/author:

Verena Schweiger

Department:

Fachabteilung Kommunikation

Event is free:

yes

Language of the text:

English

URL of this event: http://idw-online.de/en/event80223


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