Social environment - After a month, the discharge of cannabis is drawing criticism.
For the past four weeks, cannabis has been legal for adults in Germany. However, the German Police Union in Hesse (GdP) claims that this new law has significantly increased their workload. Jens Mohrherr, GdP state chairman, told the German Press Agency that the states were unprepared for this change, and Hesse is no exception.
As of April 1st, adults can possess and consume cannabis in certain circumstances. The limit for public places is 25 grams of dried cannabis, while 50 grams is allowed in private areas. Consuming cannabis around schools, daycare centers, playgrounds, and public sports facilities within a 100-meter radius is prohibited. It's also illegal to smoke weed in pedestrian zones between 7 am and 8 pm.
The main issue with the law is its immaturity. It was hastily implemented without proper regulations or instructions for local authorities. For instance, there's no legal basis for the police regarding cannabis consumption in road traffic. There's still no set limit value for THC, the cannabis active ingredient, that would correspond to the 0.5 per mille mark for alcohol. The common 1-nanogram detection limit is still in place.
Mohrherr also mentioned the lack of clarity about the social distancing requirement at schools and kindergartens, making it difficult to enforce the rules without clear guidelines. This has resulted in permanent patrols to maintain order.
Currently, it's impossible to quantify the additional workload. The Hessian State Office of Criminal Investigation stated that the responsibility for implementation and intensification of controls lies with the respective police headquarters. The deployment of resources due to the new law isn't being recorded statistically yet. There's also no information about specific situations related to the decriminalization of cannabis. The office is working on developing query parameters to evaluate and assess violations in the future.
Mohrherr criticized the federal government for passing the law without proper assistance to the federal states. "This is incredible and totally senseless," he said. He compared it to Bavaria's approach, who had already introduced a catalog of fines, such as 1000 euros for cannabis consumption in the presence of children. Bavaria has also banned smoking weed at public festivals like Oktoberfest and in beer gardens to limit cannabis consumption.
The Hessian Ministry of the Interior aims to implement the cannabis law as restrictively as possible. A catalog of fines is being prepared, and the possibility of establishing cannabis prohibition zones at major events, like festivals, is being considered.
The practical implementation of these new rules on smoking pot poses challenges for event organizers, as many public festivals attract children and young people during the day, prohibiting cannabis consumption in their presence. At the Hessentag in Fritzlar from May 24 to June 2 and the Museumsuferfest in Frankfurt from August 23 to 25, it's still unclear how these situations will be handled. Both organizers and relevant authorities are discussing legal compliant regulations for these events.
The police union believes that it's impossible to control cannabis consumption at major events like these. "It's just not doable," said Mohrherr.
Paraphrased text:The recent legalization of cannabis for adults in Germany has brought about a significant increase in workload for police in Hesse, as the region wasn't prepared for the change. GdP state chairman Jens Mohrherr shared this viewpoint with the German Press Agency.
Cannabis possession and consumption have been legal under specific conditions since April 1st. In public places, up to 25 grams of dried cannabis is exempt from punishments. In private areas, the limit is 50 grams. However, cannabis consumption is prohibited near schools, daycare centers, playgrounds, and public sports facilities within a 100-meter radius. Smoking weed in pedestrian zones between 7 am and 8 pm is also prohibited.
The issue is the immaturity of the law, which was implemented hastily without appropriate regulations or instructions for local authorities. For example, there are no guidelines on how much cannabis consumption is legally allowed in road traffic.
A limit value like the 0.5 per mille alcohol limit doesn't exist for the cannabis active ingredient THC yet. The low 1-nanogram detection limit, which equates to the mere presence of the substance, is still in place. A commission from the Ministry of Transport recently suggested a limit of 3.5 nanograms. This would mean that an effect relevant to road safety when driving a motor vehicle is not remote. This is equal to 0.2 per mille alcohol.
Mohrherr highlighted a lack of clarity regarding how the social distancing rule will be enforced at schools, kindergartens, and other public spaces. This has led to constant patrols to maintain order.
There's no way to calculate the additional workload precisely. The Hessian State Office of Criminal Investigation stated that the responsibility for the implementation and intensification of controls lies with the police headquarters. There are no recorded statistics on the resource deployment concerning this new law. The office is currently developing query parameters to evaluate and assess any violations in the future.
According to Mohrherr, the federal government displayed poor decision-making in passing the law without providing proper support to the states. He compared it to Bavaria's approach, who has already imposed a catalog of fines for cannabis consumption, such as a 1000 euro fine for consuming cannabis in the presence of children. Bavaria has also banned smoking weed at public festivals like Oktoberfest and in beer gardens to limit cannabis consumption.
The Hessian Ministry of the Interior plans to enforce the cannabis law as strictly as possible. They are creating a catalog of fines and considering the establishment of cannabis prohibition zones at major events.
The practical application of the new rules on smoking pot presents challenges for event organizers, as many public festivals attract children and young people during the day. It's unclear how the Hessentag in Fritzlar from May 24 to June 2 and the Museumsuferfest in Frankfurt from August 23 to 25 will handle these situations. Organizers and relevant authorities are discussing legal-compliant regulations for these events.
Mohrherr believes that controlling cannabis consumption at major events is unfeasible. "It's simply not achievable."
The Interior Ministry highlights that consuming cannabis in front of minors is an administrative offense. This offense can be reported to the authorities and may lead to a significant fine. The spokesperson went on to say that negligent violations are not allowed either and result in penalties. As such, those who are uncertain about the presence of minors while consuming cannabis should refrain from doing so. At public events such as festivals, it's commonly known that children are around until a certain time, and therefore cannabis is not permitted in most instances.
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Source: www.stern.de
