Lower thirds:
00:02 Report by Giulia Saudelli
00:16 Julia | Cannabis smoker
01:18 Steffen Geyer | Association of German cannabis social clubs
01:57 Jakob Manthey | Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research
02:32 Olli Waack-Jürgensen | Chair, 'High Ground' cannabis social club

Script:
Lighting it up – this  has been legal in Germany for a year now.   
 
Since April 1, 2024 adults can possess and smoke cannabis in public. 
 
Marijuana enthusiasts gathered in Berlin to celebrate the milestone. 
 
SOT Julia, cannabis smoker (German) 
It gives me a sense of liberation because I no longer feel like, how should I put it, a criminal. And I'm no longer looked at like “You're taking drugs”, that's completely different now.  
((Für mich ist es ein Befreiungsgefühl, weil ich mich nicht mehr so, wie soll ich sagen, na halt kriminell fühle, ne. Und halt nicht mehr so angeguckt werde. Du nimmst Drogen, weil das stellst du jetzt auf ein ganz anderes Level.)) 
Despite the legalization, there are still plenty of restrictions.  

GRAFIK
 
People over 18 can carry only up to 25 grams of cannabis, and store 50 grams at home. They can also grow up to 3 plants at home.  
Marijuana is not sold in shops, but can be accessed by joining so-called cannabis social clubs, where people pool resources to grow plants together. 
But local authorities across Germany must approve such joint ventures.  
They have been slow and spotty at setting up the offices meant to issue the permits, and at processing the requests.  
 
In Berlin, only 5 out of 26 requests for cannabis social clubs have been granted so far... 
AND it took six months for the first permit to be approved.  
 
SOT Steffen Geyer, Cannabis Social Clubs Germany (English) 

We're much, much slower than the clubs expected and even the politics expected because there's a German, we say ‘Flickenteppich’, so many different rules and many different places // We have problems all over the country, but the most problematic states are Bavaria and Saarland because there is not a single allowance for a cannabis club yet. 
 
Critics say the new law doesn’t do enough to keep kids and teens away from marijuana. 
 And doesn’t create enough safe, legal ways to obtain cannabis. 
 
Jakob Manthey, Researcher, Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research 
We’re yet to see whether or how many people actually go and want to grow their own plants. And the other option that they have available is the cannabis clubs and to my estimates it's only up to 1% of all the users are currently members in the Cannabis club so obviously It'll take time.  
 
But time might soon run out.  
The conservatives, set to lead the incoming government, want to repeal the cannabis law . 
That’s dampened the vibe here a bit, but some think it’s too late to roll back legalization.  
 
SOT Olli Waack-Jürgensen, High Ground Cannabis Social Club (German) 
 
[00:04:46 - 00:05:06]  
What we can perhaps expect are stricter regulations, maybe quantity limits, but a complete roll-back? I don't see that happening 
(( was wir vielleicht erwarten können, sind Verschärfungen, vielleicht bei den Mengenbegrenzungen irgendwie sowas, aber eine Rücknahme? Nein, sehe ich nicht)) 
 
Consumers and researchers alike are calling for the government to wait on clearer data before changing the law.  
Especially as one year after legalization, the jury is still out as to whether it has been a success, or not.