Home of German Oktoberfest rebels against legal weed

Germany may have legalized cannabis but anyone hoping to enjoy a joint with their beer at this year's Oktoberfest may be disappointed.

The southern state of Bavaria on Tuesday announced that it wants to ban the consumption of cannabis in beer gardens, at public festivals, and on restaurant terraces.

The state government wants to "limit the public consumption of cannabis despite the federal government's dangerous legalization law", according to a statement.

Clemens Baumgaertner, the head of the Oktoberfest, told the web.de news portal he specifically wants to make the festival a weed-free zone.

"A family festival like the (Oktoberfest) and cannabis consumption don't go together," he said.

On April 1, Germany became the largest EU nation to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, despite fierce objections from opposition politicians and medical associations.

Under the first step in the much-debated new law, adults over 18 are now allowed to carry 25 grams of dried cannabis and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at home.

However, cannabis will remain banned for under-18s and within 100 meters of schools, kindergartens, and playgrounds.

The changes leave Germany with some of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe, alongside Malta and Luxembourg, which legalized recreational use in 2021 and 2023 respectively.

But under Germany's federal system, each state retains a degree of freedom to decide how it will impose the rules.

"Bavaria is strengthening the protection of children and young people," said state premier Markus Soeder from the conservative CSU, which was opposed to the legalization.