German jails race to free cannabis offenders as drug is partially legalised

[Joolz]

German authorities were racing to release hundreds of cannabis convicts on Sunday ahead of the partial legalisation of the drug.

 

From April 1, citizens will be allowed to possess up to 25 grams of the drug in their homes as well as grow three cannabis plants.

 

Cannabis social clubs will be set up from June where marijuana can be sold to members, but the size of these institutions will be limited to 500 members.

The law will apply retroactively so anyone convicted of a cannabis possession offence could have their sentence voided.

 

State prosecutors in each of the country’s 16 regions have been manually evaluating thousands of cases to see which prisoners should be released ahead of the law coming into force.

In Hamburg, police released 55 prisoners and called off an active manhunt linked to cannabis dealing.

 

“These cases have top priority,” explained Hamburg prosecutors.

 

In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia alone 60,000 case files have been analysed, as part of more than 100,000 nationwide.

 

The partial legalisation almost fell at the final hurdle as conservative states tried to block it over the extra legal work involved, as well as questions about how much cannabis drivers will be allowed to have in their blood-stream.

But the rebellion led by the beer-swilling Bavarian first minister Markus Söder failed to gather enough force and the law passed through the upper chamber.

 

Mr Söder made it clear that the cannabis social clubs, which are not set to open until July, will be subject to frequent “restrictive” enforcement by state authorities and that weed-smokers “are better off out of Bavaria”.

 

Some 44 per cent of Germans disagree with the complex legalisation, with only 32 per cent in favour. Karl Lauterbach, the health minister, hailed the law as a “turnaround in drug policy.”

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/03/31/german-jails-race-to-free-cannabis-offenders/

[Military Grade]

Think how much money that has saved(including the manhunt), but think how much more could have been saved for not going after cannabis related Incidents(i won't say crimes) in the first place.

Edited March 31 by Military Grade

[Pepe Ramon]

Hoping for a domino effect and the rest of the EU to follow suit.

[latigid aikon]

19 minutes ago, Joolz said:

allowed to possess up to 25 grams of the drug in their homes

I heard it was 25g in public and 50g at home...?

[latigid aikon]

10 minutes ago, Military Grade said:

Think how much money that has saved

Weirdly the UK news is saying it will increase police workload

[Larry Badgeley]

12 minutes ago, Pepe Ramon said:

Hoping for a domino effect and the rest of the EU to follow suit.

France and especially the UK will have none of it.

[Pepe Ramon]

12 minutes ago, Larry Badgeley said:

France and especially the UK will have none of it.

 

The U.K. isn't in the EU, so they won't have say in the matter, although I agree about France, they'll be tough nut to crack but not impossible.

[Larry Badgeley]

27 minutes ago, Pepe Ramon said:

 

The U.K. isn't in the EU, so they won't have say in the matter, although I agree about France, they'll be tough nut to crack but not impossible.

Of course the UK isn't in the EU. I was merely pointing out that this backward country I live in, would rather see rape legalised before Cannabis