Germany held a federal election on February 23, 2025, and a new government will be formed now that the election is over. The bad news from the election is that the conservative CDU/CSU party gained the largest percentage of votes (28.52%), and with it the largest number of seats (208). The CDU/CSU party has been historically critical of Germany’s recent cannabis policy modernization changes.
However, the good news is that the CDU/CSU party is well short of having a majority in the new federal government and that a coalition government will have to be formed. CDU/CSU leadership has made it clear that they will not form a coalition with the even more conservative AfD party, and will instead work with federal lawmakers that hold a more favorable view towards German cannabis policies and regulations.
“A coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD seems likely, which means that the SPD will probably continue to play a very important role in the future of the cannabis industry,” the German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW) stated about the recent election results (translated from German to English). “The CDU/CSU’s demand to reverse cannabis legalization is not a productive strategy, but would lead to the renewed criminalization of patients and consumers.”
The BvCW also stated that “of the cannabis and drug policy spokespersons, Simone Borchardt (CDU), Carmen Wegge (SPD), Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (Greens) and Linda Heitmann (Greens) as well as Ates Gürpinar (Left) were re-elected. Dirk Heidenblut (SPD) did not stand for re-election. The FDP and thus also Kristine Lütke will no longer be represented in the next Bundestag due to the 5% hurdle.”
Legal Cannabis Thriving in Germany
Germany’s election came at an important time for the nation’s emerging legal cannabis and hemp industries. Lawmakers in Germany adopted a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2024, with the initial provisions of the policy change taking effect on April 1, 2024. As of that date, adults in Germany can legally cultivate up to three plants in their private residences, possess a personal amount of cannabis, and consume cannabis in private settings.
Additionally, cannabis was removed from Germany’s Narcotics List, which has had a significant impact on the nation’s legal medical cannabis industry. The removal of cannabis from the Narcotics List has boosted domestic production, made medical cannabis research easier, and helped streamline the process by which suffering people can register as patients. According to a recent report by the Bloomwell Group, prescriptions for medical cannabis in Germany increased by roughly 1,000% between March 2024 and December 2024.
Medical cannabis imports increased significantly in Germany in 2024 to help meet the growing demand for medical cannabis products. In the fourth quarter of 2024, roughly 31.7 tons of medical cannabis products were imported to Germany, which is nearly four times as much as in the first quarter (8.1 tons) of 2024. Overall, medical cannabis imports amounted to 71.1 tons in Germany in 2024, which is more than twice as much compared to what was imported in 2023 (32.5 tons).
Germany’s legal cannabis industry is booming by every measure right now, including the growth of the nation’s cultivation association sector. Cultivation associations became legal in Germany starting on July 1st, 2024, providing adult-use consumers a way to legally source recreational products.
Cannabis Policies Here to Stay
Cannabis advocates and industry members in Germany were concerned that the 2025 election would yield a government that was hostile towards the nation’s new cannabis policies and industry. However, it appears that a reversal of the new CanG law is unlikely under the eventual coalition government, and that most, if not all, of what is currently in place in Germany is here to stay.
Arguably, the least clear component of Germany’s previously approved legalization model is regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials, often referred to as ‘Pillar 2.’ Pilot trials, which are currently successfully operating in the Netherlands and Switzerland, permit limited recreational cannabis commerce at a local level for research purposes to help lawmakers and regulators gather data to be better informed when crafting national policies and regulations.
Pillar 2 was originally expected to launch in Germany near the end of 2024, but that timeframe has obviously passed. Cannabis advocates and industry members are hopeful that the incoming coalition government will permit trials to launch in 2025, but it is unclear at this time if that will happen. Over two dozen jurisdictions in Germany have expressed a desire to launch regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials.
German Cannabis Business Week
In the meantime, Germany will remain the most exciting cannabis market in Europe, and that is why the upcoming German Cannabis Business Week is so timely. The German Cannabis Business Week will bring together leaders from across the global cannabis industry to Berlin, Germany, beginning on April 28th, 2025. The week will commence with The Talman House’s exclusive investor gathering, held at the prestigious Hotel Adlon Kempinski, an internationally renowned venue recognized for its historic significance and unmatched hospitality.
Following the Talman House event in Berlin, Europe’s largest and longest-running cannabis B2B event—the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC)—will once again bring its flagship two-day conference to the iconic Estrel Berlin Hotel on April 29-30.
