One year on: What does the future hold for Germany's cannabis legalisation law?

Today marks the one year anniversary of cannabis legalisation in Germany, but while the law has clearly changed, the debate has not. 

Leaders of the conservative Union parties (CDU/CSU) had previously vowed to repeal the legalisation law as soon as they came back to power. With the Union gearing up to lead Germany’s next government, the question remains open as to whether recreational cannabis use will remain legal through the coming term.

So far, however, we’ve heard only “utterly deafening silence” on the topic, as columnist Brian Melican put it in his recent analysis of the government coalition talks.

That’s not to say that the topic has been exhausted. A look at reports in the German media today reveals that the debate rages on, and it hasn’t evolved much since this time last year.

The President of the German Medical Association is still railing against legalisation – now calling for the law to be scrapped. He told Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ) that allowing cannabis consumption is a “danger to young people” and claims it is “a misconception that this form of legalisation reduces damage to health”.

Other opponents to legalisation include Bavaria’s health and interior ministers, who both come from the socially conservative CSU. 

On the other side, there are plenty of experts to be found who are in favour of keeping cannabis legal, including people from some seemingly unlikely positions. Germany’s police union (GdP), for example, has suggested it’d be a mistake to "completely bury" the reform. 

The Federal Government's Drug Commissioner has also defended cannabis legalisation, suggesting that the focus should instead be on controlling harder drugs like fentanyl, which are increasingly putting young people at risk.

Also, legalisation has not really affected peoples’ likelihood of consuming cannabis, addiction researcher Jakob Manthey told Deutschlandfunk.

Meanwhile, the general public appears to be more or less evenly split on the issues. According to the NOZ’s report, 38 percent of people in Germany support keeping legalisation in place whereas 38 percent would like to see it outlawed again.

Where are the promised cannabis clubs?

Part of the legalisation law – which allows adults over 18 to possess up to 50 grams of cannabis – is that “cannabis clubs” selling regulated weed to registered members could start operating in July last year. But as The Local has reported, there have been long delays and bureaucratic barriers preventing clubs from taking off in many places.

Germany’s federal states are responsible for regulating and issuing licences to cannabis clubs. In many cases, entrepreneurs hoping to launch legal cannabis businesses have complained that the procedures for applying for permits are unclear. 

BR24 reported that as of April 1st, not a single cannabis club has been approved in Bavaria. There the state office for health and food safety has reportedly received 37 applications for a permit. So far one application was rejected, eight were withdrawn, and 28 are still being examined.

READ ALSO: Bavaria moves to ban cannabis at Oktoberfest and beer gardens

Reportedly 83 permits for cannabis clubs were being processed in other federal states as of the end of last year, especially in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Some German districts, however, appear to be moving forward a bit more earnestly.

In the cities of Frankfurt and Hanover, cannabis businesses have been set-up to a limited extent as part of pilot projects that are planned to run for five years.

READ ALSO: How two German cities will test out selling cannabis at dedicated shops

How has the law affected cannabis use in Germany?

According to the Berlin police, legalisation has not yet succeeded in reducing cannabis trade on the black market.

“There is almost no relief,” a Berlin police spokesman said on RBB radio.

A Berlin police report says that almost six tonnes of marijuana were seized in the capital city in 2024, significantly more than the 1.6 tonnes seized in 2023.

Legalisation advocates, however, may contend that black market sales can’t be expected to decrease until access to cannabis clubs or other legal businesses are more firmly established.

In the meantime, some cannabis users in Germany are taking advantage of the newfound legal ability to grow their own supply. Adults over 18 may grow up to three cannabis plants on their property.

For those who don’t want to wait for clubs to open or for their own plants to grow, new online services are offering “medical cannabis” by delivery.

In many cases, users can obtain a “medical prescription" for cannabis with a quick online questionnaire and then order marijuana products directly to their German address. Medical cannabis has been legal in Germany for several years - though of course, prescriptions shouldn't obtained on false pretences.

So far, these online delivery schemes have been tolerated by the authorities - though how long they continue to be remains to be seen.

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