German president signs new law on taking cannabis while driving

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has signed the new law on fines for being under the influence of cannabis while driving, which was approved by the Bundesrat upper chamber at the beginning of July, the Presidential Office said, reported dpa.

The order for publication in the Federal Law Gazette was issued on Monday.

For the psychoactive cannabis substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a limit of 3.5 nanograms per millilitre of blood will be established - similar to the 0.5-milligram limit for alcohol. Strict rules apply for novice drivers and mixed consumption with alcohol.

The new regulations approved by the lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, can now come into force the day after the imminent publication of the law.

Then the rule is anyone who drives with 3.5 nanograms of THC or more, either intentionally or negligently, usually risks a fine of €500 and a one-month driving ban.

If alcohol is also consumed, a fine of €1,000 typically follows.

As with alcohol, there will be a cannabis ban during the two-year probationary period for driving licences and for those under 21, so the 3.5-nanogram limit does not apply. In cases of violations, a fine of €250 typically follows.

Since April 1, smoking and private cultivation of cannabis for adults have been legal with many regulations, and now accompanying traffic regulations are following.

So far, the rule has been that consequences are threatened as soon as THC is detected. For this, a value of 1 nanogram has been established in case law.

However, experts at the Verkehrgerichtstag already argued in 2022 for a "reasonable" increase because, they said, this value is so low that many would be sanctioned, even if there is no impairment in driving safety.