BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has defended the planned controlled release of cannabis against widespread criticism shortly before the decisive vote in the Bundestag. "We can hope that we can end two thirds of the black market with this law," said the SPD politician on Deutschlandfunk radio on Tuesday. This would solve a major problem. If enough material is offered in cannabis clubs and self-cultivation in the future, the demand on the black market will collapse drastically. Parliament is expected to approve the coalition's legislative plans this Friday. The SPD parliamentary group and the federal states continued to raise concerns.

Lauterbach said that even opponents of the reform do not dispute that the current policy has failed. Younger people in particular were consuming more and more. "We are now leaving young people to the black market in a taboo zone." There are "toxic substances" with additives and dealers in dubious environments. It's not about finding new consumers. "It's the 18 to 25-year-olds who are using now that we want to allow to use more safely." The law will go through the Bundestag.

The lead committee, the Health Committee, is due to take a final look at the legislative plans this Wednesday. According to the bill, personal cultivation and possession of certain quantities will be permitted for adults from April 1. Clubs for joint non-commercial cultivation are to become possible on July 1. Numerous rules and regulations are planned. The plans have been widely criticized by medical associations, the judiciary and, among others, the interior ministers of the federal states and interior politicians from the SPD.

SPD MP Sebastian Fiedler told the online legal magazine "Legal Tribune Online" that organized crime could easily come to terms with the current slogan. "If in future anyone is allowed to walk the streets with up to 25 grams of cannabis without being asked about the origin of the substance, this is exactly the kind of distribution opportunity for dealers that they never even dared to dream of." As the "Tagesspiegel" reported, Fiedler and SPD interior politician Sebastian Hartmann also made their reservations clear in a letter to their parliamentary group colleagues and campaigned for a new attempt.

SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich made it clear before the parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday that everyone should have the opportunity to express their support and concerns. "In the end, however, the parliamentary group will come to a joint decision." He wanted the law to be understood as supporting health protection and decriminalizing young users so that they could get away from drug addiction.

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) warned against "window-dressing" when it comes to protecting young people in the "Welt" radio station (Tuesday). Anyone could imagine how long it would take for certain schools, if over 18-year-olds were allowed to have cannabis, "until the under 18-year-olds also get something from the over 18-year-olds."/sam/DP/mis