Germany: police union in favor of cannabis legalization

The head of the German police union Bund Deutscher Kriminalbeamter (BDK) announced his group's support for «complete decriminalization of cannabis consumers» and the creation of a regulated cannabis market.

Confident to the German daily Bild, Andre Schulz, head of the BDK, criticized current prohibition, saying it had created a system that stigmatizes consumers and allows criminal careers to flourish.

«Cannabis prohibition created the biggest problems first,» he says, including fueling more serious crime and stigmatizing casual users.

«Cannabis prohibition was, seen historically, arbitrary» says Schulz, and was «neither intelligent nor effective».

Germany legalized the use of medical cannabis in March 2017, while emphasizing that it was not ready to do so for recreational purposes.

Andre Schulz emphasized that there are better policies on drug use than outright bans and restrictions. These include better education about responsible drug use, more resources to help users and dependent users, and better programs to protect children and young people.

Schulz added that any reform of cannabis laws must, however, be accompanied by a persistent ban on driving while under the influence of cannabis.

The spokesman for the German Health Minister, Hermann Gröhe, was quick to say that there was no intention today of changing the current law. Ongoing studies on cannabis use still show «significantly negative health effects», particularly among young people, according to the spokesman.

Possession of small quantities of cannabis in Germany, 10 to 15 grams depending on the Länder, does not generally lead to prosecution.