Germany: cannabis to be legalised
Berlin plans to legalise the use of cannabis - with certain restrictions. Under the government's reform plans, anyone over 18 will be allowed to purchase up to 50 grams of cannabis per month in special clubs and grow up to three flowering plants. Is this a dangerous or sensible move?
An end to the ostrich policy
tagesschau.de welcomes the news:
“Under the policy applied to date, millions of people have been criminalised and their health put at risk by encouraging trade in contaminated products. The old policy strengthened the black market and didn't properly consider effective protection for children and young people. And it was unsuccessful. The number of users has been rising for years, and cannabis consumption hasn't been reduced in the slightest. The advantage of the new plans is that they could put an end to this ostrich policy.”
Pot remains perilous
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung doesn't agree with the legalisation plan:
“It is a distortion of the facts that cannabis in many cases endangers health and impairs the development of young people only because the drug is offered on the black market and contaminated there. As if legally acquired or home-grown narcotics could not have the same fatal effects on a brain that is not yet fully developed, on embryos or on the ability to drive vehicles and use machines. Whether you buy it from a dealer or from people who grow it at home, from clubs or from specialist shops, cannabis is a psychoactive substance with high potential to be harmful well into adolescence and addictive potential long beyond that.”
Good for the idea of self-determination
The Süddeutsche Zeitung sees this as a sign of trust:
“During the Covid pandemic, the relationship between the state and its citizens changed fundamentally. That may have been right in some phases of the pandemic, but the we-know-what's-good-for-you attitude must not be permanent. German society is also based on the idea of self-determination. Legalsing cannabis may not be the most important point, but it is suitable as a symbol of the state taking a step back in areas where everyone can decide for themselves.”