German government’s cannabis plans: pediatricians reject legalization

Status: 27.10.2022 07:31 a.m

The purchase, consumption and cultivation of cannabis is to be legalized to a limited extent. For Minister of Health Lauterbach, this is the “silver bullet”. But doctors warn of risks for younger age groups.

The federal government wants to legalize the consumption and possession of cannabis to a limited extent. But there are still doubts about the plans of the traffic light coalition, and not only politically, reservations are also being voiced by doctors.

“As pediatricians, we would prefer it if cannabis legalization did not come about,” Thomas Fischbach, President of the Professional Association of Pediatricians, told the Rheinische Post. He sees an urgent need to improve the traffic light project.

Risks up to the age of 25

The core demand of the president of the association includes a staggering of the cannabis release according to age, because consumption entails a significantly higher risk for young adults. Because the human brain is not fully mature by the age of 25, emphasized Fischbach. Therefore, regular cannabis use “can cause irreparable brain damage in adolescents and young adults, up to and including a permanent limitation of intellectual performance and social skills”.

However, Fischbach also warned that a way had to be found to completely prevent the distribution of legally purchased cannabis to young people under the age of 18. “If legalized, that would happen much more often, with dramatic consequences for the health of young people,” says Fischbach.

Worry about the lack of control

The Association of German Criminal Investigators (BDK) also sees open questions regarding the control mechanisms after the possible legalization of cannabis – even if the BDK basically supports “a decriminalization of consumers of all narcotics”, said its chairman Dirk Peglow to the Funke- media group.

However, Peglow expressed concerns that checks would be made significantly more difficult for police officers. It has not yet been clarified how they could recognize that cannabis was legally acquired. Peglow also focused on the protection of minors and warned that with the legal purchase of cannabis for adults, there was a risk that the illegal trade would focus more on the target group of children and young people.

Another concern Peglow cited regarding future potential legal home cultivation: how to ensure that children or young people do not have access to cannabis plants grown by their parents at home? “These are things that need to be clarified before legislation is passed,” Peglow said.

Youth protection, child protection and healthier consumption and containment of consumption are the goals, Karl Lauterbach, Minister of Health, for possible cannabis legalization

daily topics 10:30 p.m., 26.10.2022

Lauterbach: More youth protection through controlled delivery

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach agreed with the concerns of the professional association of paediatricians, who consider legalization to be problematic, especially for under-25s. But the previous policy in dealing with cannabis did not work, said the SPD politician in an interview with the daily topics. This becomes clear, among other things, from the increasing number of users: 25 percent in the age group of 18 to 25 year olds smoked pot last year. “That cannot satisfy us.”

Lauterbach hopes that legalization will also give teenagers and young adults better protection in certain respects. He referred to the sometimes toxic dosages that are traded on the black market and that are designed to make young people dependent as quickly as possible. “If you want to prevent that, you have to decriminalize it,” emphasized Lauterbach.

Legalization is the better way compared to a completely uncontrolled trade in harmful dosages and additives. “If we control the tax, then we can succeed in ensuring that we have more protection for minors.” Nothing may be given to children and young people, it remains illegal. “Legalization is the best way to dry up the black market.” However, Lauterbach admitted that there are residual risks – for example if the legally purchased cannabis is later given to younger people.

Possession of up to 30 grams should be exempt from punishment

On Wednesday, the federal cabinet approved the traffic light government’s proposals for the legalization of cannabis. The possession of up to 30 grams of “pleasure cannabis” should be exempt from punishment for personal consumption in the future, as should private cultivation of a maximum of three plants per person. The purchase should be possible in “licensed specialist shops. It is not yet clear whether cannabis could also be available in pharmacies.

It is not yet a draft law, but initially the main features of the traffic light plans. They are now to be checked at EU level for their legal admissibility.

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