Thursday October 21, 2021
Strack-Zimmermann at Lanz
“Half the Young Union wants to smoke weed”
By Marko Schlichting
Cannabis use could soon be allowed. Apparently the traffic light parties are striving for legalization. In the shortened Markus Lanz broadcast, FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann tries to explain the arguments of the supporters. That doesn’t seem very convincing.
Sometimes football is more important. Markus Lanz is feeling that at the moment. In Champions League weeks, his Wednesday evening talk show is only 45 minutes long and also runs very late. Then he only has two guests. It would have been quite easy for them to get an informative broadcast on Thursday night on ZDF. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the FDP and CSU General Secretary Markus Blume only managed to do this for a quarter of an hour when it came to the legalization of cannabis.
“CSU peed in the tent”
First of all, however, there will be a funny debate about the Union’s mistakes. The otherwise eloquent CSU general secretary has little chance against the eloquent FDP woman who is a permanent guest on the Markus Lanz show. The Union is leaderless, she criticizes, which is why, after the first exploratory talks, they preferred to talk to the SPD and the Greens. “Who should have had the conversation after you kicked Laschet in the dust?” asks the FDP politician Markus Blume. He explains that there has always been leadership in the Union. In the case of Jamaica talks, it was Armin Laschet and Markus Söder. “We were optimally coordinated in the positions,” says Blume, and: “We complemented each other.” Laughter everywhere at Lanz and Strack-Zimmermann. Then there is a battle of words over the dispute in the Union, in which the FDP politician blames the CSU:
Strack-Zimmermann: “You have lost so much in Bavaria. Nationwide you have achieved less than five percent.”
Blume: “We have more than five percent.”
Lanz: “How much?”
Flower: “5.1.”
It continues at this level until Strack-Zimmermann finds an almost carnival-like comparison for the relationship between the CSU and CDU in the election campaign: “It’s not nice when people sit in a tent and then someone stands in front of it and pees in. Better it is when those who sit inside bring you in and then pee out together. ” And the viewer wonders and thinks: Well, is that really still ZDF?
Shortly before, Markus Blume had seemed a bit pissed off when Strack-Zimmermann suggested separating the CDU and CSU. Flower on it: “If we need a couples therapist in the Union, we will be happy to come back to you. But maybe you will soon need a couples therapist in your traffic light coalition.” “No, no”, laughs the FDP woman, “We are now in the brisk threesome, we can do that too.” There is no tussle. Too bad.
“Booting out the drug black market”
Then things get serious when Blume addresses the idea of legalizing cannabis. More and more young people are smoking weed, explains Strack-Zimmermann, even half of the Junge Union. Blume cannot accept this and refers to the situation in the Netherlands, where the cannabis trade is now in the hands of criminal clans. That shouldn’t happen in Germany, agrees Strack-Zimmermann. You have to dispense cannabis in a controlled manner and also bring the pharmacies on board. They should monitor the quality of the drugs. This is how you can get rid of the black market. Of course, cannabis has to be taxed high, and the money can then be used to promote addiction prevention measures. The drug should only be given to young people aged 18 or over, or even 21 and over. “Millions of people use cannabis illegally,” summarizes Strack-Zimmermann – and adds: “We must not criminalize young people who we catch smoking weed.”
Then the program suddenly ends. And nobody can ask the logical question: “Why not?”