Opposition Slams Berlin Drug Law

The opposition conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has criticized the liberalization of drug consumption in Berlin as an "absolutely wrong signal." Andrea Gram, CDU parliamentarian, said it gave the wrong message to young people, was a wrong form of liberalization and urged a more restrictive approach. On Tuesday, the Berlin government agreed that the possession of 10 grams of hashish for personal consumption would not be subject to penalization in the future. Even the possession of 15 grams of hashish isn't expected to attract the long arm of the law. The liberalization of the drug law has been pushed by the city's Green party. Its members argue that cannabis must be decriminalized to get a grip on the anarchy of the drug market and stress that the current relaxation of the law can only be a first step.