German parliament supports partial legalisation of cannabis, doctors warn against risk of addiction
Cannabis
The German parliament on Friday (Feb 23rd) backed the move to partly legalise cannabis use.This legislation would make Germany only the third European country to legalise the drug for personal use.
Easier access
The legislation, as per The Guardian, follows a heated debate on the pros and cons of allowing easier access to the drug. With this, cannabis would be removed from the official list of banned substances, and adults would be allowed to possess 50g of the drug at a time — 25g in public.
Those between the ages of 18 to 21 will only be allowed to buy up to 30g of cannabis with a maximum THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content of 10 per cent.
However, the sale and consumption by under-18-year-olds would continue to be forbidden.
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With this, the government is seeking to reclaim from drug dealers who supply the drug to an estimated seven million regular users in Germany. Many of them, as per the government, rely on cannabis for medical reasons.
As per the health minister, Karl Lauterbach, this legislation would also improve the quality of cannabis consumed by an increasing number of young users.
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"Child and youth protection is at the heart of what this law is meant to achieve," said Lauterbach before the vote.
"Over the past decade consumption by children and young people has steadily increased," he added.
Concerns voiced against the move
Even though the government says the move will help the young people, doctors have warned that on the contrary, it will endanger them. They say that with cannabis becoming more accessible, the risk of addiction will increase.
Several of Germany's 16 states, including Bavaria, ruled by the conservative Christian Social Union, are opposing the law and urging the government to reconsider.
As per the report, some of Lauterbach's fellow Social Democrats have also voiced concern about the use of the drug around schools and kindergartens. To this, the minister said that the use of cannabis would be prohibited within 100 metres of educational establishments.
Police authorities have cautioned that they will face difficulty imposing the rules, to which Lauterbach responded by saying the policing of the hidden market has also been difficult.
(With inputs from agencies)
