The FDP is also pushing for rapid cannabis legalization
The consumption of cannabis should be legalized in Germany – but when?
Source: pa/dpa/Christoph Soeder
The traffic light coalition wants to release cannabis – but it is still unclear when that will happen. Most recently, the Greens had called for a timely draft law from Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. The FDP is now joining.
DThe FDP calls for a higher speed in the planned release of cannabis in Germany. “As a future coalition, we have formulated the controlled release of cannabis for recreational purposes as a goal in our coalition agreement. Accordingly, we want a draft law as soon as possible,” said the health policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Andrew Ullmann, the “Tagesspiegel”.
One cannot “wait forever for us to get advance signals from Europe before we finally take legislative action,” said Ullmann. The path of the traffic light coalition is “legal and legitimate” and will also exist in Europe accordingly. The SPD, Greens and FDP had agreed in their coalition agreement to introduce “the controlled sale of drugs to adults for recreational purposes in licensed shops”.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) presented the first concrete ideas for implementation in a key issues paper in autumn. The next step would be a finished bill. However, it cannot be ruled out that Brussels will veto the German plans in a so-called notification procedure if the Commission believes that they contradict EU and international law. The Union, which is against legalization, is counting on this.
A week ago, the green health expert Kirsten Kappert-Gonther had already called for a timely draft law. “The controlled release of cannabis is agreed in the coalition agreement. The Minister of Health must now present a draft law in a timely manner, ”said Kappert-Gonther, who is responsible for cannabis in her parliamentary group, of the German Press Agency.
She did not want to make a prediction as to when it will be possible to legally buy cannabis in Germany. Until the Minister of Health presents a draft law, a statement about it is pure speculation. “I am committed to ensuring that it happens as soon as possible.” A possible notification procedure should not “delay the process any further,” she said. EU law cannot be used as an argument to kill.