Most Germans Use Cannabis for Health Reasons, But Many Still Access It Illegally

A survey revealed that since legalization, most Germans use cannabis for medical reasons such as stress relief (60%), sleep disorders (50%), and pain relief (35%). However, despite cannabis now being legal in Germany, only 10% acquire it from licensed pharmacies, leaving many patients relying on the illegal market due to a lack of awareness and training among healthcare professionals.

A new survey conducted following Germany’s legal change revealed that the majority of Germans who use cannabis do so for health reasons. The medical cannabis company Bloomwell GmbH, based in Frankfurt, conducted a representative survey exploring why Germans use cannabis following the legislative change in April 2024.

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Survey On Cannabis and Germans

The survey was conducted with a representative panel of 3,092 Germans, aged 18 and older, in August 2024. More than 1,000 people reported using cannabis at least once in the past 12 months or for medical purposes as patients.

According to the findings, 94% of Germans said they consume cannabis for at least one medical or health-related reason.

The most common health issues for which Germans reported using cannabis were sleep disorders (50%) and stress relief (nearly 60%), followed by pain relief (35%).

However, only 10% of Germans participating in the survey bought cannabis exclusively from a licensed pharmacy over the past year.

“It’s clear that the demand for cannabis to treat common ailments is strong and growing, but more awareness and information among Germans are needed to let potential patients know they can now obtain medical cannabis safely and as easily as other medical prescriptions through specialized telemedicine services,” said Dr. Julian Wichmann, co-founder of the Bloomwell group.

Increasing Demand in the Medical Market From Germans

Since the introduction of the CanG law in April, which saw cannabis removed from the list of narcotics, the number of Germans with access to medical cannabis prescriptions has reportedly increased significantly.

At a conference held in June 2024, Finn Age Hänsel, founder and CEO of the medical cannabis company Sanity Group, reported a “70% surge in market demand.”

Proposals from the G-BA, approved by the Ministry of Health, should also allow more doctors to prescribe without prior approval from mandatory health insurance companies.

However, the data also indicates that doctors could benefit from better training on medical cannabis treatment.

One in five Germans responding to the survey said they had already discussed medical cannabis with a doctor but were not prescribed medical cannabis.

Only 9% of Germans had no difficulty finding a doctor capable of competently assisting them with their medical cannabis therapy.

“These results highlight the need to treat medical cannabis on an equal footing with other modern medical therapies. However, for too many doctors in Germany, medical cannabis remains a taboo subject,” added Dr. Wichmann.

“Education on medical cannabis treatment is necessary not only for patients but also for healthcare professionals to normalize its use and dispel outdated stigmas. From a legal standpoint, medical cannabis is now equivalent to other prescription medications, such as painkillers, sleeping pills, and antidepressants, but we’ve found it is still often treated differently by the medical community.

“Medical cannabis has significant and proven potential to help alleviate patients suffering from a range of conditions, including common issues like stress and sleep disorders—two widespread conditions in among Germans that are often overlooked for medical treatment or treated inadequately.”

“Buyer’s Remorse” in the Illegal Market

The report on Germans and medical cannabis also revealed that many consumers who purchased cannabis from unlicensed sellers experienced “buyer’s remorse” and feared negative side effects.

More than a third of Germans said they had purchased low-quality cannabis and were concerned that illegally obtained cannabis could negatively impact their health. Over a quarter believed they had purchased contaminated cannabis.

Since July, cannabis social clubs have been able to apply for licenses, but according to the report, significant progress on this front remains slow and hampered by obstacles.

“According to data from our survey, more than 20 million people in Germany could benefit from access to medical cannabis therapy,” said Niklas Kouparanis, co-founder and CEO of Bloomwell Group GmbH, the holding company of Bloomwell GmbH, which operates a digital medical cannabis platform and app.

“The responses illustrate the immense potential and growth margin of the expanding medical cannabis industry in the country, following the implementation of the cannabis law (CanG) on April 1, 2024, which reclassified cannabis as a non-narcotic.”

Kouparanis added, “Our goal is to reach the rapidly growing number of Germans seeking medical cannabis and let them know that there are licensed and convenient telemedicine services providing safe and reliable care from doctors and pharmacies. Germans no longer need to rely on the illicit market and should not be pushed in that direction.”

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(Featured image by Jeff W via Unsplash)

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