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German health minister's visit to Canada
Arguably the most popular person in the international cannabis scene right now, for better or worse, is German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. Minister Lauterbach made international headlines in October 2022 when he presented a plan to Germany’s federal cabinet and has served as a primary focus of international cannabis observers ever since.
Focus on legalization
For several months cannabis advocates watched Minister Lauterbach’s social media channels with a very close eye, and even some of his in-person appearances yielded speculation as to what it may mean for Germany’s legalization efforts. Now that Minister Lauterbach’s legalization plan is being circulated amongst lawmakers in Germany, the focus on him has lessened, however, it has not completely subsided.
Meeting with Canadian counterpart
That was on full display when Minister Lauterbach traveled days ago to Canada and met with Canada’s Minister for Mental Health and Addiction Dr. Bennett to discuss cannabis policy. What Minister Lauterbach witnessed with his own two eyes, legalization succeeding, was significant.
Impact of legalization in Canada
As Minister Lauterbach’s tweet points out, claims that cannabis consumption will spike post-legalization have not materialized in Canada, and it’s likely that any limited increase in reported use is more indicative of longtime consumers finally being willing to admit it to government data collectors.
Addressing misconceptions
A lot of anti-cannabis rhetoric is being tossed around these days in Germany as the legalization push continues, and one of my biggest pet peeves is cannabis opponents acting as if Canada didn’t legalize cannabis for adult use at the national level in 2018, and that there is not a significant amount of data available as a result. Unfortunately for those opponents, the reality we all live in speaks for itself.
Legalization works
Legalization works. It is working in Canada, and it will also work in Germany and wherever else lawmakers modernize their jurisdiction’s cannabis policies in a sensible way.
