The Greens in Berlin drew attention to themselves with a controversial proposal: the party leader, Werner Graf, spoke out in favor of the legalization of harder drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines. Anyone caught with smaller amounts of these substances should no longer be investigated, according to the politician.
The German federal government plans to decriminalize marijuana, with a bill expected by the end of the year. Then it should be legal to buy cannabis as a stimulant in specialty stores. But Graf does not go far enough: according to him, harder intoxicants should also be legalized, he explained at the so-called Hanfparade in the German capital.
“The Right to Intoxicate in a City of Freedom”
“The right to drunkenness should be a matter of course in a city of freedom like Berlin, it works even without the mentality of a Bavarian village police,” said The Green. In some German federal states it is already customary for criminal proceedings to be stopped if someone is caught with a gram of cocaine or a little bit of ecstasy.
Sanctions for “wrong answer for harmless stoners”
When it comes to cannabis, he would like even more leniency: the police should not even start an investigation until a 15 gram find has been found. The “joint in the park” should no longer be prosecuted, nor should the weed be confiscated, because criminal law is the “wrong answer for harmless potheads,” Graf explained. “The criminalization of drug users is a relic of the last millennium and must stop.”
Anyone caught with cannabis in Berlin is currently under investigation. If the amount found is less than ten grams, the Public Prosecution Service will usually stop the investigation – usually to a quantity of 15 grams. That is why the police would “really work for the garbage can”, so the argument goes.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
