After only one day on the shelf, Lidl removed its cannabis products from the range. The discounter emphasizes that the sale was completely legal. The police apparently saw it differently.
Last Monday, August 9th, the discounter Lidl attracted attention with its rather unusual products: After a million dollar deal with the German start-up “The Green Dealers”, various cannabis products such as “Hash Brownies” and “Cannabis Cookies” were sold there. to the market. “3350 stores, 21 hot cannabis food products and 100 percent legal,” said the start-up’s managing director, Arnim von Brunn, on LinkedIn.
The products are said to contain neither the psychoactive substance THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) nor the non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD). The former falls under the Narcotics Protection Act and is therefore illegal. CBD, on the other hand, is legal, but not allowed in food. the stern reported.
The Munich police, however, saw it differently and confiscated a number of different cannabis products from a branch in Rosenheim.
The products are being investigated under criminal law
“Several articles were secured,” said police spokesman Stefan Sonntag from the responsible police headquarters in Rosenheim to the “Münchner Abendzeitung”. According to “Business Insider”, the products were seized by the criminal police 2 and are now being investigated. Lidl has meanwhile taken all hemp products in its promotional range out of sale as a precaution. We are working closely with the authorities, said Lidl on Friday at the request of the German Press Agency. However, due to the ongoing investigations, no more could be communicated.
A spokesman for the Heilbronn public prosecutor said it was being investigated “whether the products that are offered there contain THC or CBD”. However, it is only a test process, not a preliminary investigation. The Heilbronn public prosecutor’s office is also responsible for the Neckarsulm located next to it, where the Schwarz Group, to which Lidl also belongs, is based.
A gray area
Lidl also emphasized that all cannabis products would have been free of THC and CBD. According to “Business Insider”, however, these were made with cannabis seeds and cannabis leaves. Although these had no THC content and caused no intoxication, they were legally in the gray area. Because when it comes to the sale of hemp, the authorities in Germany continued to pursue a restrictive policy, because both seeds and leaves were still subject to the Narcotics Act without any effect.
If it is a marketing gag on the part of Lidl, the discounter does not have to fear any consequences. If the matter came to court, however, according to “Business Insider”, it would be due to the court’s scope for interpretation. Since the products are manufactured in the Czech Republic and are also legal there, the EU principle could apply, according to which a product that is legally sold in one member state may not be banned in any other member state. According to the “Münchner Abendzeitung”, however, the investigation could continue for weeks.
Swell: DPA,
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
