The 1994 German Federal Constitutional Court’s “cannabis decision” reappraised soft drugs such as cannabis, making marijuana possession a criminal offense. In the 1990’s people stopped for traffic violation were increasingly charged with illegal drug offenses, yet the effective ingredient in cannabis, THC, has no acute impact on driving ability. Instead, criminal investigations of individuals in possession of marijuana were the aim of police officials waging a fight in the drug war, such as narcotics officers’ imposition of a driving ban against persons charged with the consumption of illegal drugs. In Germany road traffic safety is being used as a symbolic excuse to further general drug prevention policy and to issue sanctions against drug users. References