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Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)

Photo: dts news agency / IMAGO

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has warned against delaying the planned legalization of cannabis in the Federal Council on April 1st.

“Every country co-governed by the SPD and the Greens must know that the cannabis law will die next Friday if you call the mediation committee,” wrote the SPD politician on Saturday on the X platform (formerly Twitter).

"The Union countries would thank you and use all the procedural tricks to bury the law in the mediation committee."

He referred to a statement by Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU): He also wrote on

The law is on the Bundesrat’s agenda for March 22nd.

It does not require approval, but the state chamber could call the mediation committee with the Bundestag and slow down the process.

Legalization is intended to relieve the burden on courts

Concerns have been raised by the federal states, among other things, about a planned amnesty for old cases that would no longer be punishable under the new law and would have to be examined individually.

Lauterbach countered that cannabis legalization would eliminate tens of thousands of consumer offenses every year and that the burden on the courts would be relieved.

»When introduced, amnesty is a burden.

But postponing doesn’t help, the work stays the same.”

Imprisonment sentences or fines that have already been imposed for cannabis offenses that will no longer be punishable under the law in the future should be waived when it comes into force or recorded convictions should be deleted from the Federal Central Register.

It is expected that thousands of complex cases will have to be checked individually - the Federal Ministry of Health estimates the number nationwide to be a maximum of 7,500, while the federal states are assuming much higher numbers.

They fear that the judiciary will be overwhelmed if it has to do this in a short space of time in addition to its actual work.

According to the plans of the traffic light coalition, the drug cannabis is to be legalized for adults on a limited basis on April 1st.

In principle, possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal consumption should be permitted.

Three live cannabis plants should become legal in your own home and up to 50 grams of cannabis for personal consumption.

Smoking weed in public spaces should be banned, among other things, in schools, sports facilities and within sight of them - within 100 meters as the crow flies of the entrance area.

jpa/dpa