In Germany, adults will soon be able to buy and consume cannabis legally. The Association of German Criminal Investigators is looking forward to the elimination of controls, but still sees gaps in Health Minister Lauterbach’s plans. The professional association of paediatricians, however, warns.
The Association of German Criminal Investigators (BDK) welcomes the federal government’s plans to legalize cannabis. “We fundamentally support the decriminalization of consumers of all narcotics,” said BDK chairman Dirk Peglow to the newspapers of the Funke media group. As a reason, he gives, among other things, human resources that would be freed up by the police through fewer controls and could be used elsewhere instead. However, there are still many unanswered questions about the plans, Peglow said.
The federal cabinet approved a legalization proposal by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on Wednesday. In the future, the purchase and possession of “up to a maximum amount of 20 to 30 grams of recreational cannabis for personal consumption in private and public spaces” should be permitted, as well as private cultivation to a limited extent. The sale should go in special shops with expertise on the stage.
According to BDK boss Peglow, however, it is still unclear how police officers should ensure during a check whether the cannabis found was bought legally. In addition, the protection of minors must be guaranteed. Illegal traders would increasingly focus on youngsters as customers when adults could buy legally, the detective said. “These are things that need to be clarified before legislation is passed.”
The professional association of paediatricians takes a much more critical view of the possible legalization of cannabis. “Regular cannabis consumption can cause irreparable brain damage in adolescents and young adults, up to and including a permanent limitation of intellectual performance and social skills,” says the head of the association, Thomas Fischbach, in the “Rheinische Post”. The protective measures for under 21-year-olds should be significantly stricter than for older adults.
The head of the association also points out that it is still unclear how the transfer of legally acquired cannabis to young people under 18 should be prevented. “If legalized, that would happen much more often, with dramatic consequences for the health of young people,” warns Fischbach. In addition, an evaluation after four years would be far too late, since ongoing studies of the social consequences would be needed.
