Violations of the new cannabis law in Bavaria are subject to high fines – 1,000 euros, for example, for smoking weed in the presence of children or young people. That works from an extensive catalog of fines which was developed by the Bavarian Ministry of Health. This was published at the end of March and has been in effect since April 1, a ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.
The Berlin traffic light government pushed through the partial legalization of cannabis against the will and resistance of Bavaria. The authorities in the federal states are now responsible for imposing fines for violations of the law. And the new catalog of fines from the Ministry of Health should serve as a “guideline” for the Bavarian authorities.
In Bavaria, there is a risk of a fine of 500 euros for smoking weed in pedestrian zones between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., in schools and within their sight, or in children’s playgrounds and within their sight. The same applies to children’s and youth facilities and publicly accessible sports facilities. According to federal law, “visibility” no longer applies if the distance to the entrance area of the facilities is more than 100 meters.
Anyone who consumes cannabis in military areas of the Bundeswehr must expect a fine of 300 euros. And anyone who possesses or carries slightly more than the permitted amount of cannabis must expect a fine of between 500 and 1000 euros in the Free State.
Shipping cannabis cuttings can be extremely expensive
It will also be expensive for violations in connection with future cannabis cultivation associations: for unauthorized advertising or sponsorship, for inadequately secured storage of cannabis and many other violations, there is a risk of fines of several hundred euros. For some violations, fines of up to 30,000 euros are possible, for example for the unauthorized shipping or delivery of cannabis cuttings.
In principle, according to the catalog of fines, all of the sums mentioned apply to an “intentional first offense”. In the event of a repeat offense, the fines can be doubled; in the event of negligence, the amounts can be halved. But depending on the individual case, the authorities can deviate from the standard rates upwards or downwards.