The German government passed a bill today, Wednesday, to legalize the cultivation of marijuana and its recreational use.

The legislation, which must be passed by parliament, will allow adults to possess up to 25 grams of the drug or grow a maximum of three plants or obtain it as members of non-profit marijuana clubs.

The government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which belongs to the center-left, hopes that the law will curb the black market and protect consumers from contaminated marijuana and reduce drug-related crimes.

For his part, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach of the Social Democratic Party, to which Scholz belongs, stated that one of the cornerstones of the plan to remove the prohibitions on cannabis use is a campaign to raise awareness of the risks to ultimately reduce marijuana consumption.

He added that this campaign would not have received the same level of attention if it had been launched without changing the law.

Lauterbach also mentioned at a press conference in Berlin to announce the bill: "With the current measures, we cannot seriously protect children and young people; it has become a social taboo."

He continued: "We have increasing and concerning consumption, and we could not simply allow this to continue... Therefore, this is an important turning point in our drug policy."