German Cannabis Assoc Report
2026-02-23 | The Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag addressed a submission on 23 February 2026 supported by nearly 60,000 signatories, as reported by the Pharmazeutische Zeitung. The petitioner, Henning Todt, spoke on behalf of almost 60,000 supporters “not for ideological reasons, but because they are concerned about the care of seriously ill patients,” according to reports including Ärzteblatt. He called for the planned tightening of the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) to be halted, arguing that banning online prescriptions and mail-order distribution of medical cannabis flowers would create an unjust two-tier system, particularly discriminating against immobile patients in rural areas. Todt maintained that local medical practices often represent a bottleneck and that many physicians are reluctant to prescribe due to lack of experience, making telemedicine an essential pillar of patient care.
State Secretary Georg Kippels of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) rejected this view and defended the government’s plans. He referred to a 400 percent surge in imports and argued that treatment with the high-risk substance cannabis requires ongoing personal contact between physician, pharmacist, and patient, rather than leaving oversight primarily to patients. He also suggested that medical controls may be systematically circumvented via specialized online platforms.
During the parliamentary questioning, the Union’s health policy spokesperson Simone Borchardt critically questioned the petitioner about his own prescription use and asked the BMG about deficiencies recorded since partial legalization. SPD politician Matthias Mieves described the petition as a strong democratic signal and acknowledged the benefits for pain patients, while at the same time criticizing aggressive marketing campaigns by platform operators. Linda Heitmann of the Green Party shared concerns about potential stigmatization of patients and referred to expert opinions indicating that banning online prescriptions for providers based in other EU countries could violate EU law. Representatives of the AfD raised questions regarding legal certainty for physicians and early detection of psychoses in cases of less frequent doctor contact.
In parallel, the ABDA (Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists) backed the BMG’s plans and even called for extracts to be included in the mail-order ban. By contrast, SPD legal policy spokesperson Carmen Wegge has already made clear that her parliamentary group will reject the tightening measures in their current form during the legislative process. The session was ultimately interrupted due to a medical emergency in the building, leaving a final vote pending before the bill proceeds to its second and third readings in the Bundestag in spring 2026. The recording of the Petitions Committee session is available online.
