Hendrik Streeck, the Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues (CDU), is pushing for significant reforms to Germany’s cannabis legislation, stating that the existing law “must be addressed.” According to the CDU politician, approximately five million adults in Germany regularly consume cannabis. While cautioning against shifting entire groups between legal and illegal status, Streeck argues that current possession limits are too high and, crucially, have made life easier for drug dealers.
He added that the current law restricts police investigative powers, making their work more difficult. Although he confirms the need for legislative changes, Streeck acknowledged that completely eliminating the current partial legalization is unrealistic given the coalition partnership. Therefore, he stressed the need to find specific areas where the law could be tightened. Regarding the possibility of selling cannabis in pharmacies, Streeck mentioned that pilot projects could make this a possibility, though he noted this was his personal opinion due to internal disagreements within his own faction.
In contrast, Karl-Josef Laumann, the NRW Health Minister (CDU), expressed deep skepticism about the legalization of cannabis. He stated that he has never understood the policy, particularly because monitoring compliance with regulations-such as maintaining specific distances from certain facilities-is highly complex. Laumann questioned which local authorities would realistically be tasked with enforcing such rules.
