Cannabis in Germany - statistics & facts

On February 23, 2024, the draft on the controlled handling of cannabis was passed meaning that from April 1, 2024, adults in Germany will be able to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis on you and up to 50 grams in your home. It will also be legal to grow up to three cannabis plants at home. There will be some restrictions when it comes to usage, for example, smoking within 100 meters of schools, kindergartens, playgrounds and sports facilities as well as smoking in the pedestrian zones of city centers between 07:00 and 20:00. When it comes to the distribution of cannabis, there will be further laws introduced on July 1, 2024, which will allow clubs, which will be allowed to have up to 500 members, to be set up for cultivation. Another change as a consequence of legalization is that it will be easier for doctors to prescribe cannabis. Previously, doctors had to write a narcotics prescription in order to give a patient medication with cannabis, whilst from April 1, they will just be able to provide a normal prescription. In 2022, illegal means generated a revenue of around 14.2 billion dollars in Germany, and made up the majority of the cannabis market as a whole, but with the restrictions intended for when cannabis is legalized it is difficult to know how much the market will be worth. The hope of the government, however, is that this legalization will heavily impact the black market.

Medical cannabis

In 2022, the revenue for medical and therapeutic cannabis in Germany amounted to almost 797 million euros. Since its legalization the market has been consistently growing and this trend is predicted to continue over the next few years. Medical cannabis can be used to treat various conditions or symptoms, these include certain types of epilepsy, chronic pain, and nausea or vomiting that are often associated with chemotherapy. There was a total of 6.71 million people in Germany who were taking medical or therapeutic cannabis in 2022, compared to just 0.66 million people in 2017. The most common reason for taking medical cannabis or CBD in Germany was to reduce pain. Other common reasons, however, included aiding sleep, relaxation and stress relief, and reducing depression.

Cannabis use and legalization

Over 50 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds used cannabis. This relatively high usage rate shows why the government’s decision to legalize recreational cannabis has been popular, at least with some demographics. 18- to 29-year-olds had the highest approval rating, 56.4 percent, of the legizlation. Initially, the German government wanted a completely open market that would involve adults being able to purchase cannabis from licensed shops, however after receiving feedback from the EU Commission that this did not align with European Law, the government has had to revise its plans. Another question that seems to have divided opinion is whether or not the sale of edibles should be legalized along with the sale of cannabis. Whilst 47.8 percent of 30- to 39-year-olds thought it should be, over 51 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds disagreed. The laws at the moment offer a limited legalization of cannabis and so far the government has received mixed responses, with more conservative parties, in particular, heavily criticizing the decision. Only time will tell what effects the legalization will have, and whether people are satisfied with the regulations.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 5, 2024

Key insights

ARPU of medical and therapeutic cannabis
2,110 EUR
Share of cannabis investment in Germany
10.6%
Number of police cases involving cannabis in Germany
174,876
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