German Health Minister Adopts Safety Approach to Cannabis Legalization
Comments suggest the country will follow Canada's example, which has a more restrictive regulated system that does not favor large companies
Published on 07/08/2022
By João R. Negromonte
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach made the comments at ministry hearings on the legalization of adult cannabis use, where hundreds of experts shared opinions on addiction, law, business, government, industry, and others, as reported by Der Spiegel, one of, if not the largest German news site.
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According to Lauterbach, safety and protection of young people are at the core of cannabis legalization in Germany. He believes that a more restrictive regulated system focused on health, similar to that of the North American country, disadvantages large companies.
The minister emphasized that he intends to have a bill completed this year, but did not offer many details on when the legislation could be approved and officially published.
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Currently, about 4 million adults in Germany consume cannabis, much less than the 6.2 million Canadians who used marijuana in the last three months of 2020.
However, a 2018 survey showed that the number of German cannabis consumers may be much higher, reaching 16.9% of young adults aged 15 to 34 years.
Lauterbach said he used to be against legalization, but has since changed his mind.
“The repressive approach to cannabis has failed,” he said during the hearings. “The risks of prohibition are greater than those that could be achieved with controlled cannabis sales,” he added.
