Saxony wants to postpone the planned controlled release of cannabis via the Bundesrat. To this end, a motion is to be submitted to the Health Committee on Wednesday, said Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) on Tuesday after an external cabinet meeting in Auerbach (Vogtlandkreis). "Cannabis is and remains a dangerous drug," she said. This is particularly true with regard to children and young people.
Therefore, the permitted quantity needs to be reconsidered, as does the distance to children's and youth facilities. A longer period of time is also needed to prepare for the planned partial legalization so that more advisory services can be set up. The time until April 1 is too short for this. In her opinion, the release should not take place this year, said Köpping. However, she supports the general goal of decriminalizing cannabis use.
In Saxony, fewer and fewer people are turning to cigarettes, but the use of cannabis has increased. In 2009, more than one in three men (36.5 percent) and almost one in four women (23.3 percent) aged between 18 and 59 smoked tobacco. By 2021, the proportion had fallen to 24.5 and 15.0 percent respectively, according to the state government's new drug and addiction report. It was presented on Tuesday. In the same period, the use of cannabis increased: for men from 4.7 to 9.5 percent, for women from 3.8 to 5.3 percent. Overall, almost 3 in 10 Saxons have tried cannabis at least once, and experts speak of problematic cannabis use in around 41,000 people. However, alcohol remains the number one addiction problem in the state.
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