Epoch Times22. March 2024
You can smoke weed legally from April 1st: The Federal Council has approved the partial legalization of cannabis. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) hopes this will be “the beginning of the end” for black market transactions. He and other members of the traffic light coalition believe that the current approach to cannabis has failed. But legalization is not without controversy: criticism of the cannabis law was also great on Friday.
Allowed at home three plants and 50 grams
In the future, the consumption and possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis will be permitted, but only for adults. When growing at home, up to 50 grams and three plants are allowed. Cultivation associations or so-called cannabis clubs are allowed to distribute a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis per day to their up to 500 members and 50 grams per month.
The Bundestag recently passed the law on the partial legalization of cannabis for personal consumption with the majority of the government coalition.
The Federal Council could not have prevented the law
Since it is only an objection law, the Federal Council could not have stopped the law, but could have appealed to the mediation committee. A mediation process between the federal and state governments would then have delayed the entry into force of the project. However, a majority in favor of this was not achieved on Friday: several federal states abstained instead.
Lauterbach had once again campaigned for the law he initiated in the Federal Council. He stated that the number of cannabis users in several age groups has already doubled and the black market is flourishing. It is therefore important to ask: “Have we chosen a path that works or do we need to think again?”
The minister emphasized that he had been an opponent of legalization for many years, but had changed his mind. The study shows that countries like Canada that have implemented legalization well could have reduced the black market.
Countries warn against excessive demands on the judiciary
Several state politicians had previously sharply criticized the law. In addition to the partial legalization itself, the planned arrest rule for crimes related to cannabis was criticized. The federal states warned that the judiciary would be overwhelmed and that thousands of cases would have to be re-examined.
The law also caused controversy within the Saxon state government – it did not vote uniformly in the plenary session of the Federal Council and was therefore invalid. Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) voted in favor of calling the mediation committee, his deputy Martin Dulig (SPD) voted against it. Abstention is usually provided for in the event of different opinions in the coalition.
Traffic light is relieved
Representatives of the traffic light coalition were relieved by the Federal Council’s decision. “It was time to come up with a new drug policy,” said Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) to the Funke newspapers. “Flourishing black markets and people who were pushed into crime” were the result of the previous cannabis policy.
Green Party leader Ricarda Lang made a similar statement: “The criminalization of the last few decades has never achieved its goal of dissuading people from consumption,” she told the “t-online” portal.
Left: Only decriminalization, legalization is still missing
Left federal managing director Ates Gürpinar also spoke of a success. However, the decriminalization of cannabis can only be a first step. The promised legalization is not happening. “There is a lack of sound prevention concepts. Limit values are chosen arbitrarily and are difficult to control in reality,” complained Gürpinar.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz, however, called the state chamber’s decision “completely wrong”. He spoke of “devastating consequences for younger people in our country”.
Criticism also from the police union: “bureaucracy monster”
“A ‘bureaucratic monster’ with many detailed regulations,” criticized the federal chairman of the German Police Union (DPolG), Rainer Wendt. This required an “incredible amount of staff” for monitoring. The police union (GdP) also warned against the authorities being overwhelmed.
“From April 1st, our colleagues will find themselves in numerous conflict situations with citizens,” explained GdP Federal Vice President Alexander Poitz, “because there will be uncertainty on all sides.”
The German Association of Judges (DRB) pointed out the burden on the judiciary. Due to the amnesty regulation for cannabis-related crimes associated with the law, more than 200,000 criminal files nationwide would have to be re-examined. DRB federal managing director Sven Rebehn criticized this as keeping the criminal justice system “from other tasks for weeks and months”.
The German Bar Association (DAV) sees this differently. It is the logical consequence that penalties that have not yet been enforced will be reviewed, adjusted and, if necessary, waived, explained DAV representative Gül Pinar. “Especially since numerous procedures will be eliminated in the long term and the burden on the judiciary and authorities will be relieved.” (afp)