Cannabis Patients’ Gun Rights Threatened in Germany

In the United States, North and South are generally divided between the ideologies of liberal and conservative. Occasionally this pattern repeats itself in other locations. One of those is Germany, where the mountains and forests of Bavaria in the south have kept a more insular culture throughout the centuries, where you will find more rustic lifestyles, a deeper sense of traditional German identity, and a more widespread use of lederhosen.

So it’s no surprise that Bavaria would come into the picture when the issue of German gun rights come to the fore. This time, German courts are grappling with how to reconcile legal cannabis use with the right to bear arms, an issue that has plagued every legal-use cannabis state in the US and insulted the huge number of veterans seeking alternative treatment for PTSD and pain.

Now, a Bavarian judge has rejected the appeal of a German hunter to have his gun ownership and hunting licenses returned following his admission to using medical cannabis, a now legal practice in Germany.

From USA Today:

“According to the judge, gun owners must be capable of cautiously handling weapons and ammunition at all times. Cannabis consumption, even if prescribed by a doctor, would impair a person’s ability to properly handle a weapon, the judge said.

“The ruling sets a precedent that will likely force Germans to choose between receiving medicinal cannabis treatment and owning a gun license.

“The district administration in Miesbach, which first revoked the plaintiff’s gun and hunting license, said in a statement that it had followed expert opinion that says the mental well-being of a person who regularly consumes cannabis cannot be guaranteed.”

For conservative parts of the world, the acceptance of cannabis use is still an uphill battle, even for legitimate medical purposes. This seems to be particularly true of legal institutions which remain slow to move out of the “Reefer Madness” era of yesteryear. And for that, we must fight on for protection of cannabis consumers everywhere.

Come hear the latest developments in Germany at the International Cannabis Business Conference, happening April 11-13 in Berlin! The ICBC looks forward to strategizing with activists around the world to protect and improve the plight of cannabis patients and consumers in Germany and around the globe. Tickets are on sale now!