German cannabis stakeholders are urging legislation critical to the hemp industry be prioritized so it can come into force before any early elections next year, amid the country’s ongoing political crisis.
The Cannabis Industry Association (BvCW) called for the Hemp Liberalization Act to be put on the country’s list of critical legislation after Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “immediate measures for industry” are needed to quickly strengthen the German economy.
The Chancellor’s remarks came in his statement on the dismissal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner last week. Scholz has announced a vote of confidence in the Bundestag for Jan. 15. If he loses that vote, the Chancellor could then ask President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for elections ahead of those regularly scheduled for next September.
Kill that clause
Hemp stakeholders don’t want any more delays removing fundamental barriers to doing normal business in industrial hemp products.
“Germany is massively lagging behind in Europe and the world in the cultivation, research and use of industrial hemp. We cannot wait another few years,” said BvCW President Dirk Heitepriem. “The industrial hemp liberalization law must therefore be passed by the Bundestag as soon as possible in order to finally give farmers and the industry legal certainty and to make Germany competitive again.”
The Hemp Liberalization Act proposes abolishing a restrictive “intoxication clause” in German law that has hampered the hemp sector, based on misguided fears of potential misuse. Hemp stakeholders have long complained about the clause, which makes the theoretical – if impractical – assumption that a person can get high by consuming large quantities of industrial hemp.
The clause has led to bans, raids and criminal lawsuits regarding hemp foodstuff and hemp-derived products such as CBD. Stakeholders have said eliminating the clause will give producers security in their business planning and set Germany’s hemp food makers on par with other markets around the world.
Greens in turmoil
Germany’s political upheaval is driven largely by internal strife within the Green Party, a critical player in the ruling coalition alongside Scholz’s SPD and the Lindner’s Free Democratic Party (FDP). The Greens are the primary mover of the hemp legislation, spearheaded by Green Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir.
The Greens are reeling from significant electoral setbacks in recent state elections and declining poll numbers, leading to the resignation of its co-leaders.
The crisis among the coalition partners comes as the government faces a budget shortfall after the Federal Constitutional Court blocked the reallocation of €60 billion in unused COVID-19 emergency funds. Originally intended for pandemic recovery, the funds had been redirected to the Climate and Transformation Fund to support Germany’s green transition initiatives.
Livelihood-threatening
The Greens’ election losses exposed a disconnect between the party’s climate-driven agenda and public sentiment, with some policies facing broad opposition for their perceived rigidity and high costs.
The Greens’ weakened position is casting doubt not only on the governing coalition’s stability, but also on Germany’s ability to implement its ambitious climate and economic policies. So the Hemp Liberalization Act could fall victim to the general tension over the costs related to environmental policy.
The German Green party has been a vocal supporter of industrial hemp, viewing it as a vital tool for both sustainable agriculture and climate goals. The party has supported easing regulatory barriers to encourage hemp cultivation as part of a broader push for climate-smart agricultural practices, aiming to position Germany as a hemp leader in Europe.
Michael Greif, interim managing director of the BvCW, said: “We ask the legislature to give this law priority. For many agricultural businesses, processing companies and traders, it is essential that the removal of the intoxication clause is finally finalized and thus the considerable – in some cases livelihood-threatening – economic damage is ended.”