On January 19th, 2017, Germany’s parliament (Bundestag) passed a law that officially makes cannabis legal for medicinal purposes, allowing for severely ill German patients to receive prescriptions for medical cannabis treatment. This amendment became effective from March 2017, allowing people with qualifying conditions to legally obtain medical marijuana from pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription.
In April 2019, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) announced that it was awarding the tender to cultivate cannabis domestically in Germany to three companies exclusively for distribution in German markets. In total, the tender ensures that the BfArM will purchase 10,400 kilograms of cannabis from producers for an estimated wholesale price per gram €2.3. 10,400 kilograms is further split into 2,600 kilograms per year between the companies in the proportions listed below:
- Aurora – 1,000kg/year for 4 years
- Aphria – 1,000kg/year for 4 years
- Demecan – 600kg/year for 4 years.
In 2020, an estimated 128,000 patients were prescribed medical cannabis in Germany comparing to 60,000 patients in 2019 and 40,000 patients in 2018. Most prescriptions so far have been given for pain (71%), followed by spasticity (11%) and anorexia (8%).
Source: cannabusinessplans.eu