{"id":639005,"date":"2025-10-02T15:56:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T13:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomhemps.com\/?p=639005"},"modified":"2025-10-09T08:08:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T06:08:05","slug":"from-the-wall-to-cbd-sale-cannabis-in-east-and-west-through-the-lens-of-unity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomhemps.com\/en\/blog\/from-the-wall-to-cbd-sale-cannabis-in-east-and-west-through-the-lens-of-unity\/","title":{"rendered":"FROM THE WALL TO LEGALISATION: CANNABIS IN EAST AND WEST THROUGH THE LENS OF UNITY"},"content":{"rendered":"

FROM THE WALL TO CANNABIS LEGALIZATION: A STORY OF UNITY<\/b><\/h3>\n

On October 3rd, 1990, Germany was officially reunited after decades of division. Following World War II, the country had been split into two states: East Germany (DDR) in the East and West Germany (GDR) in the West. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the path to unity began \u2013 and German Unity Day still commemorates this turning point. But beyond politics, unity also brought everyday stories together. And that includes the very different ways East and West dealt with cannabis. While scarcity and improvisation shaped the East, the West went through a cannabis and drug boom in the 70s and 80s. Today, more than 30 years later, cannabis is legal, and the discussion around an own law for hemp are present. But before we look forward, let\u2019s look back\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

EAST GERMANY: DIY EXPERIMENTS & ALCOHOL<\/b><\/h3>\n

In the GDR, cannabis was almost invisible. Drugs were seen as a \u201ccapitalist problem\u201d and were strictly forbidden. But in truth, the weak East German mark meant international dealers weren\u2019t interested \u2013 you simply couldn\u2019t buy cannabis<\/i> there, except maybe in hidden corners of Berlin. For most of the country, cannabis was out of reach.<\/p>\n

Young people craving adventure became creative. Stories of DIY \u201cdrug kitchens\u201d circulated: dried banana peels (bananas themselves were scarce), poppy experiments, or even hemp fibers from water pipe seals crumbled into cigarettes. The effects? Barely noticeable \u2013 apart from headaches.<\/p>\n

Far more popular were pharmaceutical substitutes. Faustan<\/i>, the GDR version of Valium, became known as the \u201cpink glasses.\u201d Pills like Aponeuron<\/i>, which kept people awake like speed, found their way into basements and parties. The East German youth created their own \u201cintoxication culture\u201d \u2013 improvised, hidden, and far removed from real cannabis use.<\/p>\n

WEST GERMANY: HASHISH, SEIZURES & THE HEROIN WAVE<\/b><\/h3>\n

In the West, things looked very different. By the 1970s, cannabis was part of youth culture. Hashish \u2013 the resin of the cannabis plant \u2013 was everywhere. Surveys show that between 1976 and 1990, around 76% of young people in Germany started their \u201cdrug career\u201d with hashish.<\/p>\n

1988 saw a record: German police seized 11,350 kilograms of cannabis, nearly 500 kilograms of cocaine, and more than 500 kilograms of heroin. In Hamburg, Frankfurt, and West Berlin, open drug scenes exploded. While some people enjoyed peaceful joints, others were caught in the destructive spiral of heroin addiction and crime.<\/p>\n

The media panic added fuel: drugs were portrayed as a symbol of a youth \u201cout of control.\u201d At the same time, early methadone programs were introduced, and prevention and therapy became part of the debate. But buying cannabis<\/i> remained illegal \u2013 and heavily politicized.<\/p>\n

1989: WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDED<\/b><\/h3>\n

When the Wall fell, two completely different realities collided. For many East Germans, the first encounter with real cannabis was a culture shock \u2013 what had been unattainable was suddenly everywhere. West Germans, in turn, experienced the East\u2019s relationship with alcohol, but absence of cannabis.<\/p>\n

With reunification, East Germany adopted the West\u2019s Bet\u00e4ubungsmittelgesetz<\/i> (Narcotics Act). Cannabis was suddenly on the streets of Leipzig, Dresden, and East Berlin \u2013 no longer improvised, but real.<\/p>\n

TODAY: FROM PROHIBITION TO VARIETY<\/b><\/h3>\n

More than 30 years later, everything has changed. Cannabis is no longer stigmatized as a \u201cgateway drug.\u201d In 2024, the German government legalized cannabis, and terms like buy cannabis seeds<\/i> or buy CBD<\/i> are now part of everyday life.<\/p>\n

CBD products, in particular, are legal, popular, and stand for relaxation without the high. They\u2019ve become part of a modern lifestyle \u2013 what once seemed unthinkable, like ordering cannabis products online, is now as normal as buying coffee. With cannabis associations on the rise, access is becoming safer and more regulated\u2026 but thats a story for another time.<\/p>\n

UNITY & FREEDOM: OUR CBD SALE FOR UNITY DAY<\/b><\/h3>\n

German Unity Day stands for freedom, for growing together, and for overcoming old borders. Cannabis tells a similar story: from taboo and punishment to openness, research, and lifestyle.<\/p>\n

We celebrate this day with a special CBD Sale<\/a>:<\/p>\n