Germany's Bundesrat has approved the coalition government's CanG bill, clearing the final legislative hurdle before adult-use cannabis legalisation takes effect on April 1.
The legislation permits adults to carry up to 50 grams of cannabis and grow as many as three plants at home for personal use. It had already cleared the Bundestag in February.
Before the vote, opponents within the Bundesrat — the chamber that gives Germany's 16 federal states a voice in national legislation — attempted to stall the bill by pushing it into a mediation committee.
To head off that move, the government offered several concessions, among them additional funding for addiction prevention programs and changes to the regulations around cannabis cultivation associations.
After the vote succeeded, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach took to social media to celebrate the outcome.
"The fight was worth it, legalisation of cannabis is coming on Easter Monday!" he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"Please use the new opportunity responsibly and help protect children and young people. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for the black market today."
