Germany Legalises Cannabis for Personal Use
- New York Post
Jakarta – Germany’s parliament has passed a law allowing individuals and voluntary associations to grow and hold limited quantities of cannabis, making it the latest in a small group of countries and jurisdictions to legalise the drug, at least in part.
The law passed by the chancellor, Olaf Scholz’s ruling three-party coalition, legalises cultivating up to three plants for private consumption, the possession of 50g of cannabis at one time at home, and 25g in public.
It follows a heated debate about the pros and cons of allowing easier access to the drug.
“We have two goals: to crack down on the black market and improved protection of children and young people,” the health minister, Karl Lauterbach, said at the start of a rowdy debate where the opposition accused him of promoting drug use.
"You are asserting in all seriousness that by legalising more drugs we will contain drug use among young people. That is the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard," said The Christian Democrat politician Tino Sorge.
Tanaman ganja.
- DW
But Lauterbach said that this amounted to “sticking our heads in the sand”. Not only had cannabis use soared among young people, whose developing brains were particularly endangered, but drugs on the streets were both stronger and more impure nowadays, greatly increasing their harm.
About 7 million Germans are estimated to regularly use cannabis. The government has said previously that many users rely on the drug for medicinal reasons and that the new law will also improve the quality of cannabis consumed by growing numbers of young people.
Doctors against the law change have warned that it will endanger the health of young people by making the drug more accessible and thus increasing the risk of addiction.
The coalition of the Social Democrats, Greens and the pro-business FDP agreed in November to push on with the change, having included it in their coalition agreement on sharing power.
