According to the traffic light plans, up to three plants should be allowed to be grown at home.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two forward. That was probably the thought of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), who presented clearly reduced plans for cannabis legalization on Wednesday. Mind you: plans. There is no draft law yet. It is therefore conceivable that Lauterbach will fall further behind what he originally announced and what was agreed in the coalition agreement.
Now it is at least clear: there will not be specialist shops with joints and cannabis chocolate all over Germany any time soon. Nor is there a commercial market that companies are hoping for and the associated jobs and billions in income for the tight budget, which a study in 2021 estimated at up to 4.7 billion euros. So the black market will continue to do illegal business with inferior products.
This is a step backwards, especially for the FDP and the Greens. The two parties fought for full legalization with far more passion than the health minister, who was never a fan of the idea. However, the step backwards is manageable because it reduces the risk that Brussels will stop the project with infringement proceedings.
So there is now at least the chance of a mini-legalization that decriminalizes consumption and thus relieves the police and courts. Selling through cannabis clubs is also better than stocking up with dodgy dealers at hubs like Görlitzer Park in Berlin.
However, the federal government is postponing large-scale legalization too far into the future by allowing five years to evaluate model projects. If there were an objection from Brussels, that would be off the table, just as it would be if there was a change of government. With the Union leading in the polls, the project would be dead for good.
More: Like “We’re releasing hemp” – How the traffic light wants to make cannabis legal