Legal High is a 2016 novel by German author
Rainer Schmidt [
de]; a
social satire about a near-future Germany where
legalization of cannabis is imminent.[1] The author is also a journalist (as of 2016[update] editor in chief of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's cultural magazine Frankfurter Allgemeine Quarterly).[2] The novel's protagonist, der Dude, is based on a German cannabis grower with whom Schmidt became acquainted while doing journalistic research.[3]
Reception
Critics called the book a parody of political and economic strategies in Doppelmoral in den Hinterzimmern der Macht ("hypocrisy in the backrooms of power"), asking questions about the winners and losers of the "U-turn" on cannabis.[4] A German business magazine included it in a review of several books about cannabis legalization, noting its clever examination of the schwerwiegende Auswirkungen (serious impacts) on regions that have already implemented it, such as the U.S. state of
Colorado.[5] The novel was referred to in a pro-legalization op-ed in Die Welt newspaper by German politician
Cem Özdemir (at the time co-chair of the
Alliance 90/The Greens party).[6]
^
Marcus Weingärtner (March 18, 2015),
""Die Cannabis GmbH" von Rainer Schmidt: "In Berlin wird überall gekifft"" ["Cannabis GmbH by Rainer Schmidt: "In Berlin, it is smoked everywhere"], Berliner Zeitung, I have met someone who inspired this main character...the husband of a friend. He introduced me to the grass growing scene. He was sentenced to several years in prison for his large plantation. (quotation translated from the original German)
^
Eva Krafczyk (February 20, 2017),
"Rainer Schmidt: "Legal High"", Darmstädter Echo (book review) (in German), Darmstadt, Germany