Austria has decided to tighten its police controls with Germany following the latter’s decision to ease cannabis regulations.
Germany decided to liberalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis for recreational purposes on April 1, 2024.
Only a day after the decision entered into force, the Minister of Interior of Austria, Gerhard Karner, confirmed that the country would strengthen its checks at its border area with Germany, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
Through an official statement, Minister Karner said that the Austrian police will now be conducting intensified checks, especially in the areas near the border.
The same stressed that the checks are being tightened with the main aim of protecting all road users.
The police will conduct intensified checks, especially in areas near the border, to take addictive substances and drivers under the influence of drugs out of circulation.
In addition to the above-mentioned, the Ministry stressed that additional people would be deployed at the border with Germany, the Washington Post notes.
As the Ministry revealed, the police will be wearing plain clothes. The same said that specialists who are trained to recognise symptoms of people who are impaired by drugs will also be present at the border to help with the checks.
Germans Now Allowed to Have 25g of Cannabis & Grow 3 Marijuana Plants
In line with the new rules that became effective on April 1, German citizens who are over the age of 18 are permitted to have 25 grams of cannabis when in public.
The amount is double when at their homes. Germans are now permitted to have 50 grams of cannabis at home and also allowed to cultivate three plants of marijuana.
While the rules have been eased, the authorities have stressed that the new law prohibits the advertising and the consumption of marijuana in front of or by minors, Euronews explains.
Smoking is also prohibited near schools, within 200 metres, playgrounds, as well as sports fields.
Another restriction is that the smoking of marijuana is also banned in zones of pedestrians between 7 am and 8 pm.
The possession of marijuana was only partially legalised. From July, some other rules are also expected to become effective.
As it has been revealed, from July, the law will permit the establishment of cannabis clubs. These clubs will have a limit of 500 people that will be permitted to enter, and the people will only have access to a specific amount of the drug.
However, the law has not been welcomed by everyone. The opposition lawmakers said that the approval of the law was very irresponsible. Police unions have also raised concerns, saying that the eased rules will cause uncertainty.
