Germany's cannabis legalisation sparks backlash over youth risks and policy failures

German ministers have sharply criticized the country's cannabis legalization, two years after the reform was introduced under the previous leftist government.

Health Minister Nina Warken described the policy as a "mistake," while Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said it had "completely backfired" and "creates nothing but danger."

Cannabis was partially legalized on April 1st, 2024, under the government of former chancellor Olaf Scholz. The law allows adults to obtain up to 25 grams per day through regulated cultivation associations and to grow up to three plants at home. However, the drug remains prohibited for minors and in areas near schools, kindergartens, and playgrounds.

The CDU-CSU alliance, now leading a governing coalition with the leftist SPD, was always strongly opposed to the move.

Researchers highlighted a decline in youth prevention and support services, warning that early intervention efforts aimed at discouraging cannabis use among young people are weakening. They also pointed to the increasing availability of cannabis products with high levels of THC, the drug's main psychoactive component.

"Early interventions designed to deter children and young people from using cannabis are in sharp decline," Warken said, stressing that ignoring the issue puts the health of younger generations at risk.