If Germany legalizes marijuana by circumventing the current regulations of the European Union, it could pose a serious threat to Hungary as well. It is feared that Germany will put significant pressure on the other EU member states for legalization, as it did in the past in the case of immigration, LGBTQ and war sanctions.
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced on Wednesday that their government proposed the so-called controlled legalization (MTI) of the cultivation and consumption of marijuana. According to the draft, possession (up to 25 grams) and cultivation of cannabis will be legal, up to three hemp plants per person. The so-called cannabis clubs can sell a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis to their members at a time, and a total of 50 grams per month.
The proposal has been approved by the German government, but the finalization, i.e. the approval of the Bundestag, will have to wait until September.
In order to prevent disputes, the draft was sent to the relevant authorities of the union. Caution is also justified, as there are many obstacles to acceptance, although we can assume that Germany falls under a different classification in the case of evasion of EU legislation than, say, our country or Poland.
Photo: Pixabay
According to experts, German aspirations are incompatible with both international conventions and EU rules.
According to the uniform regulations of the Union, the plant can only be consumed for health purposes, in case of certain diseases. Consumer consumption is therefore fundamentally prohibited and punishable. It is no coincidence that neighboring France, which also has significant influence in the EU, does not support the legalization of marijuana either. The French severely punish consumption and trade, and their regulations are one of the strictest in the region.
There are no plans to change this: French President Macron has repeatedly indicated that there is no question of loosening the rules that help curb the drug trade in any form.
With legalization, the German government aimed to suppress the black market, relieve the judicial system and strengthen child, youth and health protection. The consumption of cannabis is still strictly prohibited for those under the age of 18, and limited legal for those between the ages of 18 and 21, explained Lauterbach. However, they are not without experience when looking around the world.
At the time, Canada also came up with the same rationale, but the experiment was demonstrably unsuccessful there.
The drug has run wild on the streets, organized crime is flourishing, because instead of legal "coffee shops", consumers buy stronger and cheaper drugs from dealers.
About 15 percent of long-term users will become addicted to marijuana, and not just psychologically, but physically as well, as with any other drug. Legalization also raises serious child protection issues. During adolescence – when the brain is still developing – frequent and persistent cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of later developing psychosis. The developing brain may be more sensitive to the negative effects of cannabis. Improper functioning and damage to the circulatory system have the same harmful effect. Cannabis consumption is associated with an increase in heart rate, which in the case of young people can lead to the development of cardiac arrhythmias. Furthermore, it can lead to the development of arteriosclerosis and various stenoses, i.e. narrowing of blood vessels throughout the body, including in the brain. In addition, it has been shown that THC increases blood clotting, because it can lead to the aggregation, or clumping, of blood platelets and thus the formation of blood clots. These harmful processes and diseases caused by cannabis are one by one among the increased risk factors of ischemic stroke.
Photo: Pixabay
However, we can state that if the proposal becomes a law, Hungary will be in a more difficult situation, due to the Schengen rules and the German role in tourism, than in the case of the Ukrainian law.
Author: Kristóf Téglásy, strategic director of the Drug Research Institute
Source: hirado.hu
Cover image: Pixabay
