Legislative proposals
Continued struggle for green light for cannabis law
According to the law passed by the Bundestag, possession and cultivation of the drug, with numerous requirements, should be permitted for adults to consume themselves from April 1st. photo
© Patrick Pleul/dpa
According to a law passed by the Bundestag, the controversial release of cannabis should come on April 1st. But first the Federal Council has the floor, and there are objections. Are there any improvements to be made?
It would be legally possible, for example, to delay an amnesty regulation for cases that were previously punishable but will be permitted in the future, as Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) said. A corresponding amendment law could be discussed in the Bundestag this week. In this way, requests from the states to postpone the entry into force of the amnesty by six months could be met and a mediation committee could be avoided.
Delaying an amnesty scheme
However, the leading Ministry of Health does not consider such a short-term law to be implementable. In particular, necessary shortening of deadlines in the Bundestag procedure and also a consensual drafting of the law on March 22nd in the Bundesrat appeared “extremely doubtful,” according to a paper from the department on the possible processes, which is available to the German Press Agency.
According to the law passed by the Bundestag, possession and cultivation of the drug, with numerous requirements, should be permitted for adults to consume themselves from April 1st. The law will come to the Federal Council on March 22nd. It doesn’t require approval there, but the state chamber could call the mediation committee and thereby slow down the process. Concerns have been raised from the federal states, among other things, about a planned amnesty.
Fear of overburdening the judiciary
Imprisonment sentences or fines that have already been imposed for cannabis offenses that will no longer be punishable under the law should be waived when it comes into force or convictions recorded should be deleted from the Federal Central Register. There was criticism from the states and from the German Association of Judges because they feared the judiciary would be overburdened. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) rejected the criticism.