BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - As with beer, industry representatives believe there should be a "purity law" for cannabis in the event of legalization. The industry association Cannabiswirtschaft presented proposals for this on Thursday. In a paper, special quality requirements are recommended, such as standards for quality assurance in production plants, specifications for packaging and storage or limit values for impurities, heavy metals or pesticides.

The proposals were developed in cooperation with experts from cultivation, laboratory and food control, said the association's vice president, Dirk Heitepriem: "Only with the highest and controlled quality can we successfully push back the illegal market and thus achieve the goals of the German government for the protection of health and young people." The proposals should help establish a "purity law" for cannabis as a stimulant, the statement added.

In their coalition agreement, the SPD, Greens and FDP had agreed to introduce "the controlled distribution of the drug to adults for consumption purposes in licensed stores." Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had presented the first concrete ideas for implementation in the fall, so-called key points. The next step is to present a draft bill by the end of March. However, due to possible legal concerns with the EU, it is still open what will become of the project./jr/DP/jha