Germany is wrapping up the most historic year for cannabis policy and industry in the nation’s history. Starting on April 1, 2024, adults in Germany could legally cultivate up to three plants in their private residences and possess up to 25 grams of cannabis when away from their homes.
Next year will likely prove to be another historic year for German cannabis policy and industry. The most anticipated development in Germany for 2025 will be the launch of regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials. Whereas European Union agreements prohibit national recreational cannabis sales, pilot trials are permitted under EU law since they are research-based.
Crafting National Cannabis Policy
The premise of regional pilot trials is that by permitting localized cannabis commerce, it provides an opportunity for lawmakers and regulators to gather information to use when crafting national policies. Pilot trials are already operating in the Netherlands and Switzerland with no reported issues.
Germany took a major step forward in implementing pilot trials by announcing this month that the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food will help oversee Germany’s recreational cannabis research projects, part of which includes pilot trials.
“By passing the Consumer Cannabis Act, the Bundestag has given the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) was given the task of appointing the responsible body for processing research applications on consumer cannabis and industrial hemp. The regulation that has now been issued—the Consumer Cannabis Science Responsibility Regulation—stipulates that the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food will examine corresponding research applications and monitor the approved projects,” the German government stated in a news release (translated from German to English).
While the recent announcement gets Germany a step closer to launching pilot trials, more bureaucratic steps are necessary before the trails can officially launch. Two districts in Berlin, Germany’s largest city, announced plans this month to launch their pilot trials next year.
“The Berlin districts of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Neukölln want to start selling cannabis through several specialist stores next year,” the city announced on its website (translated from German to English). “This is made possible by a pilot project that will be scientifically monitored. Customers who want to buy cannabis must take part in the scientific study and register, the districts announced on Wednesday. They must also be resident in one of the two districts.”
“The sale is organized by a company that buys the cannabis from legal producers in Germany or abroad and sells it on to registered consumers in specialist stores. The two districts, Humboldt University and the Danity Group company signed a letter of intent to this effect. The city also stated: “The application for approval of the project is to be submitted to the relevant federal authority as soon as possible. The sale could begin next summer.”
Steps Towards Success
Cannabis legalization is already proving successful in Berlin, Germany, where cannabis-related crimes were significantly lower for the seven months immediately following legalization compared to the same period last year. Berlin’s police database recorded 1,685 criminal cannabis offenses from the beginning of April and the end of October, down from 5,315 recorded in the same period in 2023. That trend should continue in 2025 in Berlin and throughout Germany, reducing the workload for Germany’s police and judicial system.
Another area of cannabis that will presumably experience significant growth in Germany in 2025 is cultivation associations. Starting on July 1, 2024, aspiring cultivation association operators could apply to launch member-based associations from which adult consumers can legally source cannabis and related products. The rollout of associations was slow in 2024 but should pick up considerably next year.
Additionally, medical cannabis in Germany should continue to increase in size and scope in 2025. Germany was already home to Europe’s largest legal medical cannabis industry prior to the launch of recreational legalization, and the sector is proving to be one of the biggest winners of adult-use reform, thanks to the removal of cannabis from the nation’s Narcotics List as part of the CanG law. The removal dramatically expanded safe access to medical cannabis in Germany.
Hemp policy modernization efforts should also experience success in Germany in 2025, with advocates continuing to push for the removal of the “intoxication clause” of Germany’s hemp law. The removal of the clause would significantly expand Germany’s legal cannabidiol and low-THC market.
Personal recreational cannabis policy modernization efforts, cultivation associations, pilot trials, medical cannabis, industrial hemp reform, and many other topics will be discussed at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin. The conference, which is Europe’s largest and longest-running cannabis B2B event, will take place April 29-30, 2025. Registration is still open for the event.
