Germany: Federal Commissioner for Addiction Streeck calls for swift corrections to the Consumer Cannabis Act


2026-08-27 | Federal Commissioner for Addiction Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck (CDU) describes the Consumer Cannabis Act as contradictory in an interview with  Behörden Spiegel and calls for amendments during the current legislative term. As referral pathways via the judiciary and police have been eliminated, young people with problematic consumption are less likely to reach counseling services, while a difficult-to-control grey area has emerged in the retail sector. Streeck advocates for immediately addressing weaknesses in youth protection and combating the black market, while strengthening prevention through better coordination between schools, support systems, and authorities. He also criticized, in an interview with  WDR, the annual increase in medical cannabis from 8 to more than 200 tonnes. He sees this as a misuse of medical structures for private consumption. In order to curb what he considers uncontrolled access and, despite around 5 million regular consumers, to draw clear boundaries between medical and recreational use, stricter legislation is necessary. There is considerable dissatisfaction within the CDU/CSU alliance with the current partial legalization.

 

Source German Cannabis Business Assoc

 

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