Health
Federal Council Committees for Mediation Committee on Cannabis
The Bundestag has set the course for cannabis to be approved on April 1st. photo
© Fabian Sommer/dpa
The Bundestag has set the course for cannabis to be released on April 1st. Can the schedule be kept? Objections are listed in the Federal Council.
Resistance is forming among countries against the partial legalization of Cannabis for April 1st. Three committees of the state chamber concerned with this recommend sending the law passed by the Bundestag in February to the mediation committee. The leading health committee proposes, among other things, that the entry into force of the entire law be postponed to October 1st. The Interior and Legal Affairs Committees also raise objections in their recommendations. On the other hand, the Transport Committee recommends that the law be passed. The extent to which the plenary session of the Federal Council follows the recommendations of the committees will have to be seen in the vote on March 22nd.
According to the law of the traffic light coalition, possession and cultivation of the drug should become legal for adults for their own consumption with numerous requirements. From July 1st, non-commercial “cultivation associations” will also be allowed to cultivate collectively. The law does not require approval in the Federal Council. However, the state chamber could call the joint mediation committee with parliament and slow down the process. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had already opposed delays and advocated for it to come into force on April 1st.
Committee calls for later release
The Federal Council’s Health Committee is calling, among other things, for the quantity limits set out in the law for the legal possession of cannabis to be reduced – due to the consequences, particularly for young people up to the age of 25. So that addiction support services and authorities have enough time to find solutions to deal with immensely increased requirements, the entire law is not scheduled to come into force until October 1, 2024.
The committee also argues that legalization and the associated impunity from April 1st meant that initially only illegally purchased cannabis could be carried. “As of April 1, 2024, there will be no harvest or dried material from home-grown cannabis.” The life cycle of legally grown plants is not over then, it can only then begin legally. “Consistent enforcement is therefore only possible if the entry into force of the Cannabis Act is regulated in such a way that only legally cultivated cannabis can be carried in public spaces.” Sufficient time for preparation is also required for effective prevention.
The creation of “plantations” should be prevented
The Interior Committee warns, among other things, that several cultivation associations should not operate at the same location or in the same rental property. “It must be prevented that “plantations” are created in this way that would contradict the desired goal of small-scale cultivation.” Consumption should also be possible “only in private spaces and peaceful properties, but not in public spaces”. For non-private indoor spaces, the possibility of consumption should only be granted if a minimum distance of 500 meters from daycare centers, schools and playgrounds is ensured.
The Legal Affairs Committee objects to the amnesty provided for in the law for cases that will be legal in the future. The planned deletion of entries in the Federal Central Register is “neither necessary nor justifiable”. Specifically, those affected should be able to apply to the public prosecutor’s office to have entries in the register deleted. This is relevant, for example, for certificates of good conduct. Convictions for possession, acquisition and cultivation of up to 30 grams of cannabis are particularly relevant, as the Federal Ministry of Health explained.