Kaiserslautern, home to U.S. troops, bans cannabis use near city hall and shopping mall

The black line marks the approximate area in downtown Kaiserslautern that will be prohibited from smoking cannabis on school days from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., starting Saturday. (City of Kaiserslautern)

The city said in a statement that the new law would ban most weekday cannabis use in downtown Kaiserslautern for the next year.

From Saturday, the use of marijuana will be prohibited on school days from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. near the town hall and the K in Lautern shopping center.

Kaiserslautern is the largest city in an area that includes Ramstein Air Base, several military outposts and tens of thousands of American soldiers and their families.

The restricted area extends from Meuthstrasse or Humboldtstrasse in the west to Martin-Luther-Strasse in the east and from Lauterstrasse/Ludwigstrasse in the north to Fruchthallstrasse in the south.

Wednesday’s statement said Mayor Manfred Schulz wanted better protection for students traveling to and from five schools in the designated area.

“When it comes to the consumption of cannabis near minors, the regulations and distances set out in the Cannabis Handling Act for Consumers are unfortunately neither effective nor efficient enough to ensure daily control,” Schulz said in a statement, adding that authorities law enforcement “will be patrolling this area intensively in the coming months.”

According to the city, the ban will remain in force until at least October 31, 2025, and perpetrators may face a fine of up to EUR 30,000.

A similar ban is planned in the Messeplatz area during the Oktoberkerwe festival later this month.

Possession of up to 25 grams (about an ounce) of marijuana became legal in Germany on April 1. However, legal obstacles remain for sellers and buyers of the drug. Use of the drug is still prohibited within approximately 100 meters of the entrance to a playground or school.

Marijuana use remains illegal for service members under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Department of Defense and European military regulations prohibit its use by contractors, Department of Defense civilians and others in Germany under the Status of Forces Agreement.