UN drug authority: Legal cannabis incompatible with international law
The UN Drug Control Board (INCB) has notified the German government that its planned legalization of cannabis is not compatible with existing international regulations.
The UN agency pointed out that the 1961 UN Drug Convention states that cannabis use is only permitted for medical and scientific purposes, the INCB stated in its annual report released on Tuesday.
Another UN convention from 1988 stipulates that the cultivation, production and distribution of the drug for other purposes must be prohibited by law.
The Vienna-based INCB consists of 13 experts. They monitor compliance with the global drug conventions, to which Germany has agreed.
In view of the international trend towards cannabis legalization, the committee maintains that making the substance legal is not possible under international law.
But the experts note that countries can decriminalize possession and consumption by focusing on help, education and social reintegration instead of convictions and penalties.
The German law, which has passed the lower house or Bundestag but needs to be ratified by the upper house or Bundesrat, allows for limited personal possession of cannabis and the sale of the substance through certified clubs. The Bundesrat vote is set for March 22.
Although Germany's state governments are not required to sign off on the measure, they could appeal to a mediation committee and slow down the process.
In addition to criticism from medical associations, legal experts and domestic politicians, objections have also been raised from the state governments that the new law should take effect no earlier than April 1.
The conservative opposition parties have argued that Germany was violating international and European law by making weed legal.
