German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has called for support for the planned partial legalization of cannabis in Germany ahead of a vote in parliament.
The current situation is "in no way acceptable," the minister said in the Bundestag on Friday, referring to the rising number of users and "toxic concentrations" in cannabis from criminal drug trafficking.
"The black market is the core of the evil," he added.
Every fight against the black market is an important step towards protecting young people, the minister said. Therefore, the law on controlled release should create a legal supply, he added.
Lauterbach also emphasized the need for greater education on the substance. "We are not trivializing it."
Germany's lower house of parliament is to vote on the partial legalization of the drug on Friday.
