Cannabis Legalization Triggers Sentence Reductions and Amnesties

A new cannabis law in Germany has led to reduced sentences and amnesty for thousands, reshaping the judicial landscape.

The Landgericht Magdeburg reduced a drug dealer's prison sentence from seven and a half years to five years due to changes in cannabis laws.
The Bundesgerichtshof overturned the original verdict, prompting a reassessment under the new legal framework allowing partial cannabis legalization.
Since April, adults can legally possess up to 25 grams of cannabis and grow up to three plants privately in Germany.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, over 86,000 old cannabis cases have been reviewed, with more than 9,000 resulting in amnesty.
Despite the legalization, a majority of Germans, as per a recent survey, view the change negatively, and the judicial system faces ongoing challenges in processing these cases.