Anticipated height of cannabis imports projected for 2024
Germany saw a significant surge in cannabis imports for medical and scientific purposes in 2024, with the volume nearly quadrupling from the first quarter to the fourth. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) reported this, with 31.7 tons imported in the fourth quarter, compared to 8.1 tons in the first. The higher demand can be linked to relaxations in cannabis regulations, allowing for more lenient prescriptions for medical cannabis.
Cannada, Portugal, Denmark, North Macedonia, and Spain were the top exporters, with Canada accounting for over 33 tons. The reasons behind the surge in imports remain unclear, but the legalization of adult-use cannabis for adults over 18, with restrictions, might have contributed to the demand.
Online providers have also played a role, potentially overshadowing traditional doctor-patient consultations for medical cannabis prescriptions. Markus Beier, Federal Chairman of the Association of General Practitioners, pointed out that online platforms promoting the simple prescription of medical cannabis on private prescriptions as a private medical service was a likely contributing factor.
While there has been a rise in medical cannabis prescriptions, particularly for patients with multiple sclerosis and palliative care, the supply chain has been simplified for these categories, improving access to medical cannabis for those with a genuine medical indication. The relaxation of regulations regarding cannabis in Germany is part of a broader trend in the country, with the removal of cannabis from the Narcotics List and a growing demand for cannabis that's driven by adult-use legalization and cultivation associations.
- Despite the unnecessarily added procedure of obtaining medical cannabis prescriptions through online platforms, the Association of General Practitioners in Germany acknowledges their potential role in increasing demand.
- Looking forward to 2024, other European countries like Canada, Portugal, Denmark, North Macedonia, and Spain are expected to continue their dominance in the export of medical and scientific cannabis, possibly influencing Germany's procedure for imports.
- The procedure for importing cannabis in 2024 might undergo further changes, considering Germany's plan to completely remove cannabis from the Narcotics List and encourage adult-use cultivation, potentially leading to a surge in demand and importation numbers around that time.
