AFTER a heated debate, Germany is expected to legalize cannabis today, reports Guardian.

Germany will be the fourth European country to legalize cannabis for personal use. Under the new law, cannabis will be removed from the list of prohibited substances, and adults will be allowed to possess up to 25 grams.

Around seven million people in Germany use cannabis

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said he expects the new law to push dealers out of the market. It is estimated that around seven million people in Germany use cannabis. The government said that many citizens use cannabis for medical reasons and that the new law will improve the quality of cannabis, which is being used by an increasing number of young people.

“The purpose of this law is to protect children and young people,” said Lauterbach. “In the last decade, more and more children and young people have been using drugs.”

Doctors who oppose the new law warn that it will endanger the health of young people because the drug will be more accessible, which will increase the risk of addiction.

The three-party coalition of the Social Democrats, the Greens and the liberal FDP, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, agreed on the reform in November. If they adopt the new law today, from April 1 adults will be allowed to grow up to three plants, and three months after that it will also be permitted to register non-profit clubs for growing and distributing the plant.

Cannabis use for those under 18 will still be prohibited, while those aged 18 to 21 will be able to buy up to 30 grams of cannabis containing a maximum of 10% THC.

Not everyone agrees with the new law, including the police

Some German federal states do not agree with the new law, for example Bavaria, where the Christian Social Union is in power. Some Social Democrats have also warned about the spread of drugs in schools and kindergartens. The minister responded that the law will ban smoking marijuana within 100 meters of educational institutions.

The police said they would have problems implementing the rules, to which Lauterbach replied that controlling the black market is also difficult.

Tino Sorge, spokesperson for the conservative Christian Democrats, claims that the new law is “the wrong signal at the wrong time.” “If we suggest that you can smoke weed instead of starting an apprenticeship or finding a job, we are sending a completely wrong signal to our society and acting as a dealer for the state. The government is playing with the health of young people,” he said.

Cannabis was recently legalized by Malta and Luxembourg, and it has long been legal in the Netherlands.

Source: index.hr