Traffic light cannabis plans are already lame: "Not a good time" - and some "unknowns"

Created: 12/30/2021, 6:13 PM

The traffic light government's plans to legalize cannabis have been delayed.

(Archive image) © Imago

The new traffic light government agreed to legalize cannabis.

However, the approval could be delayed: There are other priorities.

Berlin - The corona pandemic is likely to thwart the traffic lights when cannabis is released for the time being: In the coalition agreement, the coalition agreed on the legalization of the drug.

When it will be so far, however, is still unclear: At the moment there are other priorities, it is said.

A schedule is therefore not yet available either.

Most recently, an expert in an interview with

major problems in implementing the plans.

Traffic light plans delayed: no schedule for legalizing cannabis

According to the coalition agreement, the SPD, FDP and the Greens want to introduce “a“ controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for consumption in licensed shops ”.

This would "control the quality, prevent the transfer of contaminated substances and ensure the protection of minors".

However, cannabis approval is not expected within the coalition: Both the SPD domestic politician Sebastian Fiedler and the FDP health politician Andrew Ullmann indicated in the newspapers of the Funke media group that there are currently other priorities.

Federal Family Minister Anne Spiegel (Greens) emphasized, however, that the controlled release is important to all three coalition parties and that she is certain "that a good way will be found."

Traffic light and cannabis approval: “Not a good time” because of Corona

The decisive factor now is the question of implementation.

"There are good international examples that show that legalizing cannabis can be taken into account," said the Green politician.

Ullmann explained that there was still no schedule for implementation.

The fight against the pandemic has priority.

Fiedler made a similar statement, saying that it is currently “not a good time for a cannabis bill”.

According to the ideas of the FDP, cannabis should "primarily" be sold in pharmacies.

Ullmann believes that especially companies "that already sell cannabis for medical purposes" would be interested.

State price controls are not provided.

However, according to Ullmann's ideas, cannabis advertising should be "very severely restricted".

For the SPD security expert Fiedler, the award is "one of the open questions with many unknowns".

He warned that "the illegal markets will try to take advantage of three influencing factors: lower prices, easier access, harder substances".

For Fiedler, too, a controlled levy means “that the security authorities must continue to fight the illegal markets”.

CDU criticizes the traffic light's cannabis plans

Resistance to the plans of the traffic light government became apparent in the Federal Council.

The federal government is "going the wrong way", criticized Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl from the CDU.

The release will "bring no noticeable relief" for the police.

"To protect our children and young people, the police must still be active," he told the Funke newspapers.

In addition, during drug controls the police "must first check for all drugs and cannot exclude certain substances from the outset".