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Finance Minister Lindner: “Bubatz will soon be legal”

Photo: Political Moments / IMAGO

The federal government's planned cannabis legalization can come into force as planned on April 1st. In a vote in the state chamber, there was no majority for a mediation committee suggested by Saxony, which could have slowed down the project in the Bundesrat.

“The fight was worth it, legalization of cannabis is coming on Easter Monday,” said

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)

on X afterwards. At the same time, Lauterbach appealed to consumers to “use the new option responsibly.” “Hopefully this is the beginning of the end for the black market today,” says Lauterbach.

Saxon state government divided over legalization

Legalization has been controversially discussed for weeks, and the vote in the Federal Council was also preceded by an intensive debate.

Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU)

said the law could not be about party politics. This question is so central and so personal "that it was clear to me that I would not agree to the legalization of drugs under any circumstances, even if it caused trouble in my Saxon coalition." Deputy Prime Minister Martin Dulig (SPD) spoke up about it the plenary session against calling the Mediation Committee. Saxony then voted inconsistently in the vote and the vote was therefore declared invalid.

The

police union (GdP)

expects difficulties and an additional burden for the police after the approval of the cannabis law by the Federal Council. “The states have missed the opportunity to exercise political common sense in the face of many open questions,” complained the deputy federal chairman of the GdP, Alexander Poitz.

  • It should generally be legal for adults aged 18 and over to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal consumption.

  • Three live cannabis plants should be allowed in your own apartment 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 - specifically within 100 meters of the entrance as the crow flies.

Before it comes into force on April 1st, the law only needs to be officially announced after Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has signed it. These steps are a formality.

Representatives of the federal government, on the other hand, were relieved about the vote in the state chamber. “Soo, Bubatz will soon be legal,” wrote

Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP)

on X. “This is a good week for our country,” also wrote

Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP)

on X.

»Germany is ending its failed repressive cannabis policy.«

Left-wing MP Ates Gürpinar

also commented positively

on

However, further criticism came particularly from the federal states led by the CDU and CSU. With the cannabis law, Germany is harming itself and endangering the health of the population," wrote

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU)

. The decision was a “fatal mistake” and Germany was on the “wrong path,” said Söder.

SPD member of

the Bundestag Sebastian Fiedler also expressed criticism

. “It is a tragedy that the majority of the Federal Council ignores the cross-party warnings and decisions of its own committees,” said the domestic politician to the “Rheinische Post”. “This has alienated the practices of the police and judiciary,” said Fiedler. “We will often be reminded of this black day in German drug policy later on.”

fek/dpa