German Cannabis Business Assoc
2026-05-13 | The 130th German Medical Assembly voted by a large majority in favor of significantly tightening the Medical Cannabis Act, according to Ärzteblatt. Delegates emphasized that access to cannabis for purely recreational purposes via commercial online providers must be prevented. German Medical Association President Klaus Reinhardt underscored the medical profession’s clear opposition to platform models that reduce physicians’ professional responsibilities to merely issuing prescriptions. The delegates further demanded that patients receiving cannabis therapy must have at least one in-person consultation per quarter in order to adequately assess risks such as addiction or psychiatric complications.
During the debate on the broader partial legalization framework, supporters of a rollback, including Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrik Streeck, advocated for stronger health protection measures and warned of a shift in the “boundaries of normality” among children and adolescents. In contrast, critics such as Detlef Lorenzen urged caution, pointing to the failure of past prohibition policies and arguing that prevention should take precedence over police repression. Delegate Christoph Eißler also sharply criticized calls for recriminalization, warning that such measures would push patients back toward a dangerous black market and noting that interim findings from the “EKOCAN” evaluation had not shown any negative trends in youth consumption. Thomas Lipp of the Saxony State Medical Association rejected these arguments, accusing critics of merely pursuing private consumption interests — a remark that was met with loud boos from the audience.
