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The Top Cannabis Firms In Germany In 2024

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Business.

Germany continues to trend towards adult-use cannabis legalization, with the expected launch date for some components of Germany’s legalization plan (CanG) being April 1, 2024. Noncommercial cannabis clubs are expected to launch on July 1, 2024.

This will be the most pivotal year ever for the cannabis movement not only in Germany, but also the rest of Europe, with several countries expected to follow in Germany’s footsteps after legalization is implemented in Europe’s largest economy.

It is an extremely exciting time for German-based companies that work directly in the cannabis industry or provide ancillary products and/or services to the emerging German cannabis industry. Below are the top companies that people need to keep an eye on as things continue to heat up in Germany and the rest of Europe.

420 Pharma

420 Pharma is a medical cannabis producer in Germany. The company produces its own cannabis brand “420” which includes both flower and full spectrum extracts. All of their cannabis flower is hand-picked and processed in a manner that ensures unaltered terpene profiles.

Aphria/Tilray

Aphria was one of the three firms that won authorization to grow cannabis during the German cultivation bid. They subsequently merged with Tilray, but not before also purchasing the sixth-largest mainstream medical distributor in the country (CC Pharma).

Aurora Cannabis

Aurora Cannabis is a Canadian public company that also won one of the three cultivation slots in the German cultivation bid. The firm has a footprint across Europe at this point. It was one of the earliest public Canadian companies before establishing itself across the EU in recent years.

BvCW

BvCW is the voice of the cannabis industry in Germany and represents all industry segments and company sizes to politicians and administration. BvCW’s specialist areas are divided into “Luxury Food Regulation”, “Industrial Hemp & Food”, “Medical Cannabis”, “CBD et al.” and “Technology, Trade & Services”. BVCW combines industrial policy, technological, economic expertise and advocates for better political framework conditions.

Canopy Growth

Canopy Growth is a world-leading cannabis company focused on unleashing the power of cannabis to improve lives, particularly in Germany. From supporting personal wellness to fostering economic opportunity and striving toward social justice, Canopy Growth is showcasing the capacity of cannabis as a force for good. Canopy Growth offers high-quality products with best-in-class cannabinoid effects. Rooted in a belief that every moment in the day can be enhanced by the tailored use of cannabinoid products, Canopy Growth is redefining experiences with cannabis and demonstrating the true potential of this powerful plant.

Cansativa Group

Cansativa is the central platform and partner of the German Cannabis Agency (BfArM). The company helps Germany’s government facilitate medical cannabis transactions.

DEMECAN

DEMECAN is the only independent German company that is permitted to cultivate medicinal cannabis in Germany. The company’s production facility is near Dresden, and the focus of the facility is to ensure the consistently high quality of DEMECAN’s cannabis products.

Dentons

Dentons is the world’s largest global law firm and focuses on helping entrepreneurs, investors, and other entities in the cannabis space. Dentons helps cannabis companies operate, grow, remain secure and compliant, and gain financing by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, Dentons focuses on what matters most.

Fluence

Fluence creates lighting solutions for controlled environment commercial crop production, including cannabis production. Fluence applies the latest research in photobiology, evidence-based design, precise engineering, and advanced technology to foster a healthier and more sustainable cannabis industry.

Grow In AG

Grow In AG was the first hydroponics shop in the European Union. Grow In AG was founded in 1995 and now offers one of the largest international ranges of carefully tested and selected items for successful cultivation. In March 2020, Grow In AG merged with wholesaler HydroGarden LTD. Together, Hydrogarden and Grow In AG now form the largest wholesaler of hydroponic growing accessories in Europe.

Hanf Magazin

Hanf Magazin is an online and print magazine for everyone who is interested in the topic of hemp, wants to learn something about it and/or is connected to the hemp scene. It is full of inspiration on the topic of hemp, interesting facts about cannabis, medicine and law, as well as the legalization debate. Hanf Magazin covers current developments and trends on the subject of hemp online and in its bi-annual print magazine. The editorial team provides well-founded and practical information about all topics that have to do with hemp.

HiperScan

HiperScan GmbH is a successful, medium-sized technology company with headquarters in Dresden and over 60 employees. HiperScan GmbH branched off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems, Dresden, in 2006. HiperScan is responsible for the very successful and cost-effective NIR-analysis system Apo-Ident, which is distributed in Germany and internationally. It is a near-infrared spectrometer that has been specially designed for identifying raw materials in pharmacies. With this system, HiperScan is the market leader for raw material identification in German pharmacies.

Huber

Huber is one of the technological sector-leading providers of high-precision temperature control solutions for research and industry. Huber’s products ensure precise temperature control in laboratories, pilot plants and cannabis industry production processes from -125 to +425 °C.

KFN+

KFN+ law firm, led by Kai-Friedrich Niermann, advises large CBD and medical cannabis companies, as well as companies and associations interested in the emerging recreational cannabis market. With a broad range of expertise in cannabis and business law, KFN+ provides comprehensive legal support to companies and individuals. From contract drafting and company formation to day-to-day legal support, KFN+ assists cannabis companies with customized solutions in all legal matters, including white-collar criminal law where necessary.

Little Green Pharma

Little Green Pharma is one of the most recognizable medical cannabis brands in Europe (as well as Australia). The company delivers innovative solutions to world-class operations in both Denmark and Australia.

MJ_Universe

MJ_Universe GmbH was founded by Lisa Katharina Haag. MJ_Universe provides consulting services to the emerging legal cannabis industry. The company is committed to projects dedicated to accelerating cannabis as a medicine, to advocating for a more progressive and realistic regulatory framework and to activities that mainstream cannabis. MJ_Universe’s mission is to unlock the full potential of cannabis.

Purpl Scientific

Purpl Scientific is a technology company dedicated to providing accurate, affordable tools to the emerging legal cannabis industry that provide insight and intelligence about products and potency. The company packs a ton of new-generation technologies into its hand-held applications that are exceedingly powerful, amazingly fast, extremely affordable and controlled with the click of a button.

Quality Services International

Quality Services International is an accredited laboratory with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and experienced, continuously trained specialist staff. The company is certified to carry out GMP analysis of medical cannabis.

Sanity Group

Sanity Group, founded in Berlin in 2018 by Finn Age Hänsel and Fabian Friede, includes Vayamed and AVAAY Medical (medicinal cannabis), Endosane Pharmaceuticals (finished pharmaceuticals), Belfry Medical (medical products and digital applications), VAAY (wellbeing) and This Place (natural cosmetics). Near Frankfurt am Main, Sanity Group also operates a production and processing facility for cannabis extracts.

SKW Schwarz

SKW Schwarz is an independent law firm with around 130 lawyers, four locations and a common goal: they think ahead. In a world where everything is in motion, cannabis companies need legal advice that recognizes change as an opportunity. As a full-service law firm and member of TerraLex, SKW Schwarz is globally networked and advises in all relevant areas of commercial law.

Storz & Bickel

Storz and Bickel is the creator of the Volcano, which still ranks as one of the greatest cannabis consumption devices on earth despite being introduced to the world over two decades ago. Storz and Bickel’s products serve as the industry standard for cannabis consumption around the world.

VTA GmbH & Co. KG

VTA GmbH & Co. KG serves international customers and partners in a large number of process industries, including the emerging cannabis industry, with their customized equipment and systems. VTA’s distillation plants are used for purification, concentration, removal of low boilers, color improvement, drying of products and much more.

Wessling

Since the company was founded in 1983, Wessling‘s aim has been to offer their business partners high-quality, tailor-made analytical and consulting services as well as holistic solution concepts for the areas of real estate, environment, food, consumer products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

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Britain’s Cannabis Industry Still Hindered By Limited Policies

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Business, Policy.

Medical cannabis became legal in Britain in November 2018 after the nation’s Home Secretary had rescheduled cannabis-derived medicinal products months prior. At the time, Britain’s medical cannabis law was one of the most restrictive on the planet, and it remains so to this day.

Only doctors on the GMC specialist register can prescribe medical cannabis products in Britain, and only two types of prescriptions are legal. The legal medical products are not like raw flower, edibles, or concentrated forms of cannabis like what is found in North America.

Rather, the medical cannabis products in Britain are cannabis-derived medications called Sativex and Epidyolex. Sativex is licensed in Britain to treat spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis.

Epidyolex is licensed in Britain for use in the treatment of seizures in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex. Both medications are also widely available in many other nations.

Medical cannabis via legal means remains an undesirable, if not impossible, option for many suffering patients in Britain, which is reflected in the size of Britain’s medical cannabis program. Per The Guardian:

As of today, over 60 countries have legalised some form of medicinal cannabis: since November 2018 that’s also been the case in Britain. Some 30,000 of us have already been prescribed cannabis for conditions ranging from arthritis to epilepsy, anxiety to multiple sclerosis.

By comparison, Germany has roughly a quarter million medical cannabis patients. While Germany’s overall population is greater than Britain’s, the difference is nowhere near enough to offset the disparity in legal patient numbers. Canada has a considerably smaller overall population than Britain, and yet it has roughly 200,000 legal medical cannabis patients.

Britain’s medical cannabis program will always be limited and never reach its full potential if the current laws and regulations remain the same. Britain’s suffering patients, all of them, deserve to have the option of pursuing safe access to proven medications.

Sativex and Epidyolex may be fine for some patients, however, their applications are very narrowly tailored, and there are suffering patients who would experience no meaningful benefits from taking them.

Additionally, even patients who currently take Sativex or Epidyolex would likely save a considerable amount of money and still receive the benefits of medical cannabis by consuming other forms of cannabis products via a variety of delivery methods.

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Talman Group Co-Founder Alex Rogers Presenting To Slovenia’s National Council

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

Alex Rogers, owner and CEO of the International Cannabis Business Conference and co-founder of the Talman Group, is presenting to Slovenia’s National Council next week on Friday, February 16th, at 10 am. Rogers will be joined by several other leading policy and science experts at the conference, which is titled, “New Discoveries and Opportunities for Cannabis
Use in Medicine and Industry.”

Slovenia’s National Council is, according to its website, “the representative body for social, economic, professional and local interests. In terms of state functions performed by state authorities, the National Council cannot be considered to be vested with legislative, executive or judicial powers.”

A coalition of advocates led by the Talman Group is working diligently to educate Slovenia’s government about the benefits of modernizing the nation’s outdated cannabis policies and regulations, including benefits specific to boosting public health and economic outcomes. Below is more information about the upcoming National Council conference in Slovenia:

New discoveries and opportunities for cannabis use: Conference in the National Council on the emerging hemp industry

The Association of Cancer Patients of Slovenia and the National Council invite you to a professional conference titled “New Discoveries and Opportunities for Cannabis Use in Medicine and Industry” on Friday, February 16, at 10 a.m. The conference will be held in the hall of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia at Šubičeva 4 in Ljubljana.

At the beginning of its term, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia prioritized the legalization of medical cannabis use and the adoption of necessary subordinate legislation for its cultivation, processing, and controlled medical use. However, current legislation does not fully exploit the potential of cannabis in industry and medicine and even partially restricts it. Experiences from abroad show that cannabis enables the production of key industrial products with innovative processing methods. Specific cannabis strains have proven beneficial in agriculture and ecology, particularly in phytoremediation, which is important for combating climate change.

The aim of the discussion in the National Council is to highlight key information on the progress of cannabis use in pharmacy and medicine and to emphasize its utility in industry while highlighting the importance of developing science, research, innovations, and appropriate business infrastructure for knowledge transfer into high-value products, which would stimulate the economy and bring benefits to healthcare, agriculture, and industry.

The increasingly relevant topic and opportunities presented by the cannabis industry for Slovenia will be discussed by the President of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia, Marko Lotrič; the President of the Association of Cancer Patients of Slovenia, Ana Žličar; the Health Secretary in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Metka Paragi; the Head of the Scientific Research Department of the Engineering Academy of Slovenia, Prof. Dr. Tamara Lah Turnšek; the Director-General of the Public Health Directorate, Vesna Marinko; the State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Tourism and Sport, Matjaž Frangež; and the State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Dr. Blaž Germšek.

Following the introductory addresses, professional presentations will be held by experts from various interdisciplinary fields. The event program is attached to this message.

Confirmation of attendance at the event is desired by sending an email to jakob@thetalmangroup.com by Thursday, February 15, 2024, by 10:00 a.m. The number of applications is limited.

All interested parties will be able to follow the event live at www.ds-rs.si, and the recording will also be available on the National Council’s website.

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European Union Approves Medical Cannabis Signature Drive

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Medical cannabis reform is spreading across the European continent, which is great. However, the rate at which it is spreading is not fast enough to help all of the suffering patients who need the wellness benefits that medical cannabis can provide.

Unfortunately, medical cannabis was hindered for several decades due to prohibition policies throughout Europe. It is only in recent years that medical cannabis has been embraced, and even then, it’s not in every nation and is moving at a pace that does not do justice to the potential that medical cannabis possesses.

Access to medical cannabis and cannabis-based research is desperately needed throughout Europe, and that premise is at the heart of a new signature drive that was recently approved to proceed by the European Union. Per excerpts from original reporting by Marijuana Moment:

European Union (EU) officials have cleared activists to launch a signature drive for a multi-national initiative that would foster access to medical marijuana and promote research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis.

The activists behind the measure laid out three objectives they want the commission to pursue, but the body said it could only register two of them.

One approved objective asks the commission to “foster access to medical cannabis and allow the transportation of cannabis and its derivatives prescribed for therapeutic purposes to ensure the full enjoyment of the right to health.” The other requests that EU allocate “the necessary resources for researching cannabis for its therapeutic purposes.”

Activists had also pushed for the creation of a “trans-European citizens’ assembly on cannabis policies, including sanctions and the consistency of Member States’ policies,” however, the European Union indicated that it would not register that particular objective.

Advocates leading the effort will now have six months to start a petitioning drive, after which they will have one year to collect one million valid signatures. The valid signatures must come from at least seven European Union member states in order to mandate consideration.

The European Citizens’ Initiative was first introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012 according to the European Union’s listing of the measure.

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Cannabis Use Is Far From A New Thing In Italy

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Humans have a long history with the cannabis plant. Hemp fiber was used as far back as 10,000 years ago during the Early Jomon Period in Japan. Consumption for medical purposes goes back at least as far as back as 2,800 BC. Cannabis was included in Emperor Shen Nung’s (regarded as the father of Chinese medicine) pharmacopeia around that time.

Putting humans’ use of the cannabis plant in that context really highlights how recent of a public policy phenomenon cannabis prohibition is. Make no mistake, cannabis is not prohibited because it holds ‘no medical value’ and it is not prohibited because of scientifically backed reasoning. It is prohibited due to the special interests of a handful of people, including lawmakers.

Archeologists in Italy recently conducted a project in which they examined bones dating back to the 1,600s. They reportedly found traces of cannabinoids, demonstrating that cannabis use in Italy has occurred for a very long time. Per Popular Mechanics:

“This study reports the first physical evidence of cannabis use in Modern Age in Italy, but also in Europe,” wrote the authors of the study detailing this discovery. The study was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, and chronicles the group’s toxicological analyses on human remains that were located in a Milan hospital crypt.

“The presence of these two alkaloids evidences the use of the cannabis plant in the Italian population during the 17thcentury,” the authors wrote. After investigating the archived documentation of the hospital, the team found that cannabis was not administered as a medical treatment during the 1600s. “Thus, we hypothesize that the subjects under investigation used cannabis as a recreational substance,” the study said. The researchers caution, however, that they can’t rule out other sources of exposure related to medical treatments outside of the hospital.

A project in 2019 in western China also found evidence of the use of high-THC cannabis, with archeologists also discovering a smoking apparatus during the project that was used for consuming cannabis.
“It is quite likely that people came across cannabis plants at higher elevations that were naturally producing higher THC levels.” the researchers stated. Ancient artwork and references from Syria to China hint at an even earlier date of human cannabis use.
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Is Medical Cannabis Reform On Spain’s Horizon?

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Last month officials in Spain announced that they would be resuming discussions to pass a domestic medical cannabis regulatory measure. Currently, most of Spain’s domestic industry is completely unregulated, and legal medical cannabis is limited to exports.

According to a recent analysis, 84% of Spaniards support regulating medical cannabis per CIS data. A majority of lawmakers in Spain’s Parliament also reportedly support medical cannabis reform.

Unfortunately, historically there has existed a significant disconnect between cannabis opponents in Spain’s Parliament and the reality of what is truly going on in Spain’s communities. Spain’s cannabis consumption rate is greater than nearly every other nation on Earth, and hundreds of private cannabis clubs populate various parts of the country, yet meaningful reform and regulations have remained elusive.

The absence of a regulated domestic medical cannabis program has done nothing to deter people from consuming cannabis. Rather, it forces suffering patients to source their medicine from unregulated sources, which is far from an optimal situation. New reports surfaced this week that medical cannabis reform may be occurring in ‘the coming months.’ Per Business of Cannabis:

Spain’s newly appointed health minister has said that the country’s long-awaited medical cannabis law will be ready ‘in the coming months,’ as she makes good on her promise to kickstart progress.

Mónica García Gómez used her first appearance in Congress to reaffirm her commitment to establishing a medical cannabis framework in the country, more than a year after it was initially scheduled to be rolled out, laying out plans to ‘recover’ the conclusions that have already been approved by the lower house.

It remains unclear exactly when medical cannabis legislation will receive a vote in Spain’s Parliament, and for that matter, whether such a vote would prove to be favorable. However, momentum for such a measure does appear to be gaining steam in Spain, and it’s largely a matter of advocates in Spain’s Parliament overcoming the constant hurdles that are set up by opponents.

Lawmakers at the local and national levels need to work together in Spain to regulate medical cannabis products and commerce, rather than continue to stick their heads in the ground and let organized crime fill the void at the expense of public health outcomes.

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Why Is Cannabis Reform So Hard To Achieve In Ireland?

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Back in December 2022, Ireland’s Oireachtas Justice Committee issued a report in which it recommended that Ireland consider legalizing cannabis for adult use to help combat the unregulated market.

As we have learned via Germany’s legalization effort, members of the European Union are not permitted to legalize nationwide adult-use cannabis sales, however, member nations can reform laws in such a way that the main goal of reform is to reduce the consumption of cannabis sourced from the unregulated market.

Reforms involving permitting adults to cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis are within the parameters of continental agreements, as are noncommercial cannabis clubs and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot programs.

Unfortunately, a recent scheduled vote for an adult-use legalization measure was delayed for at least nine months in Ireland, as originally reported by Marijuana Moment:

The Irish government is proposing to delay a vote on advancing a bill to legalize marijuana possession by nine months, asserting that the issue requires consideration by a special committee.

Ryan McHale Crainn, executive committee member of the Irish drug policy reform organization Crainn, told Marijuana Moment that the “delay tactic from the Irish Government on cannabis decriminalisation is disappointing given the clear calls from the Citizens’ Assembly and overwhelming public support for the measure.”

Cannabis reform is gaining momentum in many European nations, largely led by Germany. Germany recently announced that its governing coalition has reached a final agreement, with the first components of the nation’s legalization model set to start on April 1st.

Once Germany legalizes, the Czech Republic is set to follow, and it’s virtually guaranteed that other nations will follow suit. The premise behind German legalization is the same as the premise that the previous Oireachtas Justice Committee report recommended – to end cannabis prohibition for personal use and allow nonprofit sources to operate to help eliminate the use of unregulated cannabis products.

Unfortunately, that may not happen for some time in Ireland due to the ongoing delay tactics being incorporated by cannabis opponents.

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Recreational Cannabis Ban Expected Next Week In Thailand

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

A lot can change in two years in the world of cannabis policy, and a great, and unfortunate, example of that can be found in Thailand. Less than two years ago, in June 2022, Thailand modernized its cannabis policies to permit adult-use cannabis cultivation and possession in instances involving cannabis varieties that are low in THC.

At the time, the measure was hailed as an amazing achievement for the global cannabis reform movement, with cannabis being removed from Thailand’s list of banned substances. The monumental policy shift served as a particularly big deal in the region where Thailand is located, with many countries in the area still having some of the harshest cannabis penalties on earth.

Thailand’s new approach involved permitting every household in the entire country to sign up to legally cultivate low-THC cannabis plants. There were no plant limits for the government’s cultivation program when it launched, and Thailand’s government even gave away over 1 million cannabis seeds directly to households that signed up.

A broad spectrum of government agencies in Thailand agreed leading up to the implementation to do their part to push Thailand’s emerging cannabis industry forward. Thailand also released thousands of people serving time for cannabis offenses. That all changed in August 2023 when a new prime minister was elected, with the new incumbent vocally opposing cannabis reform.

It is being reported that as early as next week a new cannabis measure will be introduced, with the goal of the measure being to make it clear that recreational cannabis use is strictly prohibited in Thailand. Per The Straits Times:

On Feb 6, Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said the new Bill, which bans the recreational use of cannabis, will be proposed at the Cabinet meeting next week.

“The new Bill will be amended from the existing one to only allow the use of cannabis for health and medicinal purposes,” he told reporters. “The use for fun is considered wrong.”

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office in August 2023, has frequently voiced his opposition to the recreational use of the drug and said it should be allowed only for medicinal use.

It is no secret that cannabis has proliferated in Thailand, however, that was by design. The previous government in Thailand did everything imaginable to make cannabis production a priority, and to make cannabis widely available.

Yet, just because cannabis is more widespread in Thailand does not automatically mean that there are significant issues resulting from it. What is currently legal in Thailand, and soon to be prohibited, is cannabis which has a very low THC content.

Compared to the cannabis in other countries, such as Canada, the cannabis in Thailand is fairly benign. Unfortunately, lawmakers and regulators do not see it that way, and it is presumed at this point that Thailand is about to go backward on its cannabis policies.

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What You Need To Know About German Cannabis Legalization

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

Germany’s governing coalition has reportedly reached an agreement and settled internal disputes about the nation’s current adult-use cannabis legalization measure. The first provisions of the measure, which pertain to personal freedoms, are expected to come into law on April 1, 2024. Below are major items that consumers and patients should know about.

Cultivation

The main initial way for adults to legally source cannabis in Germany once the new law takes effect is to cultivate it in their homes. Adults will be able to cultivate up to three plants in private for personal use according to the proposed measure. Personal cannabis cultivation is popular in other jurisdictions where it is permitted, including in jurisdictions where consumers have other options from which to legally source their cannabis like storefronts.

It’s virtually guaranteed that many adult consumers in Germany will choose to cultivate their cannabis, and that will, in turn, create massive opportunities overnight for companies that specialize in cultivation-related products and services such as seeds, grow lights, plant nutrients, harvesting equipment, odor control, and drying equipment.

Possession

In addition to being able to cultivate cannabis, adults in Germany will be able to possess a personal amount of cannabis. The possession limit will reportedly be set at 50 grams. In addition to the expressed legal possession limit, penalties for possessing slightly more than the legal threshold will be considered an ‘administrative violation’ rather than a criminal offense yielding jail time.

Narcotics De-listing

Cannabis will be removed from Germany’s Narcotics List once the new law is implemented, and the significance of that cannot be overstated. One thing that may not be on everyone’s radar, but should be, is that the de-listing of cannabis will improve safe access for medical cannabis patients by removing some hurdles in the medical cannabis supply chain and streamlining processes for pharmacies. Cannabis research will be easier to pursue, and hopefully academic institutions will begin to receive national and/or EU-provided funds for specific research projects.

Clubs

If the reported timeline stays on track, noncommercial cannabis clubs will start as early as July 1, 2024. Membership-based noncommercial clubs, from which adult consumers can legally source their cannabis, will be subjected to various regulations. One of the sticking points leading up to the recently reported final coalition agreement was the implementation of noncommercial clubs, and part of the coalition’s compromise was to stagger the implementation date. After the launch, non-commercial clubs will likely be common throughout most of Germany.

Future Reforms

All of the previously listed items are part of the ‘first phase’ of Germany’s legalization plan, often referred to as ‘the first pillar.’ The second phase/pillar involves the launch of regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot programs, similar to what is already in place in Switzerland, but on a significantly larger scale. Nationwide adult-use sales, similar to what is in place in Canada, will have to wait due to European Union restrictions.

However, if home cultivation is widespread, cannabis clubs are also widespread, and regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot programs are located in many jurisdictions throughout Germany, domestic access to legal cannabis will not be as big of a problem as some may think. With that being said, Germany needs to continue to lead the way at the European Union level, and hopefully the inevitable success of German legalization will kick those efforts into overdrive.