Germany's Bad Idea to Legalize Pot

The idea of legalizing cannabis is gaining momentum in Germany. It's getting surprising support from parts of the political spectrum that have historically been hostile to the idea. Yet the measure, if adopted, could make it harder for Germans to get marijuana.

Green Party member Dieter Janecek and Christian Democrat Joachim Pfeiffer filed a policy proposal for legalization last week. The Green Party has long backed the liberalization of recreational marijuana, but Pfeiffer's involvement gives substance to the proposal: He is the economic spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, which has long taken a hard line on drugs. Separately, the FDP, the liberal party that served as the Christian Democrats' junior coalition partner in the previous government but failed to get into parliament in the 2013 election, supports full legalization. And late last year, Thomas Isenberg, health spokesman for Merkel's coalition partners, the Social Democrats, also made a surprise call for controlled legalization, allowing sales in...

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URL: 
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-05-20/germany-s-bad-idea-to-legalize-pot