Karl Lauterbach promised uncomplicated purchasing of cannabis in stores. Now even the responsible SPD reporter says: That won’t work.
In April 2023, Karl Lauterbach presented a “progress project”. After months of back and forth, the Health Minister was able to present the key points for his cannabis law. The cabinet agreed on a two-pillar model that is intended to liberalize consumption in Germany. Essentially it provides the following:
- Pillar 1: Self-cultivation and possession of cannabis permitted, delivery to cannabis clubs possible
- Pillar 2: Sales in licensed specialty stores in certain model regions
Pillar 1 has been implemented since April 2024. Adults are also allowed to smoke weed in public and carry up to 25 grams of cannabis. You can have up to 50 grams at home. If you don’t want to grow your own, you can get your weed from cannabis clubs. Because these are not yet allowed to open in most federal states, the only option for many consumers is the black market.
Pillar two: Lauterbach wanted to present a draft in the summer of 2023
Pillar 2 is intended to represent a commercial market. As in other countries, you should be able to go to specialist shops in selected regions and buy your cannabis there. This could be pharmacies, for example. “We want to build commercial supply chains through regional model ancestors,” Lauterbach promised in 2023. “In this way, we will make cultivation even safer and can better control government regulations.”
Regarding Pillar 2, it was said in April 2023 that a draft law would be presented after the summer break. Two summer breaks later, however, nothing has happened. And so it seems extremely unlikely that Karl Lauterbach will even implement his promise. Even within the SPD there are doubts.
SPD doubts cannabis law: “Ministry has not submitted a draft”
Dirk Heidenblut is the SPD rapporteur for the cannabis law. He currently does not assume that the law will come, as he explains to our editorial team. It is unclear why it fails. “Unfortunately I can’t say exactly, there is obviously no agreement between the departments involved,” said Heidenblut. The Ministry of Agriculture, Justice and the Ministry of Transport are also involved. “The Ministry of Health has definitely not submitted a draft yet.” Time is of the essence; the next federal election will take place in a year. “There would have to be a draft bill at least in the very short term,” said Heidenblut.
It doesn’t look like that. “The federal government’s work on preparing the second pillar involves complex technical and legal questions and requires coordination between the departments involved,” the ministry said in response to our request, rather vaguely. “This internal government coordination has not yet been completed.”
The FDP is putting pressure on it accordingly: “The Federal Ministry of Health has agreed to work on a draft for the second pillar of legalization,” the FDP’s drug policy spokeswoman, Kristine Lütke, tells us. “Here I take the minister at his word.” Lütke continued: “Pillar two must now come as quickly as possible.”
Cannabis law: “The goals of curbing the black market are being missed”
Criticism also comes from the opposition. The drug policy spokesman for the Left, Ates Gürpinar, says IPPEN.MEDIA: “I no longer expect a law on the second pillar by the end of the electoral period.” Left-wing inquiries to the responsible traffic light politicians and the Ministry of Health “came to nothing,” said Gürpinar. “The federal government is thus breaking its promise to comprehensively legalize cannabis. This means that the goals of curbing the black market are missed.”
Because: If you don’t want to or can’t grow it, you have to go to the dealer. Because even the cannabis clubs are unlikely to reach everyone. Especially since there are likely to be some recreational users who do not want to register in a cannabis club. They had hoped for the second pillar and wanted a scenario like in the Netherlands: go to the shop, buy a joint, consume it. Also in reputable pharmacies instead of windy coffee shops. But nothing will come of this with the presumed end of pillar two. Only the black market remains.
The Union is probably fine with the renewed back and forth on the cannabis law, as it is strictly against the release of cannabis anyway. “This irresponsible and dangerous law will be one of the very first traffic light projects that we will reverse after a change of government,” explained the health policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU, Tino Sorge, to our editorial team.
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