Six licenses for cannabis cultivation associations so far

Almost six months after the start of the procedure, six applications for the communal cultivation of cannabis have been approved in Saxony. As the State Directorate for the Interior, Social Affairs and Health announced on request, two of the cultivation associations are located in Leipzig, one in Chemnitz and one each in Meißen, Görlitz and Marienberg.

Leipzig association plans first distribution in spring

The so-called cannabis clubs may cultivate cannabis after approval and distribute it to their members for their own consumption. One of the clubs that has already been approved is "Greenkeepers Leipzig" with around 120 members. Its chairman Tobias Streng explains: "I assume that we will perhaps be able to carry out the first distribution in mid-March."

According to the law, members of cannabis clubs are allowed to collect a maximum of 50 grams of cannabis per month. Chairman Streng emphasizes that the club places great value on the "responsible use" of cannabis. "Our aim is to enable members to use cannabis safely by providing information about the ingredients and guaranteeing that it is free from contamination." This is because the majority of cannabis products on the black market are contaminated with harmful substances.

Examination is time-consuming

A total of 15 applications have been submitted since the start of the procedure in July, according to the state directorate: two from Dresden, four from Leipzig, two from Chemnitz and one each from Meißen, Görlitz, Pirna, Zittau, Marienberg, Ebersbach-Neugersdorf and Auerbach. The biggest challenge so far has been the completeness of the documents. The process is new for both the authorities and the associations, which is why there have been additional requests in some cases.

In addition, approving the applications is time-consuming for the authorities: Among other things, inspectors look at the clubs' properties and check the legally prescribed safety distances. It takes around three months to obtain approval and costs between 750 and 2,750 euros, according to the directorate.