According to Holger Münch, president of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the partial legalization of cannabis in Germany has not resulted in any reduction of the workload for the police. Speaking to the dts news agency on Monday, Münch stated that there is a substantial amount of additional effort required in detail. He noted that cases in the past were handled with “very little effort” but now the police are dealing with numerous control questions. For instance, when cannabis is discovered, officers often have to measure it precisely with a fine-scale balance. Officers from the federal states echoed this sentiment, reporting no easing of the burden in this area.
Münch added that any potential reductions from other areas would be negated by increased activity elsewhere. “We actually need to do more in the field of drug-related crime” he argued, pointing out that organized crime profits greatly from the drug trade, “and they still do so with cannabis”.
Meanwhile, Andy Grote, chairman of the IMK, pointed out that criminal offenses go beyond consumption, including those related to trade, which remain illegal. He emphasized that the demand for cannabis cannot be met solely through legal cultivation. This suggests that the black market is “very active”. While it’s debatable whether the market has greatly expanded, Grote stated that it has certainly not diminished, and this concern is occupying a significant amount of attention.
Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), reiterated his opposition to legalizing cannabis. Speaking to the dts news agency on Monday, he called the law “endangering for young people and promoting criminality”. He was emphatic in stating, “There can be no talk of a reduction in police workload whatsoever”. Dobrindt asserted that “all reports from the criminal police office and customs show that seizures and finds are significantly increasing and multiplying, which can only lead to the conclusion that the problem in Germany is getting bigger, not smaller”.
Although the law fails in every way to achieve what was falsely promised, the minister indicated that there will likely not be an immediate push to reverse the legislation from his department. He reminded the public that there was no such agreement in the coalition contract. Nevertheless, the CSU politician committed to continuing to make his stance clear and will be supported by his statements accompanying any ongoing research projects on the matter.
