It was the goal of the previous German coalition government to protect the health of patients and consumers by legalising cannabis, ensuring better protection of minors and diversion from black market trade thanks to legal alternatives.
Unfortunately, many of the project’s plans could not be implemented as desired due to international treaties and EU regulations, resulting in the partial legalisation of cannabis, which only allows the cultivation of three plants per adult and distribution only in specially created associations.
This has provided relief for patients who use cannabis medicinally, particularly due to the ease of access via telemedicine. Yet, for those attempting to establish Cannabis Social Clubs (CSCs), the implementation of the Cannabis Act (CanG) has proven complex.
Since the law came into force, committed advocates have worked to form clubs, secure appropriate premises, and prepare for cultivation.
However, obtaining a licence to grow cannabis has emerged as a major obstacle. In Germany’s heavily bureaucratic system, it was initially unclear which authorities were responsible for licensing and oversight, while administrative performance in many offices has been slow and inconsistent, to say the least.
Until meaningful data is available on how CanG is impacting society, the illicit market, and public policy, the rollout remains difficult to assess, but the newly elected CDU/CSU (now the dominant force in the coalition government) has repeatedly called for its abolition.
In Berlin, this lack of clarity and bureaucratic quagmire has been especially evident for prospective CSCs.
After extended political wrangling, it was decided that Berlin’s State Office for Health (LAGeSo) would be responsible for licensing CSCs.
According to a recent annual report, only seven out of 29 applications submitted between November 2024 and June 2025 have been approved.
Given that each club may serve up to 500 members with a maximum of 50 grams per person per month this means that just 3,500 people in a city of millions will eventually have access to legal recreational cannabis, assuming all approved clubs reach full capacity.
Delays are inevitable, as cultivation can only begin once a licence is issued. Plants take weeks to grow and must be harvested and dried properly. According to RBB24, cultivation areas so far are located in districts including Lichtenberg, Pankow, Reinickendorf, and Steglitz-Zehlendorf.
Following confusion over responsibility and a significant processing backlog, Berlin Health Senator Ina Czyborra (SPD) has acknowledged the process is not yet running ‘smoothly.’
New CSCs face a number of structural barriers. Beyond strict regulations, the time it takes to process applications is seen as a major challenge for those trying to enter the space.
Even securing compliant premises is difficult, security fencing, break-in protection, and concealed cultivation areas are all mandatory.
According to Alexander Straßmeir, President of the CSC umbrella organisation, LAGeSo only began forming a dedicated cannabis working group in November 2024. He noted that the office had to strike a balance between ‘legally compliant diligence and pragmatic administrative practice,’ but the time required has posed a serious burden on club founders.
To make CSCs a meaningful part of the legal cannabis supply system in Germany, particularly in Berlin, further reforms are clearly needed. Currently, there are only 106 cannabis social clubs nationwide, a number far too small to meet demand.
It is therefore not surprising that users continue to turn to alternatives like telemedicine platforms, even if this bypasses the spirit of the policy. However, even critics of the law should acknowledge that each person who turns to a CSC, rather than the black market, represents progress—an original goal of Germany’s legalisation effort.
The post Germany’s Cannabis Social Clubs Stuck in Bureaucratic Gridlock One Year After Partial Legalisation appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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Unfortunately, many of the project’s plans could not be implemented as desired due to international treaties and EU regulations, resulting in the partial legalisation of cannabis, which only allows the cultivation of three plants per adult and distribution only in specially created associations.
This has provided relief for patients who use cannabis medicinally, particularly due to the ease of access via telemedicine. Yet, for those attempting to establish Cannabis Social Clubs (CSCs), the implementation of the Cannabis Act (CanG) has proven complex.
Since the law came into force, committed advocates have worked to form clubs, secure appropriate premises, and prepare for cultivation.
However, obtaining a licence to grow cannabis has emerged as a major obstacle. In Germany’s heavily bureaucratic system, it was initially unclear which authorities were responsible for licensing and oversight, while administrative performance in many offices has been slow and inconsistent, to say the least.
Until meaningful data is available on how CanG is impacting society, the illicit market, and public policy, the rollout remains difficult to assess, but the newly elected CDU/CSU (now the dominant force in the coalition government) has repeatedly called for its abolition.
What exactly is the problem?
In Berlin, this lack of clarity and bureaucratic quagmire has been especially evident for prospective CSCs.
After extended political wrangling, it was decided that Berlin’s State Office for Health (LAGeSo) would be responsible for licensing CSCs.
According to a recent annual report, only seven out of 29 applications submitted between November 2024 and June 2025 have been approved.
Given that each club may serve up to 500 members with a maximum of 50 grams per person per month this means that just 3,500 people in a city of millions will eventually have access to legal recreational cannabis, assuming all approved clubs reach full capacity.
Delays are inevitable, as cultivation can only begin once a licence is issued. Plants take weeks to grow and must be harvested and dried properly. According to RBB24, cultivation areas so far are located in districts including Lichtenberg, Pankow, Reinickendorf, and Steglitz-Zehlendorf.
Following confusion over responsibility and a significant processing backlog, Berlin Health Senator Ina Czyborra (SPD) has acknowledged the process is not yet running ‘smoothly.’
The view from the clubs
New CSCs face a number of structural barriers. Beyond strict regulations, the time it takes to process applications is seen as a major challenge for those trying to enter the space.
Even securing compliant premises is difficult, security fencing, break-in protection, and concealed cultivation areas are all mandatory.
According to Alexander Straßmeir, President of the CSC umbrella organisation, LAGeSo only began forming a dedicated cannabis working group in November 2024. He noted that the office had to strike a balance between ‘legally compliant diligence and pragmatic administrative practice,’ but the time required has posed a serious burden on club founders.
To make CSCs a meaningful part of the legal cannabis supply system in Germany, particularly in Berlin, further reforms are clearly needed. Currently, there are only 106 cannabis social clubs nationwide, a number far too small to meet demand.
It is therefore not surprising that users continue to turn to alternatives like telemedicine platforms, even if this bypasses the spirit of the policy. However, even critics of the law should acknowledge that each person who turns to a CSC, rather than the black market, represents progress—an original goal of Germany’s legalisation effort.
The post Germany’s Cannabis Social Clubs Stuck in Bureaucratic Gridlock One Year After Partial Legalisation appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
Continue reading...
