The blistering growth of Germany’s medical cannabis sector showed no signs of abating through the second quarter of 2025, with imports rising another 15% to hit new records.
New figures from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), published this week, showed that the total quantity of medical cannabis flower imported into Germany through April, May and June hit 43.3 tonnes, up from 37.5 in Q1.
This exponential growth could soon be tamed, as the German government prepares to impose controversial restrictions on telehealth prescriptions, likely leading to dramatic oversupply in an already saturated market.
With the deadline for public consultation on the proposed changes to medical cannabis law now closed, and a wider report on the impact of the CanG Act expected in the coming months, Europe’s cannabis darling faces an uncertain future.
Canada has remained the dominant supplier of cannabis to Germany, as throughout much of the world, seeing volumes increase by over a quarter in Q2, totalling over 20 tonnes, nearly half of the total for the period.
Portugal also continued to see exports into Germany increase, rising a further 11% to nearly 13.5 tonnes.
With other countries, particularly in South America, seeing significant declines in export volumes, it’s likely that more cannabis is coming into Germany via Portugal, with producers sending raw product to Portugal for processing before heading to the German market.
Imports from Africa also saw a significant rise over the period, with imports coming from South Africa and Lesotho rising 37% and 49% respectively.
Similarly, imports from the east of Europe were also ramped up over the period, with the Czech Republic (17%) and North Macedonia (27%) also seeing double-digit increases.
Firstly, Q2 2025 saw a larger increase in imported volumes over the previous quarter than Q1 did, which shows that not only is the market growing, but the rate at which it is growing is still increasing.
Prohibition Partners’ Senior Analyst, Lawrence Purkiss, told Business of Cannabis: “We believe that the approximately one tonne of cannabis marked as coming from the UK is actually coming from Jersey, which is a positive indication for the success of cannabis cultivation there.
“Everyone is, of course, now bracing for the impact of the new regulations coming through in Germany. Once they do take effect, it will be a challenge for operators to link supply with demand.
“With the volumes of imports still increasing, the market is going to need to find alternative methods to get these products into the hands of patients efficiently. If such methods cannot be found, then the market will be in a situation of significant oversupply.”
As we reported last month, the German Federal Ministry of Health recently confirmed and published a draft amendment targeting the loosely regulated telemedicine market in Germany.
The government’s justification for the move was tied to this staggering level of growth and fears that the system is being abused by both operators and patients.
As such, the new amendments propose, among other things, making in-person consultations mandatory, and crucially banning prescriptions from being sent directly to patients’ homes, instead being dispensed via pharmacies.
A public consultation period followed soon afterwards, with the deadline coming to an end last week (August 01).
Now, submissions from varying organisations (all of which have been compiled by Krautinvest here) will be considered by the government, before any further amendments will be made to the legislation.
In its formal response, German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW) says it supports efforts to curb prescription abuse, but argues that several proposed measures risk creating new barriers for legitimate patients.
It argues that these changes would particularly harm patients in rural areas, who often rely on online ordering because specialist pharmacies are scarce. It warns that cutting off this supply channel could push patients back to the black market.
The association also calls for price regulation to remain clear and consistent. It wants lawmakers to explicitly confirm that cannabis flowers remain subject to Germany’s existing pharmaceutical price controls, to avoid reimbursement disputes and ensure uniform pricing across the country.
While the Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists (ABDA) supports the banning of mail-order medical cannabis, it has also raised concerns about pricing across the country, proposing that MedCanG be amended to explicitly require the application of drug price controls to cannabis flowers to close a regulatory loophole.
Credit: Bloomwell Group
The concerns raised over patient access were mirrored by Bloomwell Group, which has published new data on the spread of medical cannabis patients across the country.
It suggests patients in the south are far more likely to have prescriptions than those in the north, and that almost half of all patients live more than 10 kilometres from a pharmacy licensed to dispense cannabis treatment.
“If half of cannabis patients cannot legally obtain their medication from a pharmacy within a 10-kilometre radius, what alternative remains besides the illicit market?” asked Bloomwell’s co-founder and chief executive, Niklas Kouparanis.
He predicted the amendment would not pass in its current form, noting that the Social Democratic Party, a coalition partner in the governing CDU-led government, has already said it will not support measures that could undermine patient safety without robust evidence.
The post Germany’s Medical Market Continues Record Growth in the Face of Clampdown appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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New figures from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), published this week, showed that the total quantity of medical cannabis flower imported into Germany through April, May and June hit 43.3 tonnes, up from 37.5 in Q1.
This exponential growth could soon be tamed, as the German government prepares to impose controversial restrictions on telehealth prescriptions, likely leading to dramatic oversupply in an already saturated market.
With the deadline for public consultation on the proposed changes to medical cannabis law now closed, and a wider report on the impact of the CanG Act expected in the coming months, Europe’s cannabis darling faces an uncertain future.
Record import volumes
Canada has remained the dominant supplier of cannabis to Germany, as throughout much of the world, seeing volumes increase by over a quarter in Q2, totalling over 20 tonnes, nearly half of the total for the period.
Portugal also continued to see exports into Germany increase, rising a further 11% to nearly 13.5 tonnes.
With other countries, particularly in South America, seeing significant declines in export volumes, it’s likely that more cannabis is coming into Germany via Portugal, with producers sending raw product to Portugal for processing before heading to the German market.
Imports from Africa also saw a significant rise over the period, with imports coming from South Africa and Lesotho rising 37% and 49% respectively.
Similarly, imports from the east of Europe were also ramped up over the period, with the Czech Republic (17%) and North Macedonia (27%) also seeing double-digit increases.
Firstly, Q2 2025 saw a larger increase in imported volumes over the previous quarter than Q1 did, which shows that not only is the market growing, but the rate at which it is growing is still increasing.
Prohibition Partners’ Senior Analyst, Lawrence Purkiss, told Business of Cannabis: “We believe that the approximately one tonne of cannabis marked as coming from the UK is actually coming from Jersey, which is a positive indication for the success of cannabis cultivation there.
“Everyone is, of course, now bracing for the impact of the new regulations coming through in Germany. Once they do take effect, it will be a challenge for operators to link supply with demand.
“With the volumes of imports still increasing, the market is going to need to find alternative methods to get these products into the hands of patients efficiently. If such methods cannot be found, then the market will be in a situation of significant oversupply.”
Patient impact and concerns over return to the black market
As we reported last month, the German Federal Ministry of Health recently confirmed and published a draft amendment targeting the loosely regulated telemedicine market in Germany.
The government’s justification for the move was tied to this staggering level of growth and fears that the system is being abused by both operators and patients.
As such, the new amendments propose, among other things, making in-person consultations mandatory, and crucially banning prescriptions from being sent directly to patients’ homes, instead being dispensed via pharmacies.
A public consultation period followed soon afterwards, with the deadline coming to an end last week (August 01).
Now, submissions from varying organisations (all of which have been compiled by Krautinvest here) will be considered by the government, before any further amendments will be made to the legislation.
In its formal response, German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW) says it supports efforts to curb prescription abuse, but argues that several proposed measures risk creating new barriers for legitimate patients.
It argues that these changes would particularly harm patients in rural areas, who often rely on online ordering because specialist pharmacies are scarce. It warns that cutting off this supply channel could push patients back to the black market.
The association also calls for price regulation to remain clear and consistent. It wants lawmakers to explicitly confirm that cannabis flowers remain subject to Germany’s existing pharmaceutical price controls, to avoid reimbursement disputes and ensure uniform pricing across the country.
While the Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists (ABDA) supports the banning of mail-order medical cannabis, it has also raised concerns about pricing across the country, proposing that MedCanG be amended to explicitly require the application of drug price controls to cannabis flowers to close a regulatory loophole.
Credit: Bloomwell Group
The concerns raised over patient access were mirrored by Bloomwell Group, which has published new data on the spread of medical cannabis patients across the country.
It suggests patients in the south are far more likely to have prescriptions than those in the north, and that almost half of all patients live more than 10 kilometres from a pharmacy licensed to dispense cannabis treatment.
“If half of cannabis patients cannot legally obtain their medication from a pharmacy within a 10-kilometre radius, what alternative remains besides the illicit market?” asked Bloomwell’s co-founder and chief executive, Niklas Kouparanis.
He predicted the amendment would not pass in its current form, noting that the Social Democratic Party, a coalition partner in the governing CDU-led government, has already said it will not support measures that could undermine patient safety without robust evidence.
The post Germany’s Medical Market Continues Record Growth in the Face of Clampdown appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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