'How best to avoid military service': German politician suggests young people smoke a joint

Young people who want to avoid the proposed new military service in Germany should “smoke a joint before the recruitment interview”, left-wing politician Jan van Aken said on Thursday, according to dpa.

Van Aken, co-chairman of Die Linke, told the t-online website that the party is preparing a guide on “how best to avoid military service”.

Last week, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition reached an agreement on a new voluntary military service program for young men to support the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces.

The proposal, which still needs to be approved by Parliament, would require all men born in 2008 and later to be assessed for military service.

Although the program is initially voluntary, lawmakers could make it mandatory if the number of volunteers is not sufficient to fill the workforce.

Van Aken said his party has “a lot of positive experiences” to share with “young people who just don't want to be forced to wear a uniform,” including marijuana use.

“For example, they say that if you smoke a heavy joint before your medical, it could help get you declared unfit for duty,” he said.

Die Linke, the successor to the socialist party that ruled the former East Germany, strongly opposes plans for military service.

The recreational use of marijuana and the limited cultivation of the plant at home are legal in Germany from April 2024.