The President of the Bundesärztekammer (German Medical Association), Klaus Reinhardt, has expressed his hope that the proposed legalisation of cannabis in Germany does not come to force. In an interview with the Mediengruppe Bayern, he emphasised his belief that this legislative initiative is among the most unnecessary.
Critique of the legalisation proposal
Reinhardt did not mince words when expressing his disapproval of the cannabis legalisation proposal. He was deeming it as one of the most unnecessary legislative endeavours. He acknowledged reports suggesting that the reform might face resistance from SPD politicians.
Furthermore, he declared that he would be in favor of that result. Reinhardt asserts that there is merit to the worries expressed by lawmakers who are requesting that the idea be revised.
The draft legislation’s alleged inadequacies in addressing child and youth protection is one of the main causes of concern. He was critical of the suggested structure. Reinhardt claims that it is ineffective in ensuring the safety of minors. He also emphasized the possible harm that frequent cannabis use could have to people under the age of 23, whose brain development is still incomplete. According to Reinhardt, allowing cannabis usage starting at age 18, as suggested, is “absolutely irresponsible” in terms of medicine.
Attacking Karl Lauterbach, the Minister of Health
Reinhardt focused his criticism not only on the law that was being considered, but also on Karl Lauterbach, the Federal Minister of Health, and his communication tactics. Reinhardt acknowledged Lauterbach’s excellent intentions but had doubts about the minister’s capacity to successfully negotiate the complexity of political decision-making procedures.
He also commented on Lauterbach’s ambitious goal, implying that the minister could have taken on too much. Reinhardt emphasized that successful communication is essential to the outcome of difficult political decisions. He claims that Lauterbach hasn’t always shown that he can handle different levels of government and stakeholders with finesse.
The discourse surrounding legalization gains depth from Klaus Reinhardt’s views. All in all, he draws attention to the possible effects on young people while also criticizing Health Minister Karl Lauterbach’s communication approach. We’ll also watch to see if these worries affect Germany’s proposed legalization of cannabis as the talks go on.