BERLIN: Smoking weed will soon be legal for over-18s in Germany, but addiction experts are calling for more prevention efforts to ensure young people are protected from the dangers of cannabis use.

Under one of the most liberal drug laws in Europe, adults in Germany will from April 1 be allowed to carry up to 25 grams of dried cannabis on them and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at home.

“From our point of view, the law as it is written is a disaster,” Katja Seidel, a therapist at a drug addiction centre in Berlin, said. “Access to the product will be easier, its image will change and become more normalised, especially among young people,” Seidel said, adding that she expects to see an increase in cannabis use “at least initially”.

The government says decriminalising weed will hit the black market and reduce the spread of contaminated cannabis. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, a physician himself, acknowledges cannabis can be “dangerous” especially for people under the age of 25 whose brains are still developing.

Medical experts say cannabis use among young people can affect the development of the central nervous system, leading to an increased risk of developing psychosis and schizophrenia.

Lauterbach has promised a major campaign to educate youngsters about the health risks and boost prevention programmes, but it remains unclear how much money the government plans to spend and how effective it will be. The new legislation has some safeguards to protect young people, including a ban on smoking cannabis within 100 metres (328 feet) of a school, kindergarten, playground or sports centre.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2024