By: Dr. Sebastián Marincolo, Director of Strategic Content & Editorial, Weed.de
Originally, the partial legalization of cannabis in Germany was intended to undermine the black market. It also aimed to shield the youth of Germany and consumers from unwholesome products.
After EU Commission protests, the original plan for reform envisaged nationwide retail outlets. These were quickly dropped. The two-pillared model was introduced in their place: Pillar I legalised cannabis home cultivation, and Pillar II social clubs for cannabis.AnbauvereinigungenPillar 2 consists of regional scientific five-year pilot projects that allow licensed retailers to offer cannabis to adults.
Pillar 2 has been deferred to separate legislation which is yet to be implemented. They argued the black markets would continue to thrive without a retail infrastructure.
They were wrong. Even this imperfect reform has been a success, which is surprising: The EKOCAN assessment, the federally required evaluation of the Konsumcannabisgesetz Cannabis-related crimes are declining and the market for black cannabis is shrinking (EKOCAN).
However, peer-reviewed studies reveal an unexpected consequence. Medical cannabis patients are now stigmatised more than recreational users. The paradox reveals why reform is still incomplete and why Pillar 2 has become mandatory.
A Counterintuitive Finding
The September 2025 Study Journal of Cannabis Research Researchers found that 47.1% reported stigmatisation among medical users of cannabis, but the rates were significantly lower for recreational users.
There was a similar pattern for internalised shame: 41.9% felt ashamed of their medical marijuana use.
It is hard to believe that this finding could be true. This is a patient using approved medicine with physician supervision. Yet the study’s authors note that the public still perceives cannabis primarily as ‘an illegal drug and not a medicine,’ leading patients to feel ashamed of using ‘a drug’ rather than ‘a medicine’ for symptom relief.
A separate qualitative study in BMC Public Health confirms this dynamic: patients reported being dismissed by healthcare providers, facing workplace discrimination, and encountering police who could not distinguish between medical and recreational use (Borojevic & Söhner, 2025).
Dr. Sebastián Marincolo
The Single Door Problem: In Numbers
It is structural. Germany’s Reform technically created three legal paths: medical system, cannabis social clubs and home cultivation.
The medical route, on the other hand, is only able to function at scale. Space, expertise, equipment, upfront investments, and space are all barriers to home cultivation, which excludes many Germans in smaller apartments and rental housing.
Cannabis social clubs faced protracted licensing delays; although 337 have now received approval as of October 2025, with an average membership of 275 people, they serve approximately 92,000 members – just 2% of Germany’s estimated 4.5 million cannabis users (BCAv, 2025; International CBC, 2025; Bundesgesundheitsministerium, 2025).
For most adults the only option is to use the medical system, which was not designed for this purpose.
This includes many self-medicators, according to research. The Canadian Cannabis Survey 2020 found that 76% of people who use cannabis for medical purposes do not have authorisation from a health care professional – they are self-medicating for conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders (Health Canada, 2021).
The pattern of non-authorised therapeutic use across all jurisdictions is common and represents a phenomenon that occurs frequently when individuals seek symptom relief beyond formal medical channels.
Telemedicine platforms are helping patients who have difficulty finding prescribing doctors.
BfArM official data shows that Germany imported about 142 tons of medical marijuana in the first quarter of 2025. This is on course to surpass 190 tons by year-end, which represents a sixfold rise from 2023 when imports totaled 32.5 tonnes.
The increase in prescriptions is attributed to widespread drug abuse among healthy adults, according to critics.
The reality is mostly different, and more nuanced: lowered barriers have definitely helped cannabis-naïve patients with severe illnesses access treatment; thousands of self-medicators have finally obtained proper medical guidance; and yes, some non-medical users access the medical channel because the regulated recreational market they were promised years ago never materialised.
The consequence is stigma flowing in both directions: patients dismissed as recreational users seeking legal cover, and responsible adults forced to ‘perform illness’ to access a regulated product.
By: Dr. Sebastián Marincolo, Director of Strategic Content & Editorial, Weed.de
Originally, the partial legalisation of cannabis in Germany was intended to undermine the black market. It also aimed to shield the youth of Germany and consumers from unwholesome products.
After EU Commission protests, the original plan for reform envisaged nationwide retail outlets. These were quickly dropped. The two-pillared model was introduced in their place: Pillar I legalised cannabis cultivation at home and social clubs.AnbauvereinigungenPillar 2 consists of regional scientific five-year pilot projects that allow licensed retailers to offer cannabis to adults.
Pillar 2 has been deferred to separate legislation which is yet to be implemented. The critics argued that the black market will continue unchallenged without retail infrastructure.
They were wrong. Even this imperfect reform has been a success, which is surprising: The EKOCAN assessment, the federally required evaluation of the Konsumcannabisgesetz Cannabis-related crimes are declining and the market for black cannabis is shrinking (EKOCAN).
Research peer reviewed reveals a surprising unintended result: Medical cannabis users now experience higher stigmatisation rates than recreational marijuana users. The paradox reveals why reform is still incomplete and why Pillar 2 has become mandatory.
A Counterintuitive Finding
The September 2025 Study Journal of Cannabis Research Researchers found that only 47.1% (of medical users) reported stigmatization, as opposed to the significantly lower rate among recreational users.
There was a similar pattern for internalised shame: 41.9% felt ashamed of their medical marijuana use.
It is hard to believe that this finding could be true. This is a patient using approved medicine with physician supervision. Yet the study’s authors note that the public still perceives cannabis primarily as ‘an illegal drug and not a medicine,’ leading patients to feel ashamed of using ‘a drug’ rather than ‘a medicine’ for symptom relief.
A separate qualitative study in BMC Public Health confirms this dynamic: patients reported being dismissed by healthcare providers, facing workplace discrimination, and encountering police who could not distinguish between medical and recreational use (Borojevic & Söhner, 2025).
Dr. Sebastián Marincolo
The single-door Problem: In Numbers
It is structural. Germany’s Reform technically created three legal paths: medical system, cannabis social clubs and home cultivation.
Only the medical route is scalable in practice. The home cultivation of cannabis requires space, knowledge, equipment and an upfront investment. This excludes millions of Germans who live in apartments or rent housing.
Cannabis social clubs faced protracted licensing delays; although 337 have now received approval as of October 2025, with an average membership of 275 people, they serve approximately 92,000 members – just 2% of Germany’s estimated 4.5 million cannabis users (BCAv, 2025; International CBC, 2025; Bundesgesundheitsministerium, 2025).
The medical system is the only legal option for the majority of adults. It has been designed never to handle the demand.
This includes many self-medicators, according to research. The Canadian Cannabis Survey 2020 found that 76% of people who use cannabis for medical purposes do not have authorisation from a health care professional – they are self-medicating for conditions like chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders (Health Canada, 2021).
The pattern of non-authorised therapeutic use across all jurisdictions is consistent and represents a common phenomenon where individuals seek symptom relief beyond formal medical channels.
Telemedicine platforms are helping patients who have difficulty finding prescribing doctors.
BfArM figures show that Germany imported 142 tonnes medical cannabis during the first three-quarters of 2025. By year end, this figure is expected to reach 190 tonnes, an increase of nearly six times from 2023’s imports, which totaled 32.5 tonnes.
The increase in prescriptions is attributed to widespread drug abuse among healthy adults, according to critics.
The reality is mostly different, and more nuanced: lowered barriers have definitely helped cannabis-naïve patients with severe illnesses access treatment; thousands of self-medicators have finally obtained proper medical guidance; and yes, some non-medical users access the medical channel because the regulated recreational market they were promised years ago never materialised.
The consequence is stigma flowing in both directions: patients dismissed as recreational users seeking legal cover, and responsible adults forced to ‘perform illness’ to access a regulated product.
Cannabis Law Resources – Poland
Discover essential legal information about the cultivation of cannabis, its sale, and regulations governing medical products in Poland. These guides will help you understand the legal requirements, such as certifications, permits, and compliance.
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Polish News Registration and Interests of Cannabis Businesses
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Permissions for Cannabis Sales in Poland
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Authorization for Importing or Manufacturing Medical Products
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Permission for Manufacturing or Importing Medical Products
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Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
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Registration of Medical Products in Poland