Last hurdle Federal Council
Lauterbach warns of the death of the cannabis law
March 17, 2024, 2:00 p.m
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The prospects are not very encouraging: the cannabis law passed at the traffic light is threatened with extinction in the mediation committee of the Bundestag and Bundesrat. Saxony’s Prime Minister Kretschmer wants to let the project slowly die right there.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach warns against delaying the planned legalization of cannabis in the Federal Council on April 1st. “Every country co-governed by the SPD and the Greens must know that the cannabis law will die next Friday if you call the mediation committee,” writes the SPD politician at bury.” He referred to a statement by Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, who had written – also on
The Bundestag decided on the controversial legalization of cannabis on February 23rd. The law is on the Bundesrat’s agenda for March 22nd. It does not require approval, but the state chamber could call the mediation committee with the Bundestag and thus slow down the process. Concerns have been raised by the federal states, among other things, about a planned amnesty for old cases that would no longer be punishable under the new law and would have to be examined individually.
Lauterbach countered that cannabis legalization would eliminate tens of thousands of consumer crimes every year and that the burden on the courts would be relieved. “Amnesty is a burden when it is introduced. But postponing it doesn’t help, the work stays the same.” According to the “Deutsche Richterzeitung”, more than 210,000 criminal files nationwide need to be checked.
The police union (GdP) also hopes that the Federal Council will prevent the plans. “We particularly regret that the law does not provide for any transition periods that would enable the police, customs, judicial authorities and youth welfare offices in this country to prepare for the new legal situation,” says a letter from the GdP’s deputy federal leader, Alexander Poitz, to the President of the Federal Council, Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Manuela Schwesig. She should work to ensure that the mediation committee is called to clarify important open questions.
The union also fears that if the law comes into force unchanged, criminal gangs could quickly adapt to the new legal situation, adapt their profit model and possibly open up new target markets. It is also not clear how cannabis consumption will affect road traffic. In addition to a coordinated limit value, there is a lack of suitable equipment to detect cannabis in vehicle drivers.