German Medical Chief Blasts Cannabis Legalization, Says Allowing Weed At Age 18 Is 'Absolutely Irresponsible'

Dr. Klaus Reinhardt, the president of the Bundesärztekammer (German Medical Association), is against marijuana legalization in the country. Reinhardt recently said he hopes the proposed cannabis reform won't be enacted as it is among the most unnecessary proposals, writes Cannabiz EU, citing an interview with the Mediengruppe Bayern,

His comments come on the heels of German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach expressing optimism that cannabis legalization will be approved by the Bundestag in February and become law in April, despite the opposition that came from some members of the ruling Social Democrat Party (SPD). 

Reinhardt believes that some of the concerns brought up by the politicians have a firm ground. More specifically, he slammed the proposed measure saying it fails to protect the well-being of minors. Reinhardt also argued that allowing marijuana use to individuals under the age of 23, whose brains are not fully developed, could potentially lead to some negative consequences. 

What's more, he said that allowing cannabis use at the age of 18 is "absolutely irresponsible" from a medical point of view. 

See Also: Medical Marijuana Improves Chronic Depression Symptoms, New Clinical Study By German Psychiatric Hospital Shows

The president of the German Medical Association went on to criticize the communication of Lauterbach. 

“Karl Lauterbach has taken on a lot, perhaps a bit too much,” said Reinhardt, according to the translation. “I assume he has good intentions, but often the success of such complex political decision-making processes depends heavily on individual communication – and in this regard, the minister has not always been fortunate in dealing with different levels.”

Lauterbach previously responded to some of the concerns raised by politicians. “We do not want cannabis smoked in front of schools or daycare centers, and for this we have defined a distance of 100 meters as a prohibition zone. I see that as a reasonable decision,” he told the outlet. 

The Bundestag is yet to review and decide on the proposed cannabis legalization initiative. If it approves the measure, and everything goes according to the plan, cannabis will no longer be considered a narcotic in Germany starting April 1st. This means that the number of medical marijuana patients will likely increase rapidly, as it will be possible to prescribe it as regular Rx medication.

See Also: This European Country Is Expected To Have Millions Of Medical Marijuana Patients, Say Experts

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Photo Via El Planteo.