Germany Moves to Restrict Medical Cannabis Prescriptions Amid Import Surge

Federal Cabinet Approves New Restrictions

On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, Germany's Federal Cabinet approved a draft bill aimed at significantly restricting the prescription and distribution of medical cannabis across the country. The proposals, which amend the existing Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG), seek to address what the government describes as a 'worrying trend' in consumption and alleged misuse of the system.

The new regulations will primarily impact how patients access medical cannabis, particularly through digital channels. The draft bill will now proceed to parliamentary hearings and the Bundestag's legislative process.

Key Changes to Prescription and Distribution

The approved proposals introduce several key changes to the current medical cannabis framework:

• Mandatory In-Person Consultation: Initial prescriptions for medical cannabis will now require a personal consultation between the patient and the doctor. This must occur either in the doctor's office or during a home visit, effectively banning online or telemedicine access for first-time prescriptions.
• Ban on Mail-Order Delivery: Patients will no longer be able to order medical cannabis through mail-order services. Distribution will be restricted to physical pharmacies, though pharmacy delivery services (Botendienst) will remain permitted.
• Follow-Up Prescriptions: For subsequent medical cannabis prescriptions, a face-to-face consultation will be required at least once every four quarters. Telemedicine prescriptions may be issued in the intervening three quarters, provided there was a previous in-person consultation related to cannabis prescription within that period.

Addressing a 'Worrying Trend' in Consumption

The German government justifies these restrictions by citing a substantial increase in medical cannabis imports and a perceived disconnect between import volumes and prescriptions covered by statutory health insurance.

According to government data, imports of cannabis flowers for medical purposes surged by 170% from the first half to the second half of 2024. This trend continued into 2025, with imports increasing by more than 400% in the first half of the year compared to the same period in the previous year. However, prescriptions covered by statutory health insurance only saw a 9% increase during the same period in 2024, suggesting that the import boom is largely driven by self-paying patients with private prescriptions, often facilitated by telemedicine platforms.

Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken emphasized the government's stance, stating, 'Medical cannabis is a prescription drug and not a product for purely recreational purposes. The massive increase in cannabis imports and the practice of prescribing online without any personal medical contact require political action. We will prohibit the professionalized misuse of prescriptions via the internet.'

Context of Recent Cannabis Reforms

Germany first legalized medical cannabis prescriptions in 2017. More recently, the country legalized recreational cannabis for adult use in March 2024, with the law coming into effect in two phases. The first phase, allowing personal cannabis cultivation and possession, began on April 1, 2024, followed by the approval of cultivation clubs in July 2024.

Since the partial legalization in April 2024, Germany's medical cannabis market has experienced rapid growth. Patient numbers have reportedly soared from approximately 250,000 to nearly 900,000 in just over a year, with imports tripling between April 2024 and April 2025. Telemedicine platforms have played a significant role in this expansion, particularly for patients in rural areas, where an estimated 60% rely solely on digital prescriptions.

Critics of the new restrictions argue that they could negatively impact patient access, especially for those with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or living in remote regions, potentially driving some back to the illicit market.