The situation can be funny even in German. According to Bild’s headline, Germany’s largest and most popular tabloid with 1.37 copies sold daily, the polizei are now acting as “your friend and harvest helper” when it comes to illicit cannabis cultivation in the Siegen-Wittgenstein area (if not other locales across the country). The region is predominantly rural and located approximately 80 miles north of Frankfurt, Europe’s financial centre. 

Based on BildThe bust took place after passing motorists noticed an outdoor marijuana plantation measuring approximately 3,000 feet squared and containing about 2,500 cannabis plants. It was located in remote potatoes fields. The same was reported to police.

The paper also noted sarcastically that the “harvest squad” was then dispatched to collect the offending biological material.

They have been tested to ascertain their cannabinoid levels.

The farmer who owns the field may be charged with a violation of the Narcotics Act if it transpires that he was involved in the cultivation—or knew about it. Even though the marijuana plants contained less than.02% of THC, it is still possible to be charged with a federal crime. German regulations do not align with those of the E.U. CBD.

This is because of the climate in Germany’s political and mass media regarding impending reforms to recreational. While it may be moving forward, the legislation is not yet in place. Many Germans are still unclear about what this type of reform will mean. And there are also many who are starting to realize the gross injustice of the current situation—which is likely to be the status quo for at least the next 12 to 24 months unless some kind of safe harbor is also implemented with the passage of the bill.

German Guerrilla Growing

The idea of planting cannabis in the “wild” on someone else’s property—also known as “guerrilla growing,” is of course not an unknown phenomenon in Germany. The country has a very short growing season, but it is green and lush in the summer. There are also many remote areas that few people visit.

In addition to this, indoor gardening is very popular in the country.

It is possible that this is why there have been no talks of amnesty for people caught at the political levels where laws are being crafted. As a result, the law is being enforced by police all over the country. As a matter of fact, both CBD and recreational marijuana users are being busted more often than ever even though there is change.

How the coalition government will address home grow—or unlicensed growing on a similar scale as this incident—is a question that so far has not been formally answered to date. That said, given comments to the German press as well as the moving legalization discussion elsewhere in Europe (see Malta, Luxembourg, and Portugal), it is unlikely that this right will not be included—even if in limited form.

Beyond this, there will have to be some way to address unregistered growing for what will be a legalized plant – albeit one with narcotic properties if high in THC. Even though they may be underground, there are many patient networks. Non-profit medical cultivation, even of this size, is unlikely to just disappear—and certainly not overnight.

Recensoring Legal Cultivation & Purchases

There is already a discussion about how to price cannabis products—and equally importantly how to tax them—so that post-legalization the legal market is appealing and affordable to consumers. It’s even more crucial in a period of historical inflation, and because many legal medical users are still being overlooked.

Also, it is possible that the THC concentration will determine the price of products on the legal market.

The truth is, most people, even medical, prefer not to cultivate (which can be both difficult and costly and require space, money, and time to do well). It is obvious that guerrilla cultivation won’t disappear completely.

As legal access increases to the plant, however, this will likely decrease. And as a result, the “cultivation” specialization of the Deutsch polizeiThis is a skill set that will be less used.