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Germany Cracks Down On Medical Cannabis Prescribing

Jerry Lassitenaz

Hemp Gazette

Tuesday 14 Oct 2025

Germany’s Cabinet has approved amendments to the country’s Medical Cannabis Act that will impact patient access to medical cannabis.

Imports of cannabis products into Germany have surged. In the first three months of 2025, 37.223 tonnes of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes were imported into the country compared to 8.143 tonnes in Q1, 2024. Germany’s government says in the first half of this year, imports increased by more than 400 percent; from around 19 tons in the same period in 2024, to around 80 tons this year.

But Germany’s government says the jump is not attributable to increased demand among seriously ill patients, given health insurance prescriptions only increased by a single-digit percentage. In Germany, medical cannabis is covered by statutory health insurance for approved conditions.

“The massive increase in cannabis imports and the practice of prescribing online without any personal medical contact require political action,” said (translated) Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken.

Under the changes, prescribing medical cannabis will require in-person contact between a patient and their doctor, either in the doctor’s office or during a home visit. Further, a face-to-face consultation will be required every four quarters for follow-up prescriptions.

Additionally, medicines delivered via mail-order will be banned. The reason given for this (translated): “… there are comprehensive information and consultation obligations that must be provided during a personal consultation at the pharmacy.” However, pharmacy delivery services will remain unaffected.

The Government has assured patients who rely on cannabis for genuine medical reasons that supplies will continue to be guaranteed.

On that note, earlier this month Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) reportedly said the country’s estimated annual demand for medical cannabis in 2025 has already been reached, and it has implemented a temporary suspension of new import licences. This gives us an idea of how much cannabis has been imported since the beginning of 2025 as the import cap this calendar year is 122 tons.

While there is no import ban per se; processing times for import applications could be extended. As for how long the temporary suspension will remain in place, that’s not clear as the quota for 2025 may be revised.

https://hempgazette.com/news/germany-medical-cannabis-hg2578/

 

 

 

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