Cannabis Legalization Linked to Significant Decline in German State’s Drug-Related Prosecutions
The number of proceedings related to drug-related crimes in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has seen a drastic decline since the partial legalization of cannabis, according to figures from the state’s justice ministry.
The data, reported by the Rheinische Post, shows a significant drop in the number of cases involving less serious drug offenses, with a nearly 50% reduction in the number of cases filed in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year.
In 2023, the state’s public prosecutors’ offices initiated 1,996, 1,921, 1,883 and 1,756 proceedings in the first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively, for drug-related crimes carrying a maximum sentence of less than one year in prison. In 2024, the corresponding numbers were 1,954, 1,223, 1,531 and 1,406.
The justice ministry attributed the decline to the partial legalization of cannabis, which came into effect in April 2024. However, the ministry noted that it was impossible to determine whether the decline was solely due to the legalization or if other factors were also at play.
The partial legalization of cannabis in NRW has led to a significant reduction in the number of minor drug-related offenses, according to Jens Hartung, the deputy chairman of the North Rhine-Westphalia Judges’ Association. “The small delinquencies are gone, they don’t appear anywhere” he said, adding that the legalization had led to a reduction in the number of cases that could be quickly resolved with a simple decision.
Hartung expressed concern that the legalization had not led to a corresponding reduction in the workload of the justice system, with many cases being simply transferred to other areas of the system. “The colleagues only get complex and time-consuming proceedings now” he said, adding that the development had created a little more space for reallocation of personnel, but not enough to address the existing shortage of 238 positions for prosecutors.
Michael Mertens, the chairman of the North Rhine-Westphalia Police Union, also expressed concerns about the legalization, stating that the illegal cannabis market was still thriving and that the police were struggling to control it. “We don’t have a legal market and what is available is mostly through illegal trade” he said, adding that the police were not equipped to deal with the complex issues surrounding the illegal cannabis trade.