Tag: Germany

Germany recently approved a draft law previously presented by the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir. The approved measure liberalizes industrial hemp in Germany and is intended to make it easier to cultivate industrial hemp and permit its use.

As part of the measure, the ‘abuse clause’ will be deleted and the indoor cultivation of industrial hemp will be expressly legal.

“Especially in times of climate crisis, we are removing obstacles from the path of farmers who want to try something new in their fields or in their halls. Industrial hemp offers our agriculture many opportunities: It contains hardly any THC, which causes highs, is undemanding, requires hardly any pesticides, fertilizers or water, improves soil and provides a habitat for insects.” Minister Özdemir stated.

“The harvest can be processed in a wide variety of ways, from food to textiles. The abuse clause criminalized actually innocent industrial hemp growers despite their best intentions. Now it is finally time to let the grass grow over it. And a lot of it, if possible, so that the innovative scene of industrial hemp growers and processors can continue to develop in Germany too.” Minister Özdemir also stated.

The German Cannabis Industry Association (BvCW) welcomed the central elements of the reform in its recent newsletter.

“Until now, even the theoretical possibility of a slight intoxication through the private consumption of large quantities of products has led to the entire value chain being punishable. This special German regulation is now being abolished.” BvCW stated about the recently approved measure.

“We are finally freed from these unnecessary hurdles. This is a major political step forward for industrial hemp and will contribute significantly to the growth of the industry.” Marijn Roersch van der Hoogte, Department Coordinator for industrial hemp at BvCW, stated.

“We are pleased about this important step and will actively support the further parliamentary process.” Jürgen Neumeyer, Managing Director of BvCW, commented.

BvCW pointed out in its coverage of the approved hemp measure the need for further hemp policy and regulatory changes in Germany, including raising the THC limit from 0.3 to 1.0% and providing funding and standardizing measurement methods for cannabinoid values.

“After the legalization of cannabis as a recreational drug, there is no longer any reason for many restrictions on the cultivation of industrial hemp. The Industrial Hemp Liberalization Act removes hurdles for hemp cultivation. In the parliamentary process, we will take a close look at whether the law is sufficient or whether it still needs to be improved. The potential of the plant as a supplier of oil and fiber is enormous. We should use it.” Karl Bär (The Greens) told BvCW.

Germany’s Judiciary recently announced that federal states have reviewed an estimated 279,000 past cannabis cases after adult-use legalization took effect in Germany on April 1st, 2024. Starting on April 1st, adult consumers in Germany can cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis within certain parameters.

“The most populous federal state, North Rhine-Westphalia, has the most reviews (86,000), followed by Bavaria (41,500) and Hesse (34,000). The smallest federal state, Bremen, has the fewest criminal records reviewed (531).” Augsburger Allgemeine reported (translated from German to English).

Cannabis prohibition previously cost Germany 1.3 billion euros a year according to an analysis by the Institute for Competition Economics (DICE) at the Heinrich Heine University in Duesseldorf. Reviewing old cannabis cases is a massive undertaking in Germany, and the huge number of reviews is a testament to how many lives were needlessly harmed in Germany due to prohibition.

“According to the evaluation, the judiciary in Bavaria has re-examined 41,500 cases, and the courts have so far received more than 6,200 cases for re-determination of sentences. The courts have already made a decision on this in around 3,500 cases. The Hessian authorities have already imposed sentences 450 times, and the sentence has been re-determined in a further 88 cases.” Augsburger Allgemeine also reported.

Meanwhile, in Bavaria, a reported 33 cannabis consumers have been recently released from incarceration thanks to Germany’s new cannabis laws.

“Since the partial legalization of cannabis on April 1, 2024, 33 incarcerated cannabis users have been released from prison in Bavaria.” stated the German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW) in a recent newsletter. The release of cannabis prisoners in Bavaria was first reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung.

In addition to cannabis being legal for adult use in Germany, recreational cannabis is also legal in Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, and South Africa, as well as at the local level in certain parts of the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States.

This year will go down in the history books as the most transformative year ever for German cannabis policy. The approval and continued implementation of the nation’s new CanG law has transformed Germany’s policy and industry landscape in ways that did not seem possible in decades past.

Adults in Germany can now cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis legally. Additionally, applications for German cultivation associations have been rolling in since the start of July, with reportedly over 200 applications being received so far.

Another major component of Germany’s legalization model involves the launch of regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials. Regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials involve permitting a limited number of producers, retailers, and adult consumers to create, distribute, and/or purchase legal cannabis for recreational purposes, with the data gathered from the pilot trials providing insight for national researchers, lawmakers, and regulators.

According to local reporting by Hassenschau, “a total of up to 25 cities want to take part” in German cannabis pilot research projects, which is more than what is currently operating in both Switzerland and the Netherlands combined. Although, even more German cities are expected to announce their intentions to launch pilots in the coming months.

An example can be found in Wiesbaden, a city in the western German state of Hesse, where officials recently published a letter of intent to participate in the nation’s eventual regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot program. The city’s letter of intent provides insight into the pilot trial application process.

“At the end of 2021, Wiesbaden city councilors had already decided that the state capital should pursue a model project for the distribution of cannabis through specialist shops together with other municipalities. On Thursday, August 15, Health Minister Milena Löbcke signed a letter of intent, which is a first step towards implementing the decision.” city officials stated in a recent press release.

“The Cannabis Research Germany association will soon apply for a nationwide and research-based model project under the scientific supervision of the Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research Hamburg at the federal level. In addition to Wiesbaden, other cities from all over Germany and the Rhine-Main region want to join this project. At the request of the Health Department, the pharmacies established in the city and with a high level of expertise are to be considered as future dispensing points for Wiesbaden. The Cannabis Coordination Office in the Health Department, which is currently being filled, will be primarily responsible for municipal support.” stated Wiesbaden officials.

“The final participation of the state capital Wiesbaden in the research project will be decided after the application has been approved by the Federal Office for Food and Agriculture, once the final framework conditions have been established by this office.” the city concluded.

Current European Union policies prohibit nationwide recreational sales, such as what is found in Canada. However, recreational commerce for research purposes is permitted under EU law. Back in February 2023, Switzerland’s first pilot research trial launched in Basel.

“So far, a total of nine pilot trials with cannabis for non-medical purposes have been authorized in various Swiss cities, among them the one in Zürich, which is the largest,” Daniel Dauwalde, media spokesman for Switzerland’s Federal Department of Home Affairs, stated in an email to Forbes in March 2024.

Pilot trials in the Netherlands launched earlier this summer, and currently, ten municipalities are part of the public policy research experiment. Pilot programs in Germany, combined with home cultivation and cultivation associations, will serve as the legal means by which adults can source their cannabis products in Germany for the foreseeable future.

Germany’s medical cannabis industry is the largest on the European continent, and thanks to recently adopted reforms via the nation’s new CanG law, safe access to medical cannabis therapies is more streamlined than ever before.

Lawmakers in Germany first approved the CanG law in February 2024, with the first provisions of the adult-use legalization measure taking effect on April 1st. Part of the CanG law involved the removal of cannabis from the nation’s Narcotics List, and that policy change ushered in a new era for Germany’s medical cannabis industry.

Suffering patients no longer have to jump through as many hoops to become official medical cannabis patients in Germany due to the policy change. Additionally, domestic medical cannabis production is no longer limited by arbitrary quota limits and the supply chain is more effective at getting medical cannabis products where they need to go.

Telemedicine, in which doctors assess patients over the web, is increasing in popularity worldwide. By harnessing technology, medical care is more accessible for suffering patients, especially patients who may be older and/or disabled. Telemedicine is being increasingly used by doctors evaluating patients for medical cannabis in Germany, and rightfully so.

Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about the new era of German cannabis policy. Lower Saxony’s Health Minister Andreas Philippi is reportedly aiming to end telemedicine for medical cannabis qualification purposes.

“It shouldn’t be so easy to facilitate recreational cannabis use with a ‘peace of mind’ package over just a few clicks on the internet,” the SPD politician stated according to local reporting by ASB Zeitung.

The Lower Saxony Medical Association has emphasized, according to reporting by ASB Zeitung, that lawmakers should “promptly examine whether this development aligns with legislative goals – such as improved health protection and controlled cannabis distribution.”

Leading up to the adoption of the CanG measure in Germany, lawmakers made it clear that the aim of the new approach to cannabis policy and regulation was to boost public health outcomes by getting more cannabis consumers, including patients, to source their cannabis by legal means rather than relying on the unregulated market.

With that in mind, the policy change appears to be working exactly as designed and in alignment with legislative goals. People are going to consume cannabis regardless of whether it is legal or not, and affording them legal avenues to acquire cannabis helps mitigate potential harm.

Adults in Germany can now cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis, as well as join one of the growing list of German cultivation associations from which to source their cannabis. Boosting medical cannabis access is part of the equation, but far from being the only component that people will rely on in Germany going forward. The eventual launch of pilot programs will add another legal avenue for consumers.

Whether or not cannabis is an effective therapy for a suffering patient is a decision that should be made by a patient and their medical care providers, which is exactly what happens when a suffering patient uses telemedicine to communicate with, and be evaluated by, their doctor. Fortunately, data is demonstrating that safe access is spreading in Germany.

“Since April 1, the medical cannabis market has almost doubled in Germany,” David Henn, CEO of the medical cannabis wholesaler Cannamedical, previously stated per original reporting by ntv.de.

The recent growth in Germany’s medical cannabis industry is also evident in new data published by Bloomwell Group. The brokerage service company ‘provides both doctors and pharmacies with a digital platform for medical cannabis.’ The company reported a “1,000 percent” increase in business since legalization started in Germany.

Prior to April 1st, researchers estimated that Germany had between 200k and 300k active medical cannabis patients. That number is projected to increase to as much as 5 million in the not-so-distant future.

A February 2024 market analysis by Zuanic & Associates determined that if 1% of Germany’s population (roughly 838,000 people) became cash-paying medical cannabis patients, the German medical market ‘could reach €1.7Bn in value by the end of 2025.’ If current trends persist, the 1% threshold could be surpassed far earlier.