Germany's Parliament Votes for Marijuana Legalization Today [FEATURE]

(This article was updated following the Friday vote.)

Germany is on the cusp of legalizing marijuana, with the Bundestag approving through a vote on Friday. It now has to pass the country's Federal Council before becoming law.

The final bill is a watered-down version of the full commercial legalization that was originally envisioned, and it comes after long delays because of opposition from lawmakers inside the ruling "traffic light" coalition government. (The "traffic light" comes from the colors of the three parties in the coalition -- the Social Democrats [red], the Free Democrats [yellow], and the Greens/Alliance 90 [green]).

The country could enter the era of legal marijuana on April 1. According to the bill, as of that date, adults will be able to carry up to 25 grams of weed and grow up to three plants for their own use. Marijuana consumption will remain forbidden for those under 18.

With no legal marijuana sales (for now), people who cannot grow their own will have to resort to membership in nonprofit marijuana social clubs or collectives. The social clubs, which will be limited to 500 members each, will be allowed to grow and distribute marijuana to their members. But for people 18 to 21, that marijuana will be limited to a THC potency of no more than 10 percent, far lower than what is commercially available in the United States, where kind bud has THC levels in the 25-30 percent range.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has been spearheading efforts to get the bill done. Lauterbach said Tuesday that the object of legalization was to weaken the black market, reduce prohibition-related crime, and protect consumers from contaminated products.

"The likelihood that the black market for cannabis will significantly shrink is very high," he said, citing the example of Canada and studies that suggest that legalization will shrink the black market by two-thirds.

The legal marijuana system will reduce the role of criminals who target children and teens, he added. "We can hope that with this law we can end two-thirds of the black market, and in doing so we will solve a big problem, because the black market cannabis is now on the market in toxic concentrations that are very harmful. The criminal dealers specifically try to get children and young people addicted and then try to convert the users into other drugs… I believe that we are taking an important step away from a failed cannabis policy."

The Bundestag had a busy final stretch, with eight different parliamentary committees -- Finance; Health; Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth; Nutrition and Agriculture; Education, Research and Technology Assessment; Legal Affairs; Budget; and Transportation -- taking up the bill before the Friday vote.

Several of those committees will also heard an opposition motion from the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) parliamentary faction.

But Lauterbach was confident. There will "definitely" be enough support to get the bill enacted, he said. "The law will go through the Bundestag," he said. "There will definitely be an appropriate vote. We will get through this."

While the Germans started out with a vision of legalization that included commercial legalization, that excited strong opposition from the European Union and from within Germany itself. Instead, the German bill is now modeled after the legalization law approved in neighboring Luxembourg last year. There, each household can grow up to four plants, but possession and consumption are restricted to the home. People caught with small amounts of weed outside the home face a fine of $157, but no criminal prosecution.

There was also language that would have allowed for pilot programs in commercialization in the German bill, but even that was removed from the final bill. If Germany decides it is ready for full-blown commercial legalization, that will have to come later. Assuming final enactment, for now it will be grow your own and cannabis co-ops.