Time flies, and Germany's groundbreaking Cannabis Reform Act (CanG) has celebrated its first birthday.
Since April 1, 2024, Germany has invested hundreds of millions of euros in the field of medical cannabis, avoided hundreds of thousands of criminal prosecutions, and millions of German citizens have enjoyed the right to use cannabis legally for free for the first time.
However, the reform remains controversial, and the issue is highly politicized. As discussions continue between the anti-cannabis Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union and the pro-cannabis Social Democratic Party to form a coalition government, the future of the German cannabis industry remains in question.
Whether the new coalition will try to repeal the Cannabis Reform Act (CanG), the law has already had a lasting impact on Germany's economy and society. After a year, this genie will be challenging to put back in the bottle.
The impact of the Cannabis Act on Germany
The Cannabis Control Act (CanG) officially came into effect on April 1, 2024, allowing adults to legally possess, consume, and grow up to three cannabis plants at home. Germany then implemented further regulations on July 1, 2024, allowing for the formation of non-profit cultivation associations that enable members to grow and distribute cannabis for adult use.
While Germany's nationwide legalization of adult-use cannabis is not the first such policy change implemented in Europe, it is undoubtedly one of the most essential legalization bills in Europe.
One of the most impactful aspects of the bill, especially from an economic perspective, is the removal of cannabis from the list of narcotic drugs. This change has led to a boom in Germany's medical cannabis industry.
According to the German Cannabis Industry Association (BvCW), the law has promoted three booms.
1. Medical Cannabis
The German medical cannabis program has proven to be the biggest winner of the new CanG Act. In 2024, investment in the German cannabis industry will reach 300 million euros, of which about 240 million euros will be used to promote the booming medical market. In addition, the association also stated that it expects the German cannabis industry to generate revenues of about 1 billion euros by 2025.
While this helps with the cannabis business, the Federal Association of Medicinal Cannabinoid Companies (BPC) believes that it also benefits the country's medical cannabis patient care.
"The large investments in the medical cannabis industry highlight the growing importance of the sector for sustainable healthcare in Germany. This strong development makes an important contribution to ensuring that patients receive high-quality, guaranteed cannabinoid care," said Antonia Menzel, president of the Association of Cannabinoid Companies (BPC).
The latest official medical cannabis import data reflects this rapidly surging market, with the law benefiting not only domestic cannabis clinics but also international suppliers.
According to the latest data from the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Germany's total imports of dried cannabis flower from abroad for medical and medical scientific purposes will exceed 70 tons per quarter in 2024, compared to just 32 tons a year ago.
In the last quarter of 2024, Germany imported 31,691 kilograms of dried cannabis flower, up 53% from 20,654 kilograms in the previous quarter.
Imports increased by a staggering 272% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, before the cannabis law was implemented in April 2024.
Cannabis companies' independent data further confirm this. Earlier this year, Bloomwell Group, one of Germany's largest medical cannabis operators, reported a 1,000% increase in the number of prescriptions received by cannabis pharmacies between March and December last year following the legal change on April 1.
2. Home growing and cultivation associations
According to the latest data from the industry intelligence agency Prohibition Partners' upcoming European Cannabis Report: 10th Edition, more than 500 applications have been submitted for cannabis associations across Germany as of March 2025. Still, only about 190 have been granted licenses. Cultivation associations recruit adults as members, through whose membership they can legally purchase cannabis from the association.
The federal states that have issued the most licenses are North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Rhineland-Palatinate, which together account for about 60% of the total number of permits issued in Germany.
In addition, the German cannabis industry association (BvCW) said there had been a "boom" in home cultivation, driving sales of seeds, fertilizers, lights, and growing equipment such as grow tents.
"These products sell out in a few weeks or months. In a representative survey, 11% of participants said they wanted to grow cannabis at home. The new law creates jobs and promotes economic growth."
3. Successful in reducing crime
The Traffic Light Alliance's key argument in promoting the CanG bill is that it will reduce crime, curb the black market, and give the judiciary and law enforcement time to focus on more serious crimes.
One of the new cannabis law's main successes is its reduced impact on the country's criminal justice system. Legalization has allowed German law enforcement to focus on fighting real crime and free up its resources to deal with more important crimes.
According to Der Spiegel, in the months since partial legalization, about 100,000 criminal prosecutions have been avoided. The publication noted: "In Bavaria, the region most critical of cannabis, the number of cannabis-related crimes fell by 56% to 15,270 last year. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the number of cannabis-related crimes in the state fell by more than half (53%) in 2024 compared with the previous year."
According to further police and crime statistics obtained by Der Spiegel, drug crime in Germany fell by about a third in 2024, and the overall crime rate in the country fell by 1.7%. There is simply no evidence that the law has led to a "drug crime surge" or other disasters, as rumored in CDU/CSU circles.
A previous analysis by the Institute for Competition Economics at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf found that legalizing adult use could save the German police and judiciary up to 1.3 billion euros per year.
However, the Ministry of the Interior has refuted this assessment, saying, "There is no evidence that partial legalization has in any way curbed the illegal market or reduced demand."
What do people think?
According to a recent survey published by global seed company Royal Queen Seeds, 51% of German parents believe that homegrown cannabis is safer than cannabis bought on the street. In comparison, the international figure rises to 57%.
Less than half of German adults surveyed (40%) support the reform. Seniors over 65 and retirees remain the most skeptical, while those under 40 are more likely to support the reform. Nearly 50% of the public believes that the new regulations will improve public awareness of cannabis.
Meanwhile, 41% of German cannabis consumers plan to grow their cannabis by 2025, 77% of home growers see value in personal cultivation, and 75% believe that consuming homegrown cannabis is safer.
A separate representative survey conducted by YouGov involving more than 2,000 participants showed that 45% of Germans are willing to talk to their doctors about medical cannabis. While only 7% have already discussed the topic with their healthcare provider, another 38% said they would do so if there were a medical need.
In most cases, it is the patient, not the doctor, who initiates the conversation. Only 2% of adults aged 45-54 said their doctor had recommended cannabis therapy. That number dropped to just 1.2% among those aged 55 and over.
In contrast, younger groups reported slightly more doctor-led discussions: 5.8% of 25-34-year-olds and 5.3% of 35-44-year-olds said their doctors had broached the idea.
Despite growing acceptance, cannabis stigma remains a barrier. Nearly 6% of respondents said that even if they were personally open to cannabis, they would avoid discussing it with their doctor for fear of being judged.
However, the younger generation appears to be more proactive, with 49% of those under 34 saying they would immediately consult their family doctor about cannabis as a medical option if needed.
Overall, after a year, Germany's legalization of cannabis has proven to be a success in many ways. However, the full implementation of the cannabis bill has encountered obstacles in some areas, including the lack of regional pilot trials for adult-use cannabis retail. Germany's Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food has reportedly begun accepting pilot applications, so the long-awaited adult-use cannabis pilot project is about to begin.
