Germany will hold parliamentary elections on September 26 this year. Although the ruling coalition is expected to win the most seats in the Bundestag, most opinion polls show that the Green Party (formal coalition 90/Green Party) has the second most seats.In fact, as recently as May, some opinion polls showed green Come in first.

If their numbers remain the same, the Green Party is likely to be summoned as a minority partner of the coalition government.In this case, the Green Party leader Annalena Belbok, Is expected to become the vice principal.

Why is all this important to readers of this blog?Okay, let’s see what green is platform Have to say marijuana:

“We want to close the cannabis black market and combat organized crime. To this end, we will introduce a Marijuana Control ActIt makes possible the legal and controlled distribution of cannabis in licensed specialty stores. At the same time, we hope to create a regulated and monitored system for the cultivation, trade and distribution of cannabis. In this way, real consumer and youth protection and addiction prevention should ultimately play a role. “

As mentioned above, the Green Party may gain power through alliances with more conservative coalitions. As a junior member of the alliance, the Green Party will not be able to implement their entire platform, but will need to reach a compromise with the alliance. allianceThis is “Germany’s last major political party that maintains a strict prohibition on drug policy, and refuses to agree to the legalization policy formulated by the Green Party, Social Democrats, Liberal Democrats, and left-wing parties.” There is also a (weak) German voter’s piece of cake be opposed to To the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Despite these obstacles, some of the green alliances in a prominent position with Deputy Principal Baerbock will bring strong voices in support of legalization to the core of the government. At the same time, abandoning or easing its long-standing opposition to cannabis may be a relatively delicious concession made by the alliance against the difficult background of establishing the alliance. An estimated 4 million Germans use cannabis, and almost half of Germans between the ages of 18 and 25 have tried cannabis. More environmentally friendly Stance can actually increase the popularity of unions, especially among young voters (and soon to become voters), which may be a key group as the Green Party becomes a mainstream force.

It is also worth noting that despite the strong poll data, the union still has internal leadership struggleThe fresh line of marijuana may be a way for some coalition leaders to differentiate themselves, thereby further advocating for legalization. These tensions also remind people that, like most political organizations (especially large institutions), the EU is not monolithic. This is especially true of the Union, which is actually composed of two parties: the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU). The latter is mistaken by some as the Bavarian branch of the CDU, but in fact there is a huge difference between the two parties on certain issues.

All in all, the Green Party is likely to become part of the German government by the end of this year. Whether they can reach a compromise on the legalization of marijuana and the alliance is an open question, but we will definitely pay close attention to what is happening in Berlin.