As of: February 22, 2024, 9:37 a.m
By: Andreas Schmid
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There are still concerns about the cannabis law within the SPD.
IPPEN.MEDIA has letters from both camps.
Does Lauterbach's plan wobble in the last few meters?
The minister is calm.
The cannabis law is expected to be passed in the Bundestag this week.
The Health Committee will approve the law on Wednesday (February 21st) before it is expected to reach the plenary session on Friday afternoon.
This is what was reported to members of the Bundestag on Tuesday according to Ippen's information.
This seems to have resolved the last disagreements regarding the cannabis plans.
But not all traffic light politicians are convinced.
Cannabis criticism from SPD domestic politicians: “Don’t hit the wall with your head”
On Monday, February 19th, the SPD members of the Bundestag Sebastian Fiedler and Sebastian Hartmann sent a letter to their party colleagues.
In it they refer to the “unrest in the group”.
Fiedler and Hartmann are the two biggest critics of Karl Lauterbach's cannabis plans within the traffic light.
They repeatedly publicly stated that they would not vote for the law.
In the seven-page letter, which is available to our editorial team, the two domestic politicians write: “Important goals of a modern drug policy, such as the fight against organized crime, the relief of the regulatory, police and judicial authorities or the improvement of youth protection, are not being achieved .”
For example, Fiedler and Hartmann criticize the fact that in the future up to 25 grams of cannabis can be carried without penalty: “This significantly favors small-time dealers.”
They also fear “negative consequences for road safety.” In conclusion, the critics write: “We can't beat our heads here.
With this draft law, we have already left the original goals of the coalition agreement far behind us.” The coalition agreement actually says:
We are introducing the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes in licensed stores.
Coalition agreement page 68
The traffic light has now said goodbye to these specialist shops.
She is planning a “two-pillar model”.
The current debate surrounding the upcoming vote is about Pillar 1. It includes the decriminalization of cannabis, i.e. the removal from the list of banned substances in the Narcotics Act.
It can also be grown at home and in so-called social clubs.
There will be no nationwide supply in shops or pharmacies for the time being.
There is still no draft law for the corresponding Pillar 2.
This is also why Fiedler and Hartmann write: “In view of the fundamental points of criticism, we reject the proposed law.”
SPD politicians want “paradigm change in cannabis policy”
With this view, however, the two are in the minority within the traffic light.
The FDP and the Greens have long since agreed to support the law.
The majority of the SPD, for example the Jusos who are pro-legalization, are in favor of the cannabis law.
That is why the passage of the cannabis law is considered safe.
The traffic light has a majority of 49 votes and, if necessary, several members of the left would probably be in favor of it.
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Nevertheless, the ailing traffic light coalition wants the clearest, most uniform result possible.
Apparently they are not sure about this in the SPD.
The supporters of the law also sent a letter to the parliamentary group on Monday.
“Dear comrades,” begins a letter from parliamentary group deputy Dagmar Schmidt and the health policy spokeswoman, Heike Baehrens.
In it, the MPs are calling for support of the law.
This letter is also available to IPPEN.MEDIA.
Schmidt and Behrens advocate a “paradigm change in cannabis policy” and say: “Protecting the health of everyone, but especially the protection of children and young people, is the central goal of the law and has the highest priority in implementation.
With the law we want to curb the black market, end the criminalization of users with all the negative consequences for them, control the quality of cannabis and prevent the distribution of contaminated substances." Finally it says: "We look forward to constructive consultations."
Lauterbach promotes cannabis law
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach also publicly promoted the planned cannabis law again on Tuesday.
“We can hope that with this law we can end two-thirds of the black market,” said the SPD politician on
Deutschlandfunk
.
This solves a big problem.
If enough material is offered in cannabis clubs and self-cultivation in the future, demand on the black market will drop dramatically.
“Who wants to buy toxic substances with additives on the black market and deal with a drug dealer in shady environments?”
Confident about the cannabis law: Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Lauterbach also addressed criticism of child protection.
He said that even among opponents of the reform it was not controversial that the current policy had failed.
Younger people in particular are consuming more at the moment.
“We are now leaving young people to the black market in a taboo zone.” It’s not about finding new consumers.
“We simply want to let the 18 to 25 year olds who are now consuming consume more safely.” Lauterbach said the law would go through the Bundestag.