Tag: Germany

Last month, Germany’s Health Ministry released a draft medical cannabis amendment that seeks to roll back Germany’s medical cannabis regulations significantly. The proposed changes contained within the draft amendment include:

• Mandatory in-person doctor consultations
• A ban on mail-order medical cannabis dispensing
• Stricter rules for medical cannabis prescriptions

Fortunately, not everyone in Germany’s governing coalition is in favor of the proposed changes. Leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was recently asked what the SPD’s position on the draft amendment is, and what the SPD will do to oppose the announced amendment.

“The Federal Ministry of Health wants to restrict telemedicine and prescribe only after personal contact and no longer allow mail delivery.” a concerned member of the public asked on the platform Abgeordnetenwatch (translated from German to English), as originally reported by krautinvest. “What is the SPD’s position on this? And what, if anything, does it intend to do to oppose the change?”

“The Ministry of Health, under the new Union Minister Warken, has now presented a draft bill intended to address the increase in imports of medical cannabis. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, this is primarily due to the increased use of private prescriptions for self-payers via online platforms, without any doctor-patient contact. Therefore, misuse of medical cannabis is assumed. The ministry has stated that, for patient protection, it intends to ensure consultation before consumption and therefore restrict online sales.” Ms. Carmen Wegge, SPD member of the German Bundestag, stated in her response to the inquiry (translated from German to English).

As alluded to by Ms. Wegge in her response to the inquiry, Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) recently published medical cannabis import data for the second quarter of 2025, and once again, Germany’s emerging legal medical cannabis industry set a new record for import totals.

In the second quarter of 2025, Germany imported 43.257 tonnes of medical cannabis products according to BfArM’s data. That is an increase over the previous record set in Q1 2025 of 37.519 tonnes, and a significant increase compared to Q2 2024 when Germany imported 11.634 tonnes of medical cannabis products. Below is a graph of historical import totals from BfArM:

“For us as the SPD, however, in addition to protecting and adequately advising patients, it is crucial to ensure reliable, local, and accessible care. Digital care is particularly important for people with chronic and/or serious illnesses, as well as in areas with inadequate primary care. Therefore, we will not support the current version of the bill under any circumstances.” Ms. Wegge also stated.

“In the upcoming discussions, we will therefore develop a solution that will ensure that medicinal cannabis remains readily accessible to all patients who need it, while simultaneously ensuring patient protection. The initial draft bill from the Federal Ministry of Health will now be discussed with experts in the ministry and subsequently debated in the cabinet before a decision is made there and a potential draft bill from the ministry is submitted to the Bundestag. In the Bundestag, it will be discussed in the relevant specialist committees, and Struck’s Law applies, which stipulates that no bill leaves committee deliberations in the same condition as it was submitted. Many negotiation steps will therefore still take place before a possible decision is made in the Bundestag, and we as the SPD will advocate for a good solution for patients.” Ms. Wegge added.

“Even though we must primarily defend the drug policy achievements of the last legislative period, we will not lose sight of the goal. I remain convinced that full legalization of cannabis, in compliance with European law, and its sale in licensed specialist stores is the best way forward, and that medical care must be made as simple as possible. I can assure you that I will fight for political majorities that make this possible, and I will not shy away from discussions with the Union.” Ms. Carmen Wegge concluded.

(The featured image of this article of Bundestag member Carmen Wegge is a photo by Anna Voelske.)

As the summer months of 2025 are coming to an end and the autumn season approaches, the eyes of the international cannabis community will continue to be fixed on Germany, where policymakers, regulators, and researchers are expected to make some major announcements that could prove to be pivotal for the future of Germany’s industry.

The first interim report from the ongoing EKOCAN evaluation of Germany’s Consumer Cannabis Act (KCanG) is scheduled for release on October 1, 2025. The evaluation will consider, among other things:

• Consumption rates and behaviors of various age groups
• Cannabis use prevention among youth
• Impact on public health outcomes, including mental health
• Public roadway safety
• Impacts on criminal activity
• Impacts on Germany’s court system

“To this end, a wide variety of data will be compiled (e.g., from ongoing studies on the topic or from public administration), our own surveys will be conducted (e.g., with public organizations directly involved in the topic, as well as consumers and cultivation associations), and the data will finally be evaluated with regard to the aforementioned overarching objectives.” states the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) on its website (translated from German to English).

“The evaluation will make an important contribution to answering the question of how the law is being implemented in everyday life and whether the intended effects of the law are being achieved. Furthermore, the evaluation should provide reliable evidence for potentially necessary legislative adjustments.” BMG also states.

Some initial findings from the EKOCAN project and its project manager, Dr. Jakob Manthey, have already surfaced via original reporting by krautinvest. One of the major takeaways from the initial findings is that reported cannabis consumption rates were already on the rise in Germany leading up to the enactment of the CanG law, and Dr. Manthy determined that the rise was due to older individuals reporting cannabis use.

Regarding younger consumers, which is a demographic often focused on by cannabis opponents in their talking points, Dr. Manthy “sees no anomalies since the Cannabis Act came into force,” according to krautinvest’s reporting, and that Dr. Manthy doesn’t assume “that any changes can be attributed to the Cannabis Act.”

Other high-level takeaways from the initial evaluation findings are that there aren’t enough cannabis cultivation associations in Germany, that there are no “short-term changes” regarding public roadway safety, legalization has not increased reported mental illnesses, and that the CanG law has significantly lowered cannabis-related criminal offenses in Germany. It will be interesting to see if those initial findings are included in the upcoming interim report in October.

Another major item that members of the cannabis community inside and outside of Germany need to have on their radars relates to decisions on pending applications for regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot projects. The pending applications and looming decisions were touched on in the German Cannabis Business Association’s (BvCW) recent newsletter.

“To date, 58 applications for research projects have been submitted under Section 2 (4) of the KCanG, 32 of which are so-called model projects. The first decisions on applications by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food are expected in the third quarter of 2025.” BvCW wrote in its newsletter this week (translated from German to English).

Regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are part of the second phase of Germany’s legalization model, and were initially expected to launch by the end of 2024. However, German pilot launches have experienced a series of delays.

Hopefully the delays have run their course, and approvals will be announced soon. Adult-use pilot trials are already operating in the Netherlands and Switzerland, with no major issues being reported.

One of the main components of Germany’s adult-use cannabis legalization model is permitting consumers to join a member-based cultivation association. German cultivation associations are also sometimes referred to as ‘cannabis social clubs.’

Per our prior reporting, as of last month, 293 cultivation association applications had been approved by regulators in Germany, and hundreds more applications are pending. At least one application had been approved in every German state except Saarland. The southwestern German state was a notable holdout, but it has reportedly finally approved its first application.

“In Saarland, the first Cannabis Social Club (CSC) has received a permit from the state government to cultivate cannabis communally.” reported Saarbrücker Zeitung in its local reporting (translated from German to English). “The responsible Ministry of the Environment announced this in response to an inquiry by the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ).”

“Saarland is thus the last federal state to issue a cultivation permit. The Saarland SPD state government had spoken out against the legalization of cannabis in the Bundesrat (Federal Council).” the outlet also reported.

Starting on July 1st, 2024, adults in Germany can apply to their local authority to launch a cultivation association. Once approved, adult cannabis consumers in Germany can become members of the association and source products legally. German adults can only be members of one association at any given time, and additional association regulations apply.

Whereas current European Union agreements prohibit national adult-use cannabis sales, such as what is occurring in Canada and Uruguay, EU agreements do permit member nations to allow cultivation associations since they fall under the umbrella of boosting public health outcomes. Malta also includes cultivation associations in its national recreational legalization model.

A major premise of the European recreational cannabis policy modernization effort is that when adults consume regulated cannabis or cannabis that they cultivate themselves, it is better for public health outcomes compared to when adults consume cannabis from unregulated sources.

That premise is the basis for the European Union allowing Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and the Czech Republic to adopt national adult-use cannabis legalization measures. Recreational cannabis legalization measures are also currently being considered in Slovenia and Switzerland.

Last month, Germany’s Ministry of Health released a draft amendment that, if approved, would negatively impact the nation’s medical cannabis program, and with it, Germany’s suffering patients and emerging industry. As proposed, the draft amendment would:

• Mandate in-person doctor consultations
• Ban on mail-order medical cannabis dispensing
• Impose stricter rules for medical cannabis prescriptions

Pushback to the draft amendment by medical cannabis patients, advocates, and industry members was swift. The German Hemp Association (DHV) recently issued its own statement calling for the proposed amendment to be defeated.

“Telemedical prescriptions of cannabis medications and online delivery were already possible before the MedCanG “in the days of the Narcotics Act.” The planned changes would essentially catapult us back to pre-digital times when it comes to cannabis medicine, while the federal government otherwise wants to catch up with its significant lag in digitalization. This not only feels anachronistic for citizens and patients in Germany, but is likely to cause head-scratching abroad as well. No online delivery of (cannabis) medications? Picking everything up in person? In Canada and the USA, this will be hard to believe. This is reminiscent of the strength of the pharmacist lobby, just as it is in Germany.” stated DHV in a recent news release (translated from German to English).

DHV is calling out the apparent selective focus by the Ministry of Health on cannabis flower but not cannabis extracts. Germany has experienced exponential growth in medical cannabis flower imports over the last year. However, the increase in exports has not been directly tied to any increase in public health issues.

“It is unclear why the planned regulations should only apply to cannabis flowers and not to extracts with significantly higher THC concentrations. The justification merely states that the import of flowers has increased significantly. However, it is likely that the import of extracts is also likely to have increased significantly from the first to the second half of 2024. However, the Federal Ministry of Health does not provide any figures on this. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) also does not provide any information on the development of extracts. Furthermore, it is unclear whether and to what extent extracts are produced and distributed within Germany after the import of cannabis flowers. ” DHV points out.

“Without data on the import of extracts and the processing of flowers into extracts within Germany, an objective assessment is impossible, and a one-sided restriction on flowers is incomprehensible. For years, we have seen a one-sided negative portrayal of flowers compared to other cannabis medications because they resemble the traditional recreational drug cannabis, even though the flowers certainly have their justification for medical use through simple inhalation.” DHV also stated in its news release.

DHV’s full statement can be read at this link here, and people are encouraged to read it in its entirety. Readers can also check out our previous coverage of statements from other advocates and organizations, as well as information on where to sign petitions against the draft amendment, at this link here.

Germany’s medical cannabis community is resiliant, as demonstrated by swift and largely united pushback from medical cannabis advocates against a recently published draft amendment to the country’s Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG).

The changes are being proposed by Germany’s Ministry of Health despite the effectiveness and safety of telemedicine services. As drafted, the amendment would negatively impact safe access in Germany, and the nation’s most vulnerable medical cannabis patients would suffer as a result. The proposed changes contained within the draft amendment include:

• Mandatory in-person doctor consultations
• A ban on mail-order medical cannabis dispensing
• Stricter rules for medical cannabis prescriptions

“Health Minister Warken sees mail-order sales and anonymous online prescriptions as a gateway for misuse, which is promoted by commercial platforms. However, the draft does not appear to have been agreed upon with the coalition partner, the SPD , yet . The industry is calling for differentiated solutions instead of blanket bans. Reputable providers are advocating for stricter standards in telemedicine, but against a complete ban on digital care. A mail-order ban would once again push patients onto the black market and overburden pharmacies and practices.” stated the German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW) in a recent newsletter (translated from German to English).

“Security of supply, for example through rare varieties or short-term availability, has so far been better ensured through digital processes. In light of the planned evaluation of the Cannabis Act in the fall, platforms and patient representatives are calling for a fact-based dialogue with politicians – otherwise, there is a risk of setbacks in patient care and the re-criminalization of many chronically ill people.” BvCW also wrote.

“Healthcare should never depend on your zip code or bank balance,” said David Barnan, Chief Marketing Officer at DoktorABC, in a press release. “We are watching with great concern as Germany moves toward a two-tier healthcare system. In major cities, those with money receive treatment, while patients in rural areas are left behind. The proposed restrictions on telemedicine prescribing of cannabis and mail-order sales of medicines would push tens of thousands of legitimate medical cannabis patients back to ineffective therapies—or, worse, into the unregulated market.”

“For many patients, a doctor’s visit can cost up to €100 out of pocket—and that doesn’t even include travel expenses, lost time from work, or the cost of caregivers,” Barnan also stated. “And most local pharmacies simply can’t stock the full range of cannabis flowers that doctors prescribe. Patients will be forced to travel from pharmacy to pharmacy just to find their medication. Smaller local stocks also keep prices high. Faced with rising costs and repeated supply shortages, many patients will forgo treatment—or turn to the black market, where there is no medical oversight.”

“Telemedicine is not a loophole—it’s a lifeline that lowers costs, expands access, and keeps patients in regulated care,” Barnan said.

“We call on legislators to protect digital consultation channels and ensure the shipping and delivery of legally prescribed medical cannabis from pharmacies. Where additional security measures are necessary, they should be specifically enhanced—but patients must not be cut off from effective, physician-assisted access.” states a petition started by DoktorABC on Change.org. As of the posting of this article, the petition has been signed by 17,289 people.

“Mail-order sales by German pharmacies should remain possible – especially with regard to chronically ill people who are limited in their mobility.” stated health politician Simone Borchardt (CDU), according to local reporting by Handelsblatt (translated from German to English). “If shipping from abroad is stopped while maintaining domestic shipping, we will strengthen the pharmacy landscape in Germany and improve care, especially in rural areas. A complete ban, however, goes too far.”

“For hundreds of thousands of people, medical cannabis is the only effective treatment. Nevertheless, due to concerns about abuse, centralized care channels such as telemedicine and mail-order delivery are being restricted – contrary to current healthcare practices and without consulting those affected.” states a separate petition launched by Grünhorn Group (translated from German to English). “A telemedicine ban would hurt the wrong people: the patients. The black market would profit.”

“Telemedicine access is to be severely limited, and the shipping of medical cannabis flowers by pharmacies is to be prohibited. This would likely result in at least halving the current market volume. This raises questions about the BMG’s motives.” pointed out krautinvest in a recent article.

“The high demand for online offerings is not the problem, but a symptom of a sick healthcare system that is failing to adequately fulfill its mandate. New hurdles do not lead to better standard care—instead, they lead to fewer options and longer journeys for those affected. A ban on flower shipping threatens conditions that are more restrictive than when cannabis was still a narcotic.” stated Stefan Konikowski, Board Member of Berliner Cannabis Hilfe eV (Berlin Cannabis Help Association).

“In the interest of patients, we demand that the market for medical cannabis, as well as related (tele)medical, pharmaceutical, and other care-related services, be sensibly regulated and controlled through existing laws. Particular consideration must be given to patient welfare, security of supply, and low-threshold access.” Stefan Konikowski also stated (translated from German to English).