As part of a visit to Tongji University in Shanghai on Monday April 15, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had the opportunity to interact with students and answer their questions, reports Spiegel. Among the themes covered: the European Union, trade between Germany and China… and cannabis. Scholz took the opportunity to defend its legalization, which came into force in Germany on April 1, 2024.

However, this subject did not enchant everyone. A Chinese student, who wanted to start his studies in Berlin in September, expressed “great concern” about cannabis consumption, especially because of the harmful effects on his health. He would have read that many German students would grow cannabis at home, which is completely illegal in China. He therefore wanted to know what he should do to avoid consuming it.

To this question, the Chancellor replied very simply: “Don’t smoke it!” He also assured her that not everyone smokes cannabis in Germany: “When you study in Berlin, you can spend your time running around without meeting anyone who does that kind of thing.” He also added that, at 66 years old, he would have “never smoked cannabis”.