Dobrindt attacks cannabis legalization: "A bad law indeed!"
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt launched a sharp attack on the previous government's policy regarding the legalization of cannabis, describing it as a "bad law indeed" during the presentation of the federal report on the state of drug crimes in the city of Wiesbaden on Friday. He accused the previous "traffic light" government of facilitating the work of organized crime networks instead of combating them.
During his speech, Dobrindt said that the government has the responsibility to dismantle criminal structures, confiscate their profits, and prevent the spread of drug trafficking. He added: "Politics should make things harder for criminals, not easier. But the cannabis law does exactly the opposite. It is a bad law, if you ask me."
The report revealed alarming figures showing that the consumption of hard drugs, especially cocaine, has sharply increased across Germany. According to Holger Münch, the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), cocaine has become the second most common drug-related crime after cannabis, with around 31,000 offenses recorded. He explained that traffickers have changed their routes and are increasingly using ports located in Southwestern Europe.
On his part, Hendrik Strick, the federal government's drug commissioner, expressed his deep concern about the worsening situation, pointing out that addiction prevention efforts have become ineffective and that support services for addicts are suffering from a lack of funding and exhaustion. Strick said, "Cocaine consumption alone has increased by 45% in recent years," emphasizing that the situation has become extremely serious.
Dobrindt concluded his remarks by emphasizing that future drug policy should focus on prevention, law enforcement, and community protection, rather than leaning towards liberalization. His sharp attack reignited the debate in Germany over cannabis legislation and its broad impact on crime and public health.