Cannabis Law Seen as a Turning Point in German Drug Policy

For Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, the new cannabis law is a law with a sense of proportion: The “concept of controlled legalization” is intended to solve problems that already exist. The protection of children and young people plays a major role, according to the SPD politician.

On Wednesday, August 16th, the federal cabinet passed the draft of the ” Act on the Controlled Use of Cannabis and Amending Other Regulations” (CanG). For Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach, this is an important law “which will represent a long-term change in German drug policy,” he explained after the cabinet meeting in Berlin.

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The cannabis law with a sense of proportion

According to Lauterbach, the cannabis law addresses three existing and unresolved problems: the increasing consumption of cannabis, which unfortunately also affects children and young people, the increasing drug crime, and the large black market.

From the minister’s point of view, the latter is becoming increasingly problematic because cannabis products increasingly contain toxic additives. Lauterbach sees a “concept of controlled legalization” in the present law to solve these problems. He rejects criticism of the law.

In his opinion, a release with more legalization would have meant that consumption would have expanded: “We don’t want that. We want to limit consumption and make it safer, especially for children and young people,” he emphasizes.

On the other hand, those who believe that legalization is a wrong move, Lauterbach counters, say they have no answer to the problems that already exist.

Awareness campaign planned

According to Lauterbach, the law is a law with a sense of proportion. The protection of children and young people is taken very seriously, and prevention programs are expanded.

Consumption remains prohibited for young people, for young adults it should only be possible to a limited extent. A campaign is intended to educate young adults in particular that consumption of cannabis under the age of 25 can permanently damage the still-growing brain.

According to Lauterbach, the consequences are mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders and poor concentration. The minister emphasizes that education for young people should take place in particular in the new media. In this context, he considers the currently controversial discussion about the law to be helpful because it draws attention. “The whole topic is being freed from taboos.”

According to the cannabis law, the possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis should be free of punishment in the future. Adults are allowed to grow up to three cannabis plants themselves. At the same time, there is a ban on consumption in a protection zone of 200 meters from sensitive places such as schoolyards, daycare centers, and playgrounds.

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(Featured image by Yash Lucid via Pexels)

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First published in vorwarts. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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