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Local Germany
25-04-2025
- Health
- Local Germany
Bavaria approves first three cannabis clubs after German legalisation
Bavaria's first three cannabis clubs got the official go-ahead from the state's regulatory authorities. In the districts of Rosenheim, Bad Kissingen and Freising, three non-commercial associations may begin growing cannabis and distributing it to members for recreational use, as is permitted under Germany's cannabis legalisation act, which was enacted on April 1st last year . The legalisation of cannabis use in Germany remains controversial, and perhaps nowhere more so than in the socially conservative 'Free State' of Bavaria. Soon after legalisation passed at the federal level, Bavaria exercised its state authority to ban cannabis use at beer gardens, public festivals , and other public spaces. Members of the state's Christian Social Union (CSU) party campaigned against legalisation, and have since vowed to try and repeal it. READ ALSO: One year on - What does the future hold for Germany's cannabis legalisation law? Begrudging approval The Bavarian Ministry of Health (LGL) told BR24 that the three cannabis clubs had been approved 'due to unavoidable legal constraints'. But other comments by the head of the LGL suggest the ministry was not happy to do so. Bavaria's Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU) has reportedly emphasised that a cultivation permit does not give the clubs permission to distribute cannabis immediately. She says that the LGL will still need to review security measures in the clubs, and mentioned 'close controls' by the state authority after the clubs have begun cultivation. Gerlach added that the permits being granted does not change the state's goal to see "the legalisation of cannabis for consumption purposes withdrawn by the new federal government". Conservative leadership in Bavaria led the charge on pressuring the incoming federal government to repeal cannabis legalisation, but was unable to get the policy into the coalition agreement between the Union parties (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats. Instead, the government has scheduled an evaluation of the policy for later this year. EXPLAINED: What Germany's new coalition pact means for foreign residents A portion of cannabis is handed to a member of the Green Leaf Society cannabis club. The Berlin-based club's first harvest was delivered to members in January. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Gollnow Cannabis clubs held back by bureaucratic obstacles As well as permitting the possession of cannabis and cultivation for personal use at home, the cannabis bill included provisions for the establishment of cannabis clubs. Since July last year, special clubs can be set up for growing and selling cannabis to members, who need to be adults over 18. But the power of regulation over these clubs was largely given to Germany's state governments, which means that the rules for applying for a business permit and setting up a club vary across regions - and some states seem to have given would-be club operators the run around. Advertisement Regional media outlet BR24 reports that, as of April 1st, not a single cannabis club was approved in Bavaria even though the LGL had received 37 applications for a permit. Of those applications, one had been rejected and eight had been withdrawn. Now, more than nine months after cannabis clubs were given permission to launch at the federal level, the first three have been approved in the southern state. READ ALSO: Is Germany ready for the arrival of cannabis clubs? The case for and against legalisation Advocates for legalisation of recreational cannabis use often cite research that points to the drug's medical or therapeutic applications, as well as research that it is less harmful than alcohol. The broad general argument is that by legalising and regulating cannabis, the state makes its use safer for adults who would use it anyway, while simultaneously tapping into a new source for tax revenue. Arguing against legalisation, conservative leaders such as Gerlach have repeatedly suggested that allowing cannabis use is 'wrong' and works against state efforts toward 'the protection of health and young people'. Findings from the German Survey on Smoking Behavior (DEBRA study) have so far found no immediate shifts in consumption behavior following legalisation. Advertisement According to the crime statistics for Bavaria, the number of drug-related criminal cases have decreased since legalisation, with cannabis-related cases dropping more than 50 percent. Of course, the decrease is mostly explained by the fact that people are not being prosecuted for what is now legal cannabis use. Since legalisation there has been a notable increase in medical cannabis imports into Germany.
Local Germany
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
What we know so far about suspected car ramming attack in Munich
A car was driven into a crowd of people in central Munich on Thursday, injuring around 36 people. Bavaria's state premier Markus Söder said the incident is a suspected attack, and an asylum seeker from Afghanistan has been arrested. It comes 10 days before Germans head to the polls in a key election on February 23rd where immigration issues are at the top of the agenda. It also happened one day before the city is due to host the high-profile Munich Security Conference. Who is among the injured? The suspected ramming happened at Stiglmaierplatz in the Maxvorstadt area of the Bavarian capital at around 10.30am. Around 28 people are confirmed to have been injured, including two seriously. One person has life threatening injuries, police said. Munich mayor Dieter Reiter confirmed that children were among the injured. "I am deeply shocked," said Reiter. Gerhard Peschke, spokesman for the Munich fire and rescue service added that it was not possible to give an exact number of casualties as some of the injured had sought shelter in neighbouring buildings. The group of people hit were participants in a strike organised by the Verdi trade union. The car reportedly followed the demonstration, weaved past police vehicles and drove into the back of the group of people. Police who rushed to the scene fired a shot at the battered car and detained the driver, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who was named by German media as Farhad N. Germany is seeing several public sector strikes at the moment during a period of collective bargaining. The president of the Verdi union Frank Werneke said in a statement: "We are deeply upset and shocked at the awful incident during a peaceful demonstration by our Verdi colleagues." Members of the emergency services work at the scene where a car drove into a crowd in the southern German city of Munich on February 13th, 2025. Photo: Michaela Stache / AFP Ambulances and rescue helicopters rushed to the scene, while officers were on the site as investigations got underway. Eyewitness Alexa Graef said she was "shocked" after seeing the car drive into the crowd "which looked deliberate". "I hope it's the last time I see anything like that," she said. An eyewitness who was among the striking workers told the regional broadcaster BR24 that he "saw a person lying under the car" after it drove into the crowd. Police have set up a witness collection point in the Löwenbräukeller on Stiglmaierplatz. Anyone who can provide information about the events is asked to report there. Was this an attack? It was not entirely clear immediately but Bavarian state premier Söder, of the Christian Social Union (CSU), said it appeared the driver acted intentionally. He said the incident was "just terrible", adding: "I must tell you it looks like this was an attack." The suspect was said to have arrived in Germany in 2016 at the height of the mass migrant influx to Europe. His asylum request was rejected by German authorities but he found work and was able to remain legally in the country, according to officials. Police said there were "indications of an extremist motive" and the investigation has been handed over to the regional prosecutor's office. Tensions high in Germany Germany has seen a number of high profile attacks involving migrants in recent months which have fulled a bitter debate over immigration and internal security. In January two people were killed - including a two-year-old child - in a stabbing that took place in a park in Aschaffenburg. Police arrested a 28-year-old rejected asylum seeker from Afghanistan in connection with the attack, who reportedly slipped through the fingers of authorities. It later emerged that he had a history of mental illness. In December, a car ramming attack on a Magdeburg Christmas market killed six people and injured hundreds of others. A 50-year-old Saudi man who had lived in Germany since 2006 was arrested after that attack. He reportedly held anti-Islam and far-right views. Authorities said he also appeared to be mentally disturbed. In August, three people were killed and eight wounded in a stabbing spree at a street festival in the western city of Solingen that was claimed by the Islamic State group. The revelation that authorities had missed the opportunity to deport the suspect, a Syrian asylum seeker, stirred outrage in Germany. Bavaria's State Premier and leader of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) Markus Söder arrives at the scene where a car drove into a crowd in the southern German city of Munich on February 13th, 2025 leaving several people injured. Photo: Michaela Stache / AFP How are these attacks affecting the election campaign? These horrific attacks - among others - have understandably rocked Germany. It has led to politicians calling for tougher measures, particularly concerning immigration. Meanwhile, support for the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has increased - the party is currently second in election polls with around 21-22 percent, behind the conservative CDU/CSU (29-30 percent). Following the stabbing in Aschaffenburg, CDU leader - and election frontrunner - Friedrich Merz called for "fundamental changes" in asylum policy. At the end of last month, a motion calling to close borders and end illegal immigration passed in the Bundestag - controversially with the support of the far-right AfD. That led to protests across the country over concerns that the 'firewall' of working with the far right was being broken down. However, a recent survey suggested that half of Germans viewed the cooperation with the AfD on migration policy as acceptable. Meanwhile, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats, announced this week that temporary border controls would be once again tightened for six months. Following the suspected car attack on Thursday, Scholz said: "What has happened is awful. From my point of view it is quite clear, this attacker cannot count on any mercy, he must be punished and he must leave the country." Bavarian leader Söder said: "This is not the first incident... we must show determination that something will change in Germany. This is further proof that we can't keep going from attack to attack." With reporting from AFP and DPA
The Independent
14-02-2025
- The Independent
Munich car attack latest: Suspect had Islamist motive police suggest as child among 36 injured
Police press conference summary - key points Here are the key points from the press conference held by police on Friday morning. A 24-year-old Afghan, who arrived in Germany as an asylum-seeker in 2016, and said "Allahu Akbar" or "God is great" after his arrest. The suspected attacker admitted to driving into the crowd deliberately. Police now suspect an Islamist motivation behind the attack, but there is no evidence that the perpetrator was a member of an Islamist organisation. Yesterday, the Munich public prosecutor's office named the detained person as Farhad Noori. A child is among the two people who were seriously injured, police confirmed. According to BR24, this child was a two-year-old girl. A total of 36 people among the demonstrators were injured. The suspect said goodbye to relatives before the crash. "Tomorrow I won't be here anymore,' he told family members. The suspect's phones and electronics have been seized. His communications, mostly in Arabic, give indications of Islamist tendencies, they said. The suspect is under investigation on 36 counts of attempted murder as well as bodily harm and dangerous interference with road traffic. Alex Croft14 February 2025 11:27 In pictures: Candles lit and flowers laid for the injured Alex Croft14 February 2025 10:57 Farhad Noori admitted deliberately driving into crowd - press conference Farhad Noori confessed during questioning that he had deliberately driven into the demonstration, the senior public prosecutor said. Police currently believe an Islamist motivation behind the attack is the most likely. Alex Croft14 February 2025 10:36 No indication of accomplices There is no suggestion that any accomplices were involved in the attack, authorities said. But police are looking into whether anyone else knew about the attack. Alex Croft14 February 2025 10:33 We are assuming Islamic extremist attack, say police - press conference German authorities are presuming that the Munich car attack was motivated by Islamist extremism. But there is no reason to believe the perpetrator was a member of any Islamist organisation. Islamist tendencies were visible in his communications. Alex Croft14 February 2025 10:32 Noori said goodbye to relatives before crash - press conference Police have offered an update on their investigation into Farhad Noori, the driver of the Mini which drove into a crowd of demonstrators. He said goodbye to his relatives before the car attack took place. "Tomorrow I won't be here anymore,' he told family members. Noori was interviewed for two hours, and police are looking through his electronics and phones. Most of his communication is in Arabic. 'We were not able to find anything in his apartment and we were not able to find anything that specifically pointed to preparations for this attack,' police said according to a Sky News translation. Alex Croft14 February 2025 10:28 Child seriously injured, 36 in total - press conference A child was seriously injured in Thursday's Munich car incident, believed to be an attack, police said in a Friday morning press conference. A total of 36 people were injured in the attack, deputy police chief Christian Huber said. Alex Croft14 February 2025 10:22 Munich police reinstall traffic closures around crash site On Friday morning, police in Munich reinstalled traffic measures around the site of Thursday's suspected car attack. It was unclear why the cordon was put back in place after they had lifted the cordon from the crime scene last night. Police announced the scene was closed at around 9:30am, before it was reopened around 45 minutes later. Alex Croft14 February 2025 09:47 German authorities to give update in press conference German authorities will give an update in a press conference later this morning. It comes with the motive behind the attack still unclear. It is also unclear whether the detained suspect has been charged yet. The conference will take place at 11am local time (10am GMT). Alex Croft14 February 2025 09:25 Minister corrects claim that alleged driver had previously committed a crime Soon after the crime, Bavarian interior minister told reporters that Farhad N, the man suspected of being behind the Munich incident, was known to police due to shoplifting and drug offences. Later that evening, the police corrected this information, according to Der Spiegel. Alex Croft14 February 2025 09:00
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What we know about suspected car attack in Munich
A 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker drove a car into a crowd in the German city of Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 30 people, police have said. Officers said they were treating the incident as a suspected attack. Here's what we know about the attack so far. Munich police said the car, a Mini Cooper, accelerated and ploughed into the back of a rally by the Verdi trade union during a strike by public sector workers. It happened in Munich's city centre at the junction of Karlstrasse and Seidlstrasse at about 10:30 local time (11:30 GMT). Employees of day-care centres, hospitals, sanitation facilities and public swimming pools had joined the strike, calling for higher pay and longer holidays. At the time of the collision around 1,500 people were on their way to the rally's final location a short distance away. One shot was fired at the vehicle by police before the driver was detained at the scene. Emergency services had been in the area because of the rally allowing the suspect to be quickly arrested and for the injured to be treated, police said. It is unclear whether the suspect was injured. A police spokesman told local broadcaster BR that police are checking whether there was a link between the demonstration and the incident. The crash happened hours before the US vice president and Ukrainian president were due to arrive in the city for the Munich Security Conference - but police say they don't believe it's related. At least 30 people have been injured, including two seriously, German police said on Thursday. The local fire service said some of those hurt were in a "life-threatening condition". Munich's mayor Dieter Reiter said children were among those injured. According to local outlet BR24, injured people are being treated at multiple hospitals around Munich, including a children's hospital and the Munich Red Cross Clinic. Some of the injured include employees of the Munich city administration, Munich's deputy mayor Dominik Krause told the outlet. Several participants at the trade union rally had brought their children with them, "which makes the act even more heinous", Krause said. The suspect, Farhad N, who we are not fully naming due to German privacy law, is a 24-year-old asylum seeker from Afghanistan. He resides in Munich, German police said, adding that his motive was unclear. "It was probably an attack," Bavaria state premier Markus Söder told reporters. Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said the suspect had his asylum application rejected, but he had not been forced to leave due to security concerns in Afghanistan. Munich Police said the suspect had a valid residence permit at the time of the collision. According to the the German Press Agency, the suspect came to Germany in 2016 as a minor. Police added he was also known to the police as a witness due to his previous work as a store detective. He is yet to appear in court and the criminal investigation is continuing. The BBC's Daniel Wittenberg, reporting from Munich, said there was a pram strewn across the floor at the scene, as well as half a dozen umbrellas and high-vis jackets. A severely damaged white Mini Cooper could be seen at a pedestrian crossing in the middle of three lanes of traffic which had been cordoned off by police. A woman working at an orthopaedic shop on the road where the incident took place told the BBC that half a dozen people came running into the shop. "They looked panicked, and some people were crying," she said. Pedestrians reportedly sprinted for cover in shops and residential buildings that line either side of the thoroughfare. One student, who didn't wanted to give her name, said the driver of the Mini Cooper accelerated before hitting the crowd. "It was fast enough to pull 10 to 15 people to the ground," another witness said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the suspect "must be punished" and "must leave the country". "This perpetrator cannot hope for any leniency," he told reporters, in a translation from Reuters news agency. "If it was an attack, we must take consistent action against possible perpetrators with all means of justice." Bavaria state premier Markus Söder said authorities were working to "clarify all the details". "This is not the first case and who knows what else will happen," he added. "It is now even more important that, in addition to the processing of individual cases, in addition to the concern that we all feel, in addition to the sympathy and in addition to the great hope that many will recover, we also show the determination that something must change in Germany." Suspected car ram attacker in Munich is Afghan asylum seeker, officials say At least 28 injured after car drives into crowd in Munich
Sky News
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Children among 30 injured as car driven into Munich crowd in 'suspected attack'
At least 30 people have been injured, including children, after a car was driven into a crowd in a "suspected attack" in Munich, authorities said. A 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, Farhad N, has been arrested after officers fired a shot at the vehicle. Workers taking part in a union demonstration were walking along a street when the car overtook a police vehicle that was accompanying the group, according to officers in the German city. They said the car then sped up and ploughed into the back of the group, before police opened fire. 1:24 Bavaria state premier Markus Soeder said the incident was "suspected to be an attack". Some of the victims were seriously injured, and the motive was unclear. Officials believe the protest, by the service workers' union was likely targeted at random, according to state interior minister Joachim Herrmann. He said the suspect was known to authorities in connection with theft and drug offences. The man's asylum application had been rejected, but he had not been forced to leave due to security concerns in Afghanistan, said Mr Herrmann. People were 'crying and shaking' A damaged Mini was pictured at the scene, along with items of clothing and bags, a broken pram, a shoe and a pair of glasses. Sandra Demmelhuber, a journalist for local broadcaster BR24, posted an image on X showing the car surrounded by police and emergency crews. She said: "There is a person lying on the street and a young man was taken away by the police. People were sitting on the ground, crying and shaking." A 'terrible attack' The incident happened at a square near downtown Munich, close to the city's central train station at around 10.30am (9.30am UK time), police said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the events "horrible" and a "terrible attack", saying "an Afghan perpetrator has severely injured people, and that is not something that we can tolerate or accept". "This perpetrator cannot hope for any leniency. He must be punished and he must leave the country. "The government will be starting flights back to Afghanistan despite the lack of diplomatic ties." 0:52 The incident is not suspected to be connected to the upcoming Munich Security Conference which starts on Friday around a mile away. Security has been in sharp focus in Germany following a spate of attacks involving migrants in recent months and ahead of a federal election later in February. A two-year-old boy and a man were killed in a knife attack last month in Aschaffenburg, also in Bavaria. An Afghan whose asylum application was rejected was the suspect in that attack. The killings followed knife attacks in Mannheim and in Solingen last year in which the suspects were migrants from Afghanistan and Syria, respectively - in the latter case, also a rejected asylum seeker who was supposed to have left the country. A Saudi doctor known to authorities was the suspect in December when a car rammed people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing six.
