83 Cannabis Cultivation Associations Have Been Approved In Germany So Far

Germany implemented the first provisions of its new adult-use cannabis legalization model on April 1st, 2024. The initial provisions involved permitting adults to cultivate, possess, and consume personal amounts of cannabis, among other things.

Then, starting on July 1st, 2024, people could start applying to launch a cultivation association in Germany. Cultivation associations, sometimes referred to as cannabis clubs, involve members joining an association from which to legally source their recreational cannabis. Personal provisions and cultivation associations serve as ‘Pillar 1’ of Germany’s legalization model.

According to a recent response from the federal government to an inquiry made by the Left Party in Germany, and as initially reported locally by Frankfurter Rundchau, 83 cannabis club applications were approved nationwide in Germany as of December 2024. An additional 349 applications are being processed, and 12 applications have been rejected so far.

“There are currently no cannabis clubs in either Saarland or Bavaria. Applications have been submitted, in Bavaria, for example, there are 29, but those interested will have to be patient.” Frankfurter Rundchau stated in its reporting. “The CSU-led Bavarian state government has already announced that it will take its time with the approval.”

Currently, cannabis is legal for adult use in Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and South Africa. Of those, Uruguay and Malta expressly allow cultivation associations (or ‘clubs’) as part of their legalization models. For contextual purposes, Uruguay currently has 460 registered associations/clubs, and Malta had only three registered cannabis clubs as of last year.

When comparing the populations of Uruguay (roughly 3.4 million) and Malta (roughly 550,000) to that of Germany (over 84 million), it is obvious that Germany needs more cultivation associations to support its adult cannabis consumer base.

However, it is also worth pointing out that Uruguay legalized cannabis in 2013, and Malta in 2021, so both countries have had a significant headstart over Germany when it comes to cultivation association/club implementation.