Press
The CSU wants to prevent a “cannabis mile” in Munich. Bundestag member Stephan Pilsinger therefore wrote to the city – but the city sees no need for it.
The CSU is quite creative when it comes to the fight against cannabis. A cannabis club was to be set up in the municipality of Aschheim in the Munich district. In other words, a cultivation association in which consumers could supply themselves with grass through the new cannabis law. The CSU-led municipality wanted to prevent this – and therefore promptly built a small playground nearby.
Because: According to the law, cannabis clubs within 200 meters of playgrounds are taboo. This is intended to strengthen child and youth protection. The Christian Social Union seems to like the “playground trick” that some media have talked about. Munich MP Stephan Pilsinger is also putting forward the idea for the state capital.
CSU fears “cannabis excesses” – and therefore wants playgrounds
Specifically, Pilsinger is concerned with the pedestrian zone between Stachus and Marienplatz. According to the law, smoking weed is allowed there from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. At the same time, consumption is illegal in parts of the English Garden due to the playgrounds in the area. In a letter to Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD), Pilsinger points out this “absurdity” and continues with a view to the “busy” pedestrian zone: “It is to be feared that cannabis excesses could occur after 8 p.m. due to large gatherings of people.”
Playgrounds could help. “As mayor of the state capital Munich I ask you to look into this issue and consider creating children’s playgrounds near the pedestrian zone,” the letter says. “This could prevent the pedestrian zone from becoming a cannabis mile.” And it continues: “I appeal to you to campaign for an inviting pedestrian zone and against a stoner zone in the city center.”
![CSU politician Stephan Pilsinger in the German Bundestag](https://www.merkur.de/assets/images/34/304/34304428-csu-politiker-stephan-pilsinger-im-deutschen-bundestag-2xZB38Ho8MBG.jpg)
City of Munich against CSU playground plan: “no increased consumer behavior”
The city of Munich has not yet responded to the letter. Merkur.de A spokesman explains that no Cannabis excesses are known: “The state capital of Munich has no knowledge of increased consumer behavior in the pedestrian zone.” In addition, there are also “no large gatherings of consumers” in the pedestrian zone.
Accordingly, there is no need for playgrounds to avoid crowds. Decisions made by the legislature must be respected, they say. “The targeted construction of playgrounds with the actual purpose of creating further ‘protection zones’ to counter the liberalization of cannabis consumption would hardly do justice to this.”
Pilsinger is not surprised by the city’s response: “This confirms the very liberal course of the red-green Munich government to allow cannabis consumption in public,” he said in an interview with our editorial team. The city hall has no interest in further no-go zones. But they are necessary. “Munich must not become Berlin or Amsterdam in terms of smell,” says Pilsinger. “But at least in the center of Munich, this should at least be reviewed. The city could, for example, designate a small playground in the future when redesigning the Marienhof.” The city of Munich is currently planning twelve new children’s and youth playgrounds. However, none in the city center, as the Horticultural Planning Department emphasizes.
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