German Politicians Gather To Discuss Cannabis For Historical Meeting At Berlin ICBC
As the German election nears, the ICBC hosts a unique panel of politicians from across the political spectrum to discuss the future of cannabis politics aus Deutschland
Germany is facing a national election at the end of September.
This is a watershed moment in German politics. Germans are going to the polls to decide the next steps of a country that has been helmed by Angela Merkel, herself a unique figure in German politics for the last generation (literally 16 years). There are a lot of issues at stake.
Cannabis reform is just one of them. However, it is a big one.
As a result (and as a first of its kind) the ICBC is hosting a unique event this year. Moderated by Jürgen Neumeyer, the managing director of the BvCW, a trade group for German cannabis firms, this fascinating hour-long panel will feature top politicians and policymakers from across the spectrum debating the future of legalization in Germany.
From Erwin Rüddel, the CDU-affiliated chair of the German Bundestag’s Committee on Health to politicians and representatives from the SPD, Die Linke and the Greens, the conversation will focus on how to move the needle forward in a political and economic climate that so far has been challenging.
Will Germany follow Switzerland, Portugal, and Holland into a recreational trial in the next several years, or will the question of greater normalization if not full boat recreational reform languishes in more political wrangling and delay?
But this is hardly the only issue on the table. What is the future of medical cannabis reform in a country where most patients still cannot find doctors, much less gain approvals if they have statutory health care – and how can needed social reforms in health insurance create a better environment for the chronically ill and those who need access now but cannot get it?
This entire conversation of course is taking place at a time when cannabis by prescription has been legit for over four years, yet the drug is also not even decriminalized (putting patients at even greater risk).
Beyond the medical discussion, CBD also still languishes in a strange space, even as other countries in Europe begin to experiment with recreational trials.
Neumeyer will guide the panelists through the bigger issues at the table – as well as try to determine a path if not a timeline for future reform. Held on the first day of the ICBC B2B conference on August 26th, this is a first-of-its-kind event that should not be missed.
Book your last-minute tickets now to the ICBC when it returns to Berlin August 25-27.
