(de-news.net) – The German Judges’ Association (DRB) is advocating for an amendment to the cannabis law by the incoming federal government following the election. Sven Rebehn, the DRB’s federal managing director, highlighted that the law is replete with contradictions and ambiguities, rendering it a bureaucratic encumbrance that imposes unnecessary burdens on authorities and courts. Furthermore, the new regulation exacerbates black market demand for cannabis, with quantities designated for casual use being excessively large.

Rebehn underscored that while concomitant criminal activities flourish and drug gangs increasingly resort to violence, the law impedes law enforcement efforts. The DRB contended that even the trafficking of hundreds of kilograms of cannabis products is no longer prosecutable. Investigators encounter significant challenges as the statutory limitations for prosecutable trade with larger quantities of cannabis now lapse after five years, thus advantaging drug criminals who transgress the law.

The preceding coalition government, comprising the SPD, Greens, and FDP, had decriminalized cannabis consumption and legalized its cultivation under stringent regulations. The government deemed the preceding drug policy on cannabis consumption ineffective. The coalition augmented the budget for prevention projects aimed at bolstering child and youth protection. Nevertheless, the new law remains a contentious issue, with the Union parties declaring in their “immediate program” an intention to rescind cannabis legalization.