Dhe President of the Professional Association of Pediatricians, Thomas Fischbach, has warned of the traffic light coalition’s plans to release cannabis. “We as pediatricians would prefer it if cannabis legalization didn’t come,” he told the “Rheinische Post”. “But if the federal government finds a solution to the hurdles under European law, it will be necessary to improve the plans that have been submitted.”
Fischbach criticized, among other things, that there is still no solution in sight as to how the transfer of legally acquired cannabis to young people under 18 can be prevented. “With legalization, this would happen much more often, with dramatic consequences for the health of young people,” said the medical representative.
The federal cabinet had decided on the key points of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) for legalization on Wednesday. Cannabis and the active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) should therefore no longer be legally classified as narcotics in the future. The acquisition and possession of up to 30 grams of “pleasure cannabis” should go unpunished, private cultivation should be allowed to a limited extent and sale to adults in “licensed specialist shops” and possibly also pharmacies should be made possible. Lauterbach only wants to introduce a law if the plans stand up to an examination in Brussels under European and international law.
Fischbach warned that 18-year-olds could not buy cannabis without a THC upper limit. “Hopefully, the planned examination of such an upper limit would come to the conclusion that it needs to be graded according to age.” The human brain is not yet fully mature by the age of 25. “Regular cannabis use can cause irreparable brain damage in adolescents and young adults, including permanent impairment of intellectual capacity and social skills.” The protective measures for under 21-year-olds should be significantly stricter than for older adults.
