Frankfurt Regional Court Prohibits Bloomwell Advertising with Rapper Sido
26-01-13 | According to a press release by the North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists (AKNR), the Regional Court of Frankfurt has issued a preliminary injunction against the telemedicine platform Bloomwell. The company is prohibited from using musician Sido to advertise medical cannabis. The court also banned the practice of offering free medical prescriptions as an incentive when purchasing cannabis products. According to AKNR, the use of prominent personalities violates the German Drug Advertising Act (HWG), as their fame could encourage the consumption of medical products. Offering medical services free of charge also constitutes a violation of competition law.
According to Apotheke Adhoc, the prohibited advertising specifically referred to the slogan “Rezept jetzt kostenlos & Blüten bequem geliefert” (“Prescription now free & flowers conveniently delivered”). Bloomwell had promoted a limited‑time campaign in which customers could receive a free medical prescription when purchasing medical cannabis, apparently restricted to certain products. Media reports indicate that these products were from the brand “Siggis Pharm,” sold exclusively via the platform and linked to companies such as MeinBlock (Cologne) and manufacturer Demecan. The banned Sido campaign reportedly ran under the headline “Mit Sido zu Deinem Cannabis‑Rezept” (“Get your cannabis prescription with Sido”).
Dr. Bettina Mecking, legal counsel for AKNR, sharply criticised the platform, warning that such providers prioritise sales to recreational users rather than patient care. Advertising with musicians is fundamentally inappropriate and unprofessional in this sensitive area. Dr. Morton Douglas, the chamber’s attorney, added that Bloomwell’s business model ignores legal health‑protection requirements and poses risks especially to young people. By trivialising the medical product, genuine pain patients who rely on serious treatment are further stigmatised. The court’s decision is seen by the pharmacy profession as an important signal to policymakers.
Source: German Cannabis Business Assoc
Au revoir, Sido: Platform is no longer allowed to advertise medical cannabis with rap musicians
January 13, 2026
The North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists continues to successfully crack down on platforms that apparently offer medical cannabis for recreational purposes. „Advertising with musicians – in this case with rapper Sido – we consider it fundamentally inadmissible and also dubious“, comments Dr. Bettina Mecking, legal advisor and managing director of the North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists. „This makes it clear once again that online platforms like Bloomwell and others are not about patients –but about making a quick buck with leisure consumers without any need for treatment.“
The Frankfurt Regional Court (LG) has granted an application by the AKNR for an interim injunction against Bloomwell. According to this, it is inadmissible both to advertise with the artist Sido and also to offer free prescriptions as an addition to the sale of medical cannabis. „Because the opposing side has not come forward and no protective letter has been filed, we will now have the preliminary injunction served by a bailiff“, explains Dr. Morton Douglas, lawyer at the law firm Friedrich Graf von Westphalen, who has successfully represented the AKNR for many years. „Bloomwell and other platforms continue to persistently ignore all health protection regulations and are always looking for new ways to circumvent legal requirements.As long as politicians do not put a stop to this cat-and-mouse game and the associated trivialization of medical cannabis, young people in particular will be exposed to narcotic drugs. At the same time, real patients are stigmatized by this dubious behavior because they urgently need medical cannabis.“
Background: A free medical prescription as an addition to the purchase of medical cannabis violates § 7 HWG and § 11 para. 1 no. 2 HWG prohibits the advertising of medicines and treatments by „persons who, due to their fame, can encourage the consumption of medicines“. „These are only the violations brought to the attention of the AKNR. It is to be feared that the use of well-known people and influencers will continue to increase in the field of pharmaceuticals, even though the Medicines Advertising Act clearly prohibits this “, fear Dr. Mecking and Dr. Douglas.
This decision highlights the urgent need for legislative action against the business models of such platforms. Particularly in view of the upcoming hearing on the adaptation of the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) in the Health Committee tomorrow Wednesday, it is once again clear how important the planned tightening measures are. The practices of these providers have nothing to do with proper drug supply. Rather, aggressive advertising methods are used to target younger audiences in particular and encourage them to order potentially hazardous substances.
The procedure also shows that Bloomwell and similar providers are not telemedicine providers, but pure drug delivery platforms. Giving away medical services is a clear sign that medical treatment is merely a necessary evil for these providers. This is disrespectful to doctors and proves that patients cannot expect serious treatment there.
The AKNR appeals to politicians not to be fooled by the platform operators. It must be recognized that their goal is solely to sell at all costs – not to use medical cannabis responsibly.
About us: Chamber of Pharmacists North Rhine
The North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists (AKNR) is a public corporation that is responsible for the professional self-government of pharmacists who work or live in the administrative districts of Cologne and Düsseldorf. It represents the interests of the more than 12,200 members of the Chamber who work in community pharmacies, hospitals, science, industry and administration or in the Bundeswehr. The local pharmacy assumes a sovereign task: the safe, health-related, local supply of medicines and aids to people, 365 days a year, around the clock.
Also read
Federal Court of Justice Examines Drug Advertising Ban for Cannabis Referral Portals
26-01-12 | The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) announced that its First Civil Senate will hear a case on 12 February 2026 concerning the legality of online platforms that arrange medical cannabis treatments. The plaintiff, the Centre for Protection Against Unfair Competition, is suing a company that brokers appointments with cooperating physicians in exchange for payment. The plaintiff argues that the platform violates §10(1) of the Drug Advertising Act (HWG), which prohibits public advertising for prescription‑only medicines.
In the previous instance, the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt partially upheld the claim. The court found that the defendant’s website went beyond purely informational content and pursued a targeted advertising intent. The content was designed to encourage users to pressure cooperating physicians into issuing cannabis prescriptions, thereby promoting the sale of these medicines. The court also considered the company’s corporate structure: sister companies operate in pharmaceutical wholesale and cannabis pharmacy marketplaces, indicating a clear economic interest in product sales.
With its appeal (Case No. I ZR 74/25), the defendant seeks to have the claim dismissed. The key question for the BGH is whether the activities of a referral platform already constitute impermissible medical product advertising, even if the final therapeutic decision remains with the physician. The ruling is highly anticipated, as it could have significant implications for the business models of numerous telemedicine platforms involved in cannabis care.
