courtesy of NORML

German State Plans To Sell Marijuana Over The Counter

November 19, 1996, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany: The small German state

of Schleswig-Holstein recently announced plans to sell marijuana over the

counter in an attempt to separate cannabis from the "hard" drug market,

according to Reuters News Service. The state said it will soon apply to

the federal drugs agency for a permit to sell marijuana.

The state Health Minister, Heide Moser, said authorities were losing

credibility by treating marijuana as if it were as a dangerous as other

"harder" drugs such as cocaine and heroin. "General warnings about the

dangers of drugs are no longer being taken seriously," she said.

The idea drew criticism from the German federal government whose

spokesman said that, "Schleswig-Holstein's stance has little to do with

reality."

The state, which is governed by a coalition of Social Democrats and

environmentalist Greens, said it had not yet decided precisely where and

how much cannabis would be available if its project wins approval.

Marijuana is technically illegal in Germany, but the Supreme Court ruled

in 1994 that possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use

should no longer be punished.