Berlin
The traffic light remembers their progress plan and partially legalizes cannabis. In doing so, she faces the reality in Germany.
It still shimmers through, the promise of the progress coalition: The SPD, Greens and FDP got the legalization of cannabis off the ground without a long public dispute, without party-political trench warfare that was fraught with injuries – at least a little bit.
The association solution that Minister Karl Lauterbach (health, SPD) and Cem Özdemir (nutrition, Greens) presented on Wednesday is a little awkward, a bit more modest than the big paradigm shift that the partners had once striven for. Revolution light.
For once, this is not due to the fact that within the coalition the Minimum consensus agreed, but to the European Union – which was not enthusiastic about the original plans. It’s a good thing that Lauterbach and his cabinet colleagues didn’t let that deter them and looked for a way that could work.
The reality is: In Germany people smoke weed
Because decriminalization was overdue. The reality is: In Germany people smoke weed. In the country, in the city, across all milieus and federal states. Cannabis is the most commonly consumed illegal drug in Germany, in the past twelve months four and a half million people have smoked weed at least once. So there can be no talk of a niche phenomenon.
But the previous one legal situation and the everyday experiences of many people have so far diverged widely. It’s good that that’s changing now. The coalition’s proposal takes citizens seriously and trusts them to weigh up the risk and intoxication of cannabis just as independently as it is taken for granted when it comes to alcohol. The partial legalization therefore gives hope for a more honest, more constructive discussion about drug use and the dangers of addiction. This must be combined with more prevention, more education and more offers of addiction help.
The detour via the club solution, with which no money may be earned, also has the Advantagethat nobody has a financial incentive to expand the circle of consumers at any price.
Many question marks are still open – especially when it comes to the protection of minors
A long list Details however, remains to be clarified. How do you want to deal with the fact that THC residues are often still detectable in tests in road traffic, even if the consumption was days ago and the person behind the wheel has long been sober again? How Many Cannabis Clubs Can You Control Effectively? And how do you ensure that the planned model regions are spared an onslaught of cannabis tourists?
Perhaps the biggest question mark is behind that protection of minors. Of course, it already works rather poorly. In 2021, almost a tenth of 12- to 17-year-olds had already smoked weed, which was significantly higher than in 2011.
If she stoner clubs, which Lauterbach and his cabinet colleagues are planning, can really reverse this trend is questionable. The health secretary’s hope that dealers will be less motivated to sell to 16-year-olds just because they can legally get hold of weed two years later is at least very optimistic. And with all confidence in the German enthusiasm for club life, it cannot be assumed that the cannabis clubs will completely dry up the black market.
A Progress they are anyway. And that’s what this coalition wanted to do once.
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