Carmen Valero Berlin
Berlin
Updated Wednesday, March 27, 2024-00:07
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April is going to be busy on German roads. The authorities are preparing, even before the end of March, a massive speed control with radars. Although no one understands the logic of such an operation, since the
decriminalization of cannabis
will come into force
after Easter
, when everyone has returned home.
The law that partially decriminalizes the possession and consumption of cannabis, in force since April 1, comes
without the legislator having set a 'high' limit analogous to the alcohol level
. A German saying goes that "April, April der macht was er will" - "April does what she wants" - and that is what experts fear that many drivers will do, whether with two, three or four wheels, since decriminalization of cannabis, like the capricious rain of April, falls for everyone, whether by car, on foot or by bicycle.
The cannabis law has been very controversial. There have even been calls to the Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, not to sign it. But there it is, in the form of joy for some and as a harbinger of a nightmare for traffic.
Nobody knows how to act
, because in addition to the fact that there is no maximum limit for being able to grab the steering wheel,
there are no reliable tests
that show the police exactly the degree of a person's 'hang'.
"We have no plan to deal with this situation," warns the police, waiting for the Federal Ministry of Transport to respond to the question of
how many joints one can drive with
and how to control that limit. Only roadside assistance organizations and the German Road Safety Organization (DVW) seem to be clear: smoking weed and driving are as incompatible as alcohol and a car.
In a few days, cannabis
will be removed from the Narcotics Law
, where it is listed alongside heroin among other prohibited drugs subject to criminal provisions. By this rule, driving under the influence of cannabis is an administrative offense according to the Road Safety Law and a possible criminal offense according to article 316 of the regulation.
The scenario, however, changes. Any person over 18 years of age may be in
possession of 25 grams for personal consumption
, which may also be carried in public places. In terms of volume and weight, this is roughly comparable to two tablespoons of potting soil.
Consumers will be able to keep 50 grams of dried cannabis at home. Anything over this amount must be destroyed. You can grow
a maximum of three cannabis plants at home
(although, as the mini-plantation will not need to be declared, it will be very difficult to apply the rule). Harvesting is only allowed for personal consumption.
Insurance companies
have less confidence in consumers
. Whatever the Ministry of Transportation decides, they have already announced that anyone who causes an accident with the active ingredient of cannabis in the blood (THC)
risks losing coverage
. The civil liability insurance will pay the amount of the damages of the victim of the accident, but will appeal against the person who caused it. Comprehensive insurance may reduce benefits or even refuse to pay them altogether.