Controlled Delivery of Cannabis in Germany: The View of Experts from Addiction Aid, Prevention and Research

Aim: Perspective of experts on the implementation of the planned controlled delivery of recreational cannabis in Germany. Methods: Convenience sample of 1217 experts from addiction aid, prevention and research answered an online questionnaire about selected aspects of the planned implementation of the cannabis legalization. Respondents were on average 40 to 49 years old with more than 10 years of profes-sional experience, and 59 % were female. Results: More than 90 % of experts rated the following measures as important: no delivery to adoles-cents, expansion of (school) preventive measures, use of tax revenues for the cannabis-related health sector, delivery only by licensed exclusive cannabis shops with trained staff and duty to provide information, age checks when entering the shops, test purchases by adolescents, manda-tory labelling of cannabis products, no mixing with alcohol products, no advertising, no cannabis and driving, and the extension of the Non -Smoking Protection Act to cannabis. 65 % called for a minimum age of 21 years, 76 % called for a possession limit of maximum 10 g, 86 % for a limited purchase quantity and 97 % supported a price equal or cheaper compared to illegal markets. Conclusions: Compared to nicotine and alcohol politics, the experts call for a more controlled and restrictive legalization model.