Hemp is released: From today on, adults can legally possess and consume cannabis. But despite agreement, many concerns remain. And there are no further regulations, for example for specialist shops.
When he was at school, CDU leader Friedrich Merz took a train – and found it “terrible”. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has also smoked weed and it had a “classic” effect, says the SPD politician. But that has now expired. Neither of them got a taste for it. But if you want to try cannabis again, you can do so legally starting today.
The Minister of Health was never a fan of the release, but neither was he of the previous ban. “The system has completely failed,” says Lauterbach, pointing to a growing black market and increased consumption, including among children and young people. In fact – even though it was illegal – more than four million people in Germany used cannabis occasionally or regularly, figures from the Federal Ministry of Health show.
Lots of rules to control
At least for adults it is allowed from today. You can have 25 grams with you, and at home you can even have up to 50 grams. You can also smoke weed in public – but not during the day in pedestrian zones when there are children and young people or within sight of playgrounds, kindergartens and schools. There is a 100 meter perimeter around the entrances.
But who is supposed to control that? The police fear additional effort, and there was also loud criticism from the interior ministers of the federal states. In addition, the judiciary must retroactively issue cannabis-related penalties if they have not yet been enforced.
“Why you get so high at a traffic light with a law that creates such chaos is inexplicable to me,” complained the Bavarian Prime Minister and CSU leader Markus Söder. He wants to apply the new law in an “extremely restrictive” manner. The CDU and CSU have announced that they will examine all avenues for legal action and abolish the release as soon as possible.
A recipe against the black market?
The SPD, Greens and FDP, on the other hand, hope to weaken the black market and strengthen health protection. Because now there should be controlled, clean cannabis. This comes either from your own cultivation – three plants are allowed at home – or from the cannabis clubs. These non-commercial associations with up to 500 members are allowed to sell hemp to their members for a fee. The clubs will only be available from July. The question therefore arises as to where the legal cannabis should come from in the early days. The Health Minister believes that some have taken precautions: If someone grows cannabis, it doesn’t matter when the plant was bought or grown, Lauterbach explained, it is now legal.
The government’s argument for legalization is that it has reduced the black market in Canada by up to 80 percent. However, hemp is freely available for sale in specialist shops there – unlike in Germany. There should be model projects, but another law is needed for them. And so far it is unclear when and if that will happen.
Health-related Risks for young people
Another point of criticism is the protection of minors: Does partial legalization lower the inhibition threshold? Will this make cannabis more readily available to young people? This is what pediatricians and adolescent doctors fear. They see the risk of psychosis and damage to the brain, which is not fully developed until the age of 25. Beforehand, many recommend from a medical perspective not to consume cannabis.
The Minister of Health refers to the stricter penalties for the protection of minors. Anyone who passes on cannabis to children and young people must expect a prison sentence. And although the federal government allows cannabis for adults, the amount and THC content are limited up to the age of 21. At the same time, an educational campaign is intended to warn young people against consumption. A oft-quoted sentence from the former Federal Drug Commissioner Daniela Ludwig remains relevant: “Just because alcohol is dangerous, it is undisputed that cannabis is not broccoli.”
Vera Wolfskämpf, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, March 31, 2024 7:44 a.m