German Cannabis Business Assoc – Newsletter
2025-08-01 | The federal government has integrated the evaluation of the Cannabis Consumption Act (KCanG), as agreed in the coalition agreement of CDU, CSU, and SPD, into the ongoing EKOCAN project led by the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), according to a parliamentary inquiry from the Green Party faction led by Linda Heitmann. In addition to consumption patterns, health effects, and impacts on road traffic, crime, and the judiciary, additional criteria such as health protection and child and youth protection will be assessed, reports Deutsches Ärzteblatt. Planned analyses include the prevalence of mental illnesses, unreported crime cases, and the relief of police and judiciary workloads. An interim report is scheduled for 2025-10-01. Representatives from federal, state, and local governments as well as professional associations are involved in the scientific advisory board.
So far, 58 applications for research projects under § 2 para. 4 KCanG have been submitted, 32 of which are so-called model projects. The Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) is expected to make the first decisions on applications in Q3 2025.
ALSO
Further criticism of the federal government’s planned restriction on medical cannabis
2025-08-08 | The planned amendment to more strictly regulate the prescription of medical cannabis continues to meet sharp criticism within the industry, reports Handelsblatt. It is envisaged that cannabis flowers may only be prescribed after a personal doctor consultation and that mail-order sales would be banned. Industry representatives such as Patrick Hoffmann (Cantourage) and Adrian Fischer (Demecan) warn of a market collapse of up to 60 percent with negative consequences for jobs and tax revenues. Since the partial legalization in 2024, the industry has particularly benefited from the expansion of telemedical prescriptions and online sales, which has led to significant increases in revenues and employment.
The Federal Ministry of Health sees the sharply increased cannabis imports primarily as a consequence of self-paying customers using telemedicine platforms that often mediate prescriptions without personal doctor contact with just a few clicks. Industry representatives, however, criticized that reliable data on self-payers are lacking and that the increased demand could also be due to improved access to medical cannabis. The planned restrictions could, however, make access to care more difficult for patients, especially in rural regions, and possibly drive them back to the black market. Experts also pointed out that shipping bans could complicate the care and supply of immobile or seriously ill patients. Some companies are relying on combined models of in-person and telemedical offerings to ensure access despite new regulation.
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Shipping ban on medical cannabis could endanger patient care
2025-08-07 | The planned amendment to the Medical Cannabis Act envisages a ban on the shipment of cannabis flowers, which, according to an analysis by the platform Bloomwell, could endanger the supply of around 50 percent of cannabis patients in Germany, reports apotheke-adhoc. In several federal states, specialized pharmacies are said to be completely lacking or only very sporadically available, meaning many affected patients would have to travel long distances. Especially in rural regions, the nearest pharmacy specialized in cannabis could be more than 100 kilometers away.
The analysis shows a clear north–south gradient: patient numbers in the south, such as in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, are significantly above the national average, while they are well below in eastern and northern Germany. With the draft, the Federal Ministry of Health plans tighter regulation, which among other things envisages a personal doctor contact for follow-up prescriptions and the exclusion of online shipping. Critics such as Bloomwell CEO Niklas Kouparanis see this as a breach of supply commitments and warn that many patients could be pushed to the illegal market as a result. The new regulation could pose a significant access barrier, particularly for patients with mobility impairments.
Hemp Association criticizes planned shipping ban on cannabis flowers
2025-08-06 | The German Hemp Association has expressed strong criticism in its statement on the draft amendment to the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) regarding the planned ban on mail-order trade in cannabis flowers, reports apotheke-adhoc. The envisaged requirement for personal doctor contact and dispensing in stationary pharmacies is a “step backwards to pre-digital times” and above all a victory for the “pharmacists’ lobby.” The ban would primarily affect telemedicine platforms and specialized online pharmacies and endanger jobs. The association warned of more doctor-hopping, increased demand on the black market, and additional burdens for patients with limited mobility and those living in rural areas. It also criticized that the regulation is to apply only to flowers and not to highly concentrated extracts, and called for the introduction of cannabis specialty stores as well as better cost coverage by health insurers.
