Examining Germany’s Evolving Legal Cannabis Industry
Germany continues to be the continental leader for Europe’s emerging legal cannabis industry. Legal sales of medical cannabis products started in Germany in 2017, and the country’s medical sector has since become an international juggernaut and a top market for medical cannabis exports.
In the first quarter of 2025, Germany imported over 37.223 metric tonnes of medical cannabis products. To put that figure into perspective, the total imports for Q1 2025 increased by roughly 14.8% compared to the Q4 2024 total (32.419 metric tonnes), which was itself a record at the time.
Q1 2025’s import total is an increase of over 457% compared to the same period one year ago. Germany imported 8.143 metric tonnes of medical cannabis products in Q1 2024. The updated import numbers bring the total amount of legally imported medical cannabis products to Germany during the last 12 months to 101.9 metric tonnes.
Around 2,500 of Germany’s 17,000 pharmacies now offer medical cannabis. According to the most recent data from the German Federal Association of Cannabis Cultivation Associations (BCAv), a total of 215 cultivation association applications have been approved out of 626 submissions nationwide.
Business is booming in Germany, although the political and regulatory landscape overseeing Germany’s emerging industry continues to evolve. A panel of leading experts from multiple sectors of Germany’s industry recently participated in a discussion about strategies and approaches for adapting to recent changes in Germany, and what industry members should anticipate in the coming years.
The panel was moderated by Dirk Heitepriem, President and Chairman of the German Cannabis Industry Association (BvCW). Mr. Heitepriem was joined by:
- Lisa Haag, Founder of MJ_Universe
- Timo Bongartz, CEO of CANNAVIGIA
- Marijn Roersch van der Hoogte, Co-Founder of Hemp-Impact.com and Co-Founder and VP of BvCW
- Henry Wieker, Board Member of BvCW and Coordinator of BCAv
- Sita Schubert, EUMCA’s General Secretary
The discussion, which was held at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin last month, provided valuable insights to help industry members navigate the future of cannabis in Germany. Click here to watch the panel presentation.