Cannabis - Growers' associations can apply for licenses from districts
For weeks there has been uncertainty for Cannabis Social Clubs in Berlin, but now there is clarity: People who want to collectively cultivate Cannabis can apply for a corresponding license at the Berlin district offices starting July 1st. A spokesperson for the health administration informed the German Press Agency. After receipt of all applications and documentation, the applications will be processed within three months.
A regulation that regulates jurisdictions in relation to the Cannabis law is not yet available, according to the spokesperson. On Thursday, discussions were held at the level of state secretaries about a draft. Open questions regarding the implementation of the law, such as what the monitoring of growing associations involves, should be clarified promptly to enable the ordinance to be submitted to the senate's internal approval process as soon as possible. "Following this, the ordinance will be presented to the Senate for comment and then adopted by the Senate."
As long as there is no ordinance that regulates jurisdictions in relation to the Cannabis law, the districts will be responsible in Berlin, the spokesperson explained. A senate-wide working group will regularly deal with the topic and clarify all questions for a uniform implementation of the Cannabis law in Berlin.
The time between the enactment of the law on April 1st and the regulation for growing associations is described as "very short" and "more ambitious than planned" by the spokesperson. The implementation of the law poses great challenges for the authority.
Cannabis Clubs lack planning security
Because there have been no clear regulations for licenses in Berlin so far, Cannabis Social Clubs have been complaining about a lack of planning security. The spokesperson for the Cannabis Cultivation Associations Germany (CAD), Jana Halbreiter, personally knew of no clubs that were building growing houses or other buildings at the present time.
- The German Press Agency reported that people in Berlin can apply for licenses to collectively grow Cannabis starting July 1st, providing clarity for Cannabis Social Clubs that have been uncertain for weeks.
- The draft of a regulation to clarify jurisdictions in relation to the Cannabis law was discussed at the level of state secretaries on Thursday, as there is currently no legislation available to guide growers' associations.
- According to the spokesperson, the lack of an ordinance means that district offices in Berlin will be responsible for handling applications and ensuring a uniform implementation of the Cannabis law.
- The spokesperson acknowledged that the time period between the enactment of the law on April 1st and the regulation for growing associations is significantly shorter than planned, presenting unique challenges for the authority and leading to uncertainty among Cannabis Clubs.
