The Greens have always wanted it, and the FDP and SPD are also in favor.
The debate about legalizing cannabis is not new, but the Union has always resisted reforming drug policy.
Munich - Now the traffic light is approaching and with it the legalization of cannabis consumption among adults.
One reason is the fight against illegal trade, and tax revenues in the billions * await the federal government.
The fresh political wind for Germany could therefore bring with it a bewitching scent.
An overview of the effects of cannabis and possible health consequences.
How high is cannabis consumption in Germany?
According to the latest federal addiction report, consumption among young adults has been increasing for years despite the ban - while it is slightly declining for tobacco and alcohol.
Among the 18 to 25-year-olds, the proportion of those who stated that they had consumed cannabis at least once in the previous twelve months rose from 15.3 to 24.1 percent between 2015 and 2018/19.
For adults as a whole and for 12 to 17-year-olds, the increase was only slight - from 6.1 to 7.1 and 7.3 to 8.1 percent, respectively.
More and more young adults are using cannabis
What is the difference between cannabis, hemp, marijuana and hashish?
Cannabis is the Latin word for hemp.
The dried flowers of the female hemp plant are known as marijuana or weed.
It is precisely the resin that sits on the glandular hairs of the flowers and has an intoxicating effect.
Because it contains high concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids.
The collected or pressed resin from the plant is known as hashish.
How is cannabis consumed?
Most often cannabis is smoked as a joint or with pipes and special water pipes (bong).
In addition, cannabis can be vaporized with a vaporizer.
If it is added to food, "the effect occurs with a delay and is difficult to dose," explains Dr.
Tobias Rüther, board member of the German Addiction Society and addiction medicine at the LMU-Klinikum.
Is Cannabis Legal?
"No," emphasizes Martin Hubert, spokesman for the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) Bavaria.
“All activities related to consumption such as possession, cultivation, production, acquisition, trade and administration are punishable under the Narcotics Act.” The police must therefore also investigate small quantities because it is a criminal offense.
LKA: 28 228 consumption-related offenses with cannabis in 2020
What are the penalties?
That varies depending on the federal state, since the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that small amounts for occasional personal consumption should no longer be prosecuted.
In Bavaria, first-time offenders are currently not at risk of prosecution for quantities of up to three consumption units or six grams.
This also applies in the event of a recurrence, provided that the perpetrator did not become suspicious in the past year.
According to the LKA, there were 28 228 consumption-related offenses involving cannabis in Bavaria last year.
Daniela Ludwig (CSU), federal drug commissioner, has called for personal consumption up to six grams no longer to be classified as a criminal offense, but only as an administrative offense.
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This is how THC works.
© dpa-infographic
How does cannabis work?
"The THC in cannabis is absorbed through the blood in the brain and docks with the so-called endocannabinoid receptors," says Rüther.
The THC acts there on the reward center and triggers a feeling of wellbeing.
With side effects: "Cannabis also distorts the sensory perception and the sense of time." (See graphic)
Is cannabis addicting?
Purely physically - unlike alcohol - rarely.
However: "Cannabis has a high potential for psychological dependence," explains Rüther.
First and foremost, it is the longing for happiness: "In the evening I smoked pot and everything was fine, but in the morning the heartache is still there." Because of the psychological consequences, cannabis is "definitely not harmless," says Rüther.
“On the one hand, you forget how to make an effort in order to achieve something beautiful in the long term.” In extreme cases, consumers could no longer get up to anything.
"On the other hand, you can have acute side effects, for example a so-called bad trip," says the addiction expert.
This can lead to anxiety and confusion, or palpitations and dizziness.
How high is the risk of psychosis?
“The risk is not enormous, but it shouldn't be downplayed either,” says Rüther.
Here it depends on the disposition of the patient.
“Some people simply have a higher vulnerability due to personal framework conditions or genetic makeup and thus a higher risk of developing psychosis.” Cannabis could then cause psychosis in such people.
The problem: "You just don't know whether you have this disposition or not."
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Tobias Rüther, addiction expert at the LMU-Klinikum.
© Photo studio Sauter
Are cannabis strains getting stronger?
Yes, and that worries doctors and police.
Rüther observes that the active ingredient content has become much higher.
“One can also say: the joints were much weaker a generation ago.” Cannabis is sometimes also stretched, for example by spraying it with hairspray or adding glass or lead particles to make it heavier - which poses a health risk.
Synthetic cannabinoids are also sometimes added: "The effect is unpredictable and anxiety or psychotic episodes quickly develop." The LKA explicitly warns against cannabis prepared with synthetic cannabinoids.
This could lead to health damage and even death.
Is cannabis particularly dangerous for young people?
Yes, because it intervenes directly in the brain.
The brain grows until you are 23 years old.
The cells network in the process.
“This is exactly where the drug works.
The brain cannot catch up on this, ”says Rüther.
The consequences can be the permanent loss of concentration, ability to learn and motivation.
Is cannabis really a gateway drug for harder drugs?
According to Rüther, there is a statistical connection between cannabis and the later consumption of hard drugs.
"But you can't say that it leads directly to hard drugs."
Such are the cannabis rules in other countries
Switzerland: Switzerland has
an ambivalent relationship to cannabis.
Cannabis is still banned there, but the rules are contradictory: Possession of up to ten grams is no longer punishable, but consuming a joint is.
In Switzerland too, people are currently thinking about real legalization in order to dry up the black market and better protect young people, pilot projects are to be started.
Austria:
Cannabis is not legal.
Unlike in Germany, the consumption is not prosecuted, it is personal use.
According to Austrian law, it is defined in such a way that it can be a maximum of 20 grams of pure THC.
At one's own discretion, a health measure can also be prescribed, such as discussions with the addiction center.
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A farmer harvests cannabis with a specially developed harvesting machine, recorded with a drone.
The medicinal cannabis is grown here on an area of over 170 hectares.
© Jan Woitas / ZB / dpa
Portugal:
For 20 years now, the possession and consumption of soft and hard drugs, including ecstasy or heroin, has only been an administrative offense in Portugal and not a criminal offense.
Unless large quantities are involved, the criminal law regards it as dealing.
Netherlands:
In the Netherlands, possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis is no longer prosecuted, and neither is the cultivation of up to five plants.
The well-known coffee shops are allowed to sell to consumers, but not supply them in large quantities.
USA:
Marijuana is now legal in 19 states and the capital Washington.
Each state regulates what is exactly allowed differently.
At the federal level, it's also about money: In 2020, the House of Representatives passed a law that provides for the legalization of hemp products as well as a five percent federal tax and the rehabilitation of previously convicted criminals.
Czech Republic:
Every adult is allowed to have certain amounts of drugs for their own use, including heroin and LSD.
For marijuana, 15 grams is considered legal.
You can legally grow up to five cannabis plants in the Czech Republic.
However, dealing is illegal.
France:
Cultivation, trade and consumption are illegal - with sometimes severe penalties.
The Council for Economic Analysis, which reports directly to the Prime Minister, has advised legalization.
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