The drug will be regulated and sold in licensed shops
Germany is set to become the latest country to legalise the recreational use of cannabis, the new government has announced.
Germany is expected to get a coalition of the SPD (Social Democrats), Free Democratic Party, and Greens, after the three parties revealed a 180-page power-sharing agreement on Wednesday.
Among plans to be announced was that cannabis will be regulated and sold to adults in licensed shops.
A recent report from the German Institute for Competition Economics stated that the legalisation and taxation of cannabis could contribute €4.7 billion to the economy, saving money that is currently spent on enforcing laws criminalising it.
According to the
Independent, the report states that legalising the drug could also create 27,000 jobs.
Legalisation would also allow the government to monitor the quality of cannabis on sale, ensure that dangerous strains are not sold, and help prevent underage people from having access to it.
Last week, a spokesperson for the coalition government said: "We're introducing the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for consumption in licensed stores.
"This will control the quality, prevent the transfer of contaminated substances and guarantee the protection of minors.
"We will evaluate the law after four years for social impact."
In October, Luxembourg became the first country in Europe to fully legalise cannabis for both use and cultivation.
The SPD described the use of cannabis as a "social reality" in their manifesto at the last election, and their coalition partners, the Greens and Free Democratic Party, have also long supported its legalisation.
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