Would you like to smoke a joint with friends or alone? No problem for adults since the beginning of April. Only driving afterwards is problematic.
Munich – After a long period of back and forth, the possession and consumption of cannabis for adults will be permitted on April 1, 2024. However, there is still a lot of need for discussion even after legalization by the traffic light government, especially in the Free State. What is clear, however, is that cannabis has just as little place in traffic as alcohol. Anyone who gets behind the wheel while stoned will face hefty fines and driving bans.
Smoking weed is not the same as drinking: There is currently no legal limit for cannabis consumption while driving
Driving while stoned can result in up to 3,500 euros, plus a three-month driving ban including points and a medical-psychological examination (MPU). At least for repeat offenders. But even first-time offenders have to hand in their rags for a month and face a three-digit fine.
What exactly counts as “stoned” has been the subject of much debate in the past. According to industry experts at
bussgeldkatalog.org,
until 2004, any driver who was caught driving with the cannabis active ingredient THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in their blood, regardless of the level, had their driving license revoked. However, there is no legally established limit such as the 0.5 per mille mark for alcohol. Currently, case law is based on a controversial tolerance value of 1.0 nanograms of THC per milliliter in blood serum.
On the advice of a commission of experts, the traffic light coalition plans to raise the limit to 3.5 nanograms of THC per milliliter in the blood in the future. “If this value is reached, according to the current state of science, there is no possibility of a traffic safety-relevant effect when driving a motor vehicle,” says a statement from the Federal Ministry of Transport.
Fines of up to 3,500 euros: This applies to cannabis driving
Translated, this means: With the new regulation, driving at the new THC limit of 3.5 nanograms of cannabis is an administrative offense. This will then be punished as follows:
First offense: 500 euros fine, two points in Flensburg, driving ban for one month
Another violation: 1000 euros fine, two points in Flensburg, driving ban for three months
Repeated violation: 1,500 euros fine, two points in Flensburg, driving ban for three months including MPU
Mixed consumption with alcohol and cannabis: At least 1000 euros, points and driving ban. In the event of a repeat offense up to 3500 euros
Source: ADAC, bussgeldkatalog.org
According to the commission, 3.5 nanograms of THC is comparable to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2 per mille. However, until the new law comes into force, the old guideline of 1.0 nanograms of THC still applies - and, as some critics have noted, essentially a zero-tolerance limit.
First smoke weed, then drive? That's why the topic is so controversial among experts
On its homepage, the ADAC advocates completely refraining from driving if cannabis has been consumed, even in the event of a possible change in the law. The ADAC supports the #mehrrespect initiative, which has the slogan '
Don't drive high!'
Wants to raise awareness among road users about road safety.
Similar to alcohol, cannabis can severely limit your ability to concentrate and react. Hallucinations and anxiety disorders can also occur. But unlike alcohol, TCH does not break down linearly, as Matthias Graw, senior professor at the Institute for Forensic Medicine at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, explains to the ADAC.
In this respect, cannabis consumption is much more complex and the metabolism of the consumer is much more individual than with alcohol. In addition, the effect and degradation also depends heavily on whether cannabis is smoked or eaten. In the latter way, an effect usually only occurs after hours. The initiative therefore advises against driving a car, even if the initial effects have already worn off.
Traveling by train is a much safer alternative. But there are also a few things to consider.
(rku)