More patients in Germany are using legal medical cannabis to treat their condition(s) than ever before. However, an overwhelming percentage of them feel stigmatized in their daily lives because of it, according to a recent survey.

MedCanOneStop (MCOS), a Düsseldorf-based medical cannabis digital infrastructure platform, surveyed 7,033 German medical cannabis patients, asking them about the effectiveness of their therapeutic use of cannabis, among other things.

“70 percent of patients report massively improved sleep, and almost half are more productive and pain-free at work.” MCOS wrote in a news release (translated from German to English. “Over two-thirds of those surveyed were able to completely discontinue prescription painkillers, opiates, or sleeping pills thanks to cannabis.”

“Although 75 percent of Germans accept medicinal cannabis as a normal prescription drug, almost three-quarters of those affected still feel stigmatized in everyday life.” MCOS added. “Every third patient conceals their legal therapy from their own family doctor’s office out of sheer fear of judgment; over 70 percent do not dare to speak openly about it at work.”

MCOS also cited the results of a representative YouGov survey involving 2,084 German adults, which found that 75.1% of those surveyed want medical cannabis to be treated in German society similarly to other prescription medications.

“Around two-thirds of those surveyed consider its use within the family (65%), among friends (69%), or among colleagues (67%) to be harmless.” MCOS wrote.

“Our data reveals a glaring gap between public acceptance and the prejudiced practices prevalent in everyday life. The fact that a third of those affected conceal their medication from their general practitioner out of fear is not merely a matter of image, but a dangerous risk to healthcare: If the GP is unaware of the therapy, undetected interactions with other medications are a real possibility,” explained Cedric Lehmann, CEO and founder of MedCanOneStop.

“Cannabis helps hundreds of thousands of people to discontinue strong painkillers and return to work pain-free. It’s time this reality is acknowledged in doctors’ offices and workplaces without shame or negative consequences for patients.” Cedric Lehmann added.