German Cannabis Legalization Update Lauterbach rejects criticism from Union countries of cannabis plans
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Berlin – Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has rejected criticism from Union-governed countries of plans for a controlled legalization of cannabis.
The law is needed "if you want to push the black market into the background and get a grip on drug-related crime," said Lauterbach during the government survey yesterday in the Bundestag. Cannabis use will decrease as a result.
"We have increasing dependencies, we have more drug consumption, we have crime here, we have a problem that we can't get a grip on," says Lauterbach. A bill for the purchase of cannabis products with guaranteed quality should be developed during the summer break.
The federal government wants to partially legalize cannabis later this year. According to the will of the traffic light coalition, the possession of 25 grams of cannabis for personal use should remain unpunished in the future.
The plans envisage a state-controlled levy via associations and private cultivation of up to three plants. In a second step, sales via licensed specialist shops are to be tested in model regions.
According to the state, there should be no model regions for controlled cannabis sales in Bavaria, as Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) said. North Rhine-Westphalia recently followed suit with a rejection.
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/143476/Lauterbach-weist-Kritik-von-Unionslaendern-an-Cannabisplaenen-zurueck