The controversial legalization of cannabis in Germany will come as planned on April 1st. Representing Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Council President Manuela Schwesig signed the passed law on Wednesday. The traffic light coalition’s plan, against which protests have been loud until recently, will come into force on Easter Monday.
Experts: THC limit should be 3.5 ng/ml
An independent group of experts has now proposed a THC limit that, if reached, will no longer allow driving a car on the road. The scientists made the following recommendations:
The limit should be 3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum. This is a conservative approach. The value is comparable to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2 per mille and would still be well below the threshold at which a general risk of accidents begins. There should be an absolute ban on alcohol behind the wheel for cannabis users. To detect current cannabis consumption, saliva tests with high sensitivity should be used as a preliminary screening.
The proposal for a limit of 3.5 ng/ml THC is intended to penalize only those whose cannabis consumption took place in a specific time frame while driving a motor vehicle and thus had an impact on road safety.
In order for the limit value developed by the expert group to actually apply, a change to the Road Traffic Act is necessary.