Germany: ACM Prepares Legal Action: 65,000 Patients Affected by Reimbursement Ban

2026-07-30 | According to the ACM, approximately 65,000 patients in Germany are affected by the reimbursement ban on medical cannabis flowers that entered into force on 30 July 2026. The Working Group on Cannabis as Medicine (ACM), together with attorney Professor Oliver Tolmein, is preparing legal measures including emergency applications and a constitutional complaint to challenge the new legislation. The organization is also encouraging affected patients to inform Members of the German Bundestag about the practical consequences of the reimbursement ban and to advocate for its repeal.According to a subsequent ACM published on 2026-08-02, the exclusion of cannabis flowers from reimbursement originated from a recommendation by former Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) Chair Professor Josef Hecken, who reportedly stated that he was not particularly familiar with medical cannabis but nevertheless advocated a mandatory six-month preference for authorized cannabis medicines. In this context, ACM criticizes alleged connections involving Germany’s new Federal Minister of Health, Carsten Linnemann, as well as controversial political donations made by entrepreneur Clemens Fischer of Futrue GmbH. As Fischer is also the founder of Vertanical, the manufacturer of the authorized cannabis medicine Exilby, ACM argues that the circumstances raise concerns regarding possible corruption.