It was clear at the International Cannabis Business Conference, held in Berlin recently, that Germany’s legal marijuana market is the most dynamic in the world. Global investors, entrepreneurs and other industry providers want to break into Germany’s new industry.
As the legal cannabis market in Germany grows, so do options for medical cannabis consumers and patients. Germany’s first medical cannabis sale was in 2017. The country’s first provisions for adult use legalization came into effect in the middle of 2024.
Germany is the best place to be a cannabis patient or consumer
The laws in Germany for medical and recreational cannabis are not perfect. This is also true for all jurisdictions that allow cannabis use. Germany has the most modernized cannabis policy in Europe, and is therefore the best country to live as a consumer or patient.
Germany’s medical cannabis patients have increased dramatically over the past 12 months. Beau Whitney of Whitney Economics, a leading international marijuana economist, wrote in a recent newsletter that Germany had traditionally been able to boast a large legal medical cannabis industry.
Europe’s Largest Legal Medical Cannabis Market
The nation already had the biggest legal medical marijuana market in Europe before its CanG law for adult use was passed in April 2024. This removed cannabis from Germany’s Narcotics list. With the removal of marijuana from Germany’s Narcotics list, and the growth of telemedicine in Germany, the number of patients has increased significantly.
“There has been a consistent number of between 200k – 300k medical patients,” Beau Whitney wrote in his newsletter. “As a result of this new innovation, there is now an additional 500k – 600k self-paying consumers participating in the legal market.”
In Germany, the legal market is currently 800k consumers. As a comparison, the 800k consumer market represents 10% to 20% of total demand, and the capacity and supply at the end 2024 represent nearly 15%.
German pharmacies are now more likely to offer legal medical marijuana products, a sign of the growing demand.
“Patients are able to order cannabis with a prescription from a doctor and receive it at their house.” The German Cannabis Business Association BvCW reported that around 2,500 out of 17,000 pharmacies offer medical marijuana. The industry is estimated to have a revenue of around 500 million euros.
Import Statistic Reveals Increased Demand for Legal Medical Cannabis
The import statistics also show an increased demand in Germany for legal medical marijuana products. Germany has imported more than 37,223 metric tons of medical cannabis in the first quarter 2025.
The Q1 total imports of 2025 increased 14.8% over the total for Q4 (2024) (32.419 metric tons), which at that time was also a record. Imports in Q1 2020 are up 457% from the previous year. Germany imported 8143 metric tonnes (or medical cannabis) in Q1 of 2024.
The total imports of legal medical cannabis to Germany over the past year has now reached 101.9 metric tons. Canada was the leading source of medical cannabis imported to Germany in Q1 2025, with 16.1 tonnes. Portugal was the number two source of imports for medical marijuana during this timeframe, at 12.1 tonnes. Denmark ranked third with 2.6 tonnes.
Germany’s medical marijuana industry has been subject to a strict quota system for years. This regulated the maximum amount of cannabis produced in Germany. The CanG law included the lifting of this quota, which has led to an increase in the amount of medical cannabis grown domestically. The German medical cannabis patient will have more options in future.
Growing Home Grown
The 2024 legalization act allows adults in Germany to grow up to three cannabis plants at home. Data shows that consumers have taken advantage of this new opportunity. According to the results of a recent scientific study conducted by Dr. Mira Lehberger from Geisenheim University and Prof. Kai Sparke of Geisenheim University’s Department of Horticultural Economics, home cultivation in Germany has become more popular since legalization.
In the survey, 1/10 participants indicated that they have already grown cannabis after legalization. Eleven percent of participants who indicated that they had not cultivated cannabis yet ‘could imagine’ doing so in the future. In a YouGov survey conducted in Germany a year earlier, 7% of respondents had purchased cannabis cuttings or clones and 11% said they intended to do so in the future.
Membership-Based Cultivation Organizations
A member-based cultivation organization is another option to legally acquire cannabis for adult use in Germany. BCAv has published the latest data on its website that shows 215 of the 626 applications submitted in Germany have so far been approved. The regional pilot trials for adult-use cannabis commerce will eventually serve as another option to German cannabis users, despite the fact that they have been delayed several times.
Germany now has a coalition of lawmakers that are against modernized marijuana laws. Peter Homberg, the leading expert on cannabis law, predicted that a complete repeal of the CanG is not likely at the International Cannabis Business Conference held in Berlin, Germany in April. This prediction was confirmed later by SPD Bundestag Member Carmen Wegge, who stated that the reversal in legalization of cannabis for recreational use is not an option. Even so, the attempts to halt Germany’s cannabis policies progress are a reminder to advocates that they need to stay active on Europe’s biggest cannabis market.
Cannabis Reform continues in Europe
Germany’s continued progress in modernizing its cannabis policies is inspiring reforms in Europe and around the globe. Czech Republic’s recent legalization is the latest domino to fall in Europe. Czech lawmakers approved a measure to legalize adult use of cannabis. Adults will be allowed to grow up to 3 plants, and to possess up to 100 g dried flowers.
With the legalization of the Czech Republic, the number total of European Union countries that have been made legal has now reached four: Malta in 2021, Luxembourg in 2023 and Germany in 2020. In the next few years, the number of EU legalized nations will increase. Germany is leading the way in this movement.