The new German government plans to legalize marijuana.

What is Cannabis (Marijuana):

Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa. It is used for brewing teas, as well as for several medical purposes. The main psychoactive(mind-altering) chemical in marijuana, responsible for most of the intoxicating effects that people seek, is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). When marijuana is smoked, THC and other chemicals in the plant pass from the lungs into the bloodstream, which rapidly carries them throughout the body to the brain. People may experience euphoria and anxiety simultaneously.  Marijuana also evokes fear, distrust, panic, irritability, mood and sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, cravings, restlessness, and/or various forms of physical discomfort that peak within the first week after quitting and last up to 2 weeks.

The new German government: 

After Angela Merkel’s 16 year long-serving, Germany was set to swear in a new Chancellor and cabinet. On Dec 7, the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and Free Democrats (FDP) formally signed a coalition agreement at a public ceremony in Berlin. In their coalition agreement, they made provisions for the legalization of marijuana. The parties stated that, “We are introducing the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for consumption purposes in licensed shops,”. This was one of the fringe issues that Angela Merkel’s party has blocked for years. If Germany does legalize recreational marijuana, it will become the first major European country to do so, after Canada and a few U.S. states Germany’s new policy will open a significant market for legal marijuana growers and dealers.

The current German law states that it is not illegal to consume cannabis, while buying it is prohibited. Markus Blume, the party secretary of the CSU, the only sister-party to Ms.Merkel’s C.D.U,  said in his proposal “It (Legalizing marijuana) makes a drug that is harmful to health into a lifestyle product”.

Reaction of German public on legalization of cannabis: 

The most important issue to discuss is clearly the German citizens’ reaction towards legalization. A recent survey by the Civey research institute has revealed that a similar proportion of the German population have a positive or negative opinion on this issue. 43% of the respondents indicated they view the new coalition’s plans to legalize weed as positive. Similarly, 43 percent of people disagreed to the plans, whilst the remaining 14 percent were undecided. In terms of the demographic of the voters, young people ranging from 18-29 were much more in favor of the legalization than older people. 

The potential impact of legalisation of cannabis

As young people were found to be supporting the legalization, it is essential for them to know how cannabis will affect their lifestyle. Research has shown that marijuana’s negative effects on attention, memory, and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. These effects depend on the individuals’ drug consumption pattern, such as the frequency or dose per intake. Consequently, marijuana consumption on a daily basis may reduce the smokers’ intellectual level significantly. Considerable evidence suggests that students who smoke marijuana have poorer educational outcomes than their nonsmoking peers. Several studies have even linked heavy marijuana use to lower-income, greater welfare dependence, unemployment, criminal behavior, and lower life satisfaction.

To conclude, German citizens are concerned with several mal-effects of marijuana. Thoroughly explained rules for cannabis usage must be modeled for safe consumption of marijuana.