A generationIn a former hotel in Mettmann, investigators discovered an illegal cannabis plantation with hundreds of plants worth millions of dollars. As announced by the police, almost all rooms in this 300-square-meter building and the bowling alley in the basement have been converted into plantations. On Friday, officials arrested two men aged 31 and 20, and seized 1,500 plants.
The “stranger activities” that occurred in the original hotel a few days ago attracted the attention of the police. Finally, a search warrant was issued on Friday. In the building, the police met the two men, as far as is known, they do not live in Germany.
According to preliminary estimates by the National Criminal Investigation Office, the annual “street sales value” of the plantation may be as high as 2 million euros.
Doctor warns against legalization
The debate on the legalization of marijuana continues. Doctors recently warned again about the possible risks of legalizing cannabis. At the 125th German Doctors Conference held in Berlin on Wednesday, experts explained that the experience of other countries shows that consumption, the number of emergency departments, and the demand for psychiatric treatment continue to increase. After customs clearance, more suicides and fatal traffic accidents are expected.
On the other hand, the black market can only dry up to a limited extent, it continued. This can be seen by looking at Canada. Since 2018, adults have been able to buy marijuana in licensed stores. Despite this, consumers continue to meet about 35% of their needs through illegal sources. Especially young consumer groups are turning to cheaper black market products.
Criminal offenses should be changed
In another motion, the medical community requested that the possession of a small amount of narcotic drugs be reduced from a criminal offence to an administrative offence. Young people, first-time and occasional users should not be forced illegally, so reasoning. “Affected people should be given the opportunity to seek advice early and quickly seek treatment for addiction when necessary.”
The expert committee should make recommendations on the appropriate consultation and treatment chain as well as the appropriate sanctions list. In addition, the future federal government should develop a prevention plan for young people with the participation of responsible scientific associations and incorporate it into law.
However, dealing with large quantities of drugs that are beyond the scope of their own use and trafficking in and inciting children and young people to take drugs should continue to be prosecuted as criminal offences.
In addition, the German Medical Association calls on the federal government to establish a research plan on the possible indications, effects and side effects of cannabis medical use. Due to the insufficient research status, there is an urgent need to provide more safety guarantees when prescribing doctors and patients taking appropriate drugs.
