The Union has renewed its criticism of the federal government’s cannabis plans. The parliamentary manager of the Union faction, Thorsten Frei (CDU), called the project “dangerous and naive” in the “Rheinische Post”. “We will clearly reject such nonsense in the Bundestag.”
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) misjudges the reality and downplays the dangerous consequences that consumption can have, especially for young people. He was therefore “out of place as Minister of Health,” said Frei. The CSU also continues to reject the plans. The deputy leader of the Union parliamentary group, Dorothee Bär (CSU), spoke in the “Augsburger Allgemeine” of a frontal attack on child and youth protection.
Lauterbach criticizes “current ban policy”
The concept of the traffic light coalition envisages that in Germany the possession of a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis and the cultivation of a maximum of three plants should be exempt from punishment. The purchase of the drug should at least be legally possible via detours. Lauterbach and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) presented the plans yesterday. The legislation is scheduled to start in April.
Lauterbach defended the project on the “RTL Direkt” program, on the ZDF “heute journal” and on the ARD “Tagesthemen”: “We have had no success with the current ban policy,” said the SPD politician last night on ARD. It is a good compromise that the cultivation is organized through membership in the association. The product is clean and not contaminated. He predicted that as a result the black market would “reduce very sharply or even collapse”. It is not worthwhile for dealers if cannabis is offered at cost price as in a cooperative.
The federal government’s drug commissioner, Burkhard Blienert (SPD), spoke of a “milestone for drug policy”. But there is still a lot to do, he told the newspapers of the Funke media group. The obligatory cooperation of the planned clubs and projects with local addiction prevention and addiction support agencies is particularly important to him.
Jakob Maske, spokesman for the professional association of pediatricians, told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten”: “We welcome the fact that Karl Lauterbach now wants to put the protection of children and young people in the foreground. How exactly he wants to do that does not emerge from the current draft.”
Rules for controlled enjoyment
According to the plans, “non-profit” associations with a maximum of 500 members may collectively grow cannabis for recreational purposes and only sell it to members for their own consumption. The minimum age is 18. The clubs must appoint youth protection, addiction and prevention officers and are not allowed to advertise themselves. Membership in more than one club is prohibited.
The German Hemp Association only sees an interim solution in the club model, since the clubs are mainly designed for people who consume a lot. “For occasional consumers, the hurdles of membership are too high,” spokesman Georg Wurth told the editorial network Germany. But the clubs are a good start.
