Germany’s health minister says he remains confident that a bill to legalize marijuana will pass the national parliament next month and get implemented this spring, despite reports that support is fragmenting among lawmakers.
“I continue to assume that the cannabis law will be passed in the Bundestag in the week from February 19th to 23rd and can then apply from April 1st,” Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said, according to a translation.
He added that increased THC potency in unregulated products necessitates the reform, stating the illicit market “must therefore be dried up.”
“The controlled distribution of cannabis is the right way to achieve this, combined with special protection for children and young people,” Lauterbach said.
Hier im https://t.co/Y7VAvBvL3R Gespräch der aktuelle Stand zur Cannabis Legalisierung. https://t.co/icyNXeWJkt
— Prof. Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) January 18, 2024
The comments come amid rising doubts about the prospects of advancing the government’s legalization proposal, as certain legislators and state officials voice concerns about provisions such as the enforceability of zoning restrictions for cannabis businesses.
Lauterbach conceded that not every violation can be punished but said “that’s the case with every law,” adding that “we already have a considerable amount of control work to do with the black market,” Welt am Sonntag reported.
Kristine Lütke of the Free Democratic Party, which…
