The planned release of cannabis is met with reservations among members of the SPD parliamentary group. “There was never an agreement with the internal politicians of the SPD parliamentary group,” said SPD internal affairs expert Sebastian Fiedler to “Spiegel”.

He criticized various relaxations in the planned law, such as smaller minimum distances from schools and daycare centers when consuming cannabis. “The law has no impact on organized crime and therefore misses a core goal,” criticized Fiedler. “If the cannabis legalization law were to be voted on now, there would be a significant proportion of no votes from the SPD parliamentary group, including my own,” emphasized Fiedler.

The traffic light coalition factions recently agreed on the details of a draft law. Cannabis should therefore be removed from the list of prohibited substances in the Narcotics Act. Home cultivation and possession of certain amounts of the drug will be permitted for adults from April 1, 2024. Clubs for collective cultivation should also be possible on July 1st.