Lower Saxony
Interior Minister Behrens: The cannabis bill is rubbish
Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Daniela Behrens criticizes the cannabis bill. photo
© Philip Dulian/dpa
The traffic light coalition factions had agreed on details of a controlled cannabis release. Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Daniela Behrens voices clear criticism in several areas.
“That’s why he is criticized from numerous quarters, for example by pediatricians and adolescent doctors, the state police, the judiciary and also the addiction counseling centers.” The minister criticized that all good information had been almost completely ignored. “And therefore, at least from today’s perspective, one can say to the police: The law is not practical. The actual goal of achieving numerous improvements and relief with a controlled levy will fail in practice.”
The law is expected to be passed in the Bundestag soon
The traffic light coalition factions had recently agreed on details of a controlled release. Home cultivation and possession of certain amounts of the drug should therefore be permitted for adults from April 1st. Clubs for collective cultivation should be possible on July 1st. Cannabis should be removed from the list of banned substances in the Narcotics Act. Numerous rules and regulations are planned. It is expected that the law will be passed in the Bundestag next week.
Behrens said: “Since the law does not require approval, we states can unfortunately no longer prevent it if the Bundestag decides so. We then have to work with this problematic and impractical law. In my opinion, there should be a fresh start.” The traffic light is currently too caught up in the previous draft and is now trying to hit the wall “instead of taking the essential and important advice from the states and experts seriously.”
Bavaria’s Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU) called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to stop the controversial project in view of the clear criticism from his own party. “The federal government must no longer ignore the warnings from doctors, the police and the judiciary.” It is irresponsible to trivialize the health risks of cannabis, especially for young people.