German Medical Association Urges Repeal Of Cannabis Law

The German Medical Association is calling on the next government to reverse partial cannabis legalization, reported ZdfHeute, according to translation.

“The legal regulations for the legalization of cannabis as a recreational substance must be completely revoked," the association wrote in a position paper related to the federal election, first reported by the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

This is not the first time the association has opposed cannabis reform. Several months before the law was implemented on April 1, Dr. Klaus Reinhardt, president of the German Medical Association slammed the proposed measure arguing that allowing cannabis use to individuals under the age of 23, whose brains are not fully developed, could potentially lead to unwanted consequences. He said at the time that allowing cannabis use at the age of 18 is “absolutely irresponsible” from a medical perspective.

The document also proposed a sugar tax and banning advertisements for health-damaging products targeting youth.

The Association is not the only one opposing the cannabis law, as Union parties (CDU/CSU) have previously expressed their opposition. In Sept. Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader, Friedrich Merz blamed cannabis for increased rates of criminal activity. He's vowed to reverse the cannabis law if his party wins next year’s federal elections.

According to recent polls, the CDU and CSU have a chance to win the upcoming federal election in February, writes Merkur. New Bundestag elections are scheduled for February 23.

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Youth Use And Criminal Activity

Official data on consumption trends after cannabis was partially legalized is not yet available. However, various studies have confirmed that youth cannabis use does not increase following legalization. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2021 found that after two or more year, recreational marijuana law adoption was associated with a decrease in marijuana use.

A more recent study (from Oct. 2024) from Florida Atlantic University reveals a significant drop in marijuana use among U.S. adolescents over the last decade. According to the research, which examined data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey spanning 2011 to 2021, the percentage of adolescents who reported current marijuana use dropped from 23.1% to 15.8%. First-time use among those under 13 also declined, signaling a promising trend despite the increasing legalization of marijuana for adult use nationwide.

As for criminal activities, Berlin's Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg recently argued that contrary to the objectives of the law, cannabis legalization actually made the fight against the black market and organized crime more difficult, wrote Zeit online, according to translation. The Baden-Württemberg Justice Minister Marion Gentges (CDU) and Berlin’s Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg submitted a request at the Justice Ministers’ Conference to revise the law.

The main concerns of the law include troubles in the effort to deal with the illegal market and organized criminal activities, especially in the commercial trade of cannabis products. With cannabis not being considered a narcotic anymore, telephone surveillance and online searches of its usual extent have been disabled. This means that not all the evidence is allowed to be used in criminal proceedings.

The Conference of Justice Ministers on Thursday approved this proposal to revise the cannabis law. The Federal Ministry of Justice is expected to examine the proposal.

Meanwhile, Green Party legislator Vasili Franco acquired information from Berlin's health administration that shows that the number of registered offenses connected to cannabis has notably decreased in the city, writes Spiegel.

There were 81 administrative offenses recorded, such as violation in designated consumption-free zones. This compares to 5,315 offenses in the same period in 2023.

“The cannabis law is already showing its first successes after just a few months, contrary to all fearmongering,” said Franco. “Decriminalization should ensure that cannabis users are no longer unnecessarily prosecuted, criminalized, or stigmatized.” Nearly 80% of cannabis-related offenses had previously been consumption-related. “These will completely disappear over time, easing the burden on police and the judiciary.”

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