Tag: marijuana

Letting Marijuana Users Have Guns Poses ‘A Clear Danger,’ Trump’s Solicitor General Tells Supreme Court

In a recent filing with the U.S. Supreme Court, the Trump-led Department of Justice (DOJ) is doubling down on arguments made under former President Joe Biden that users of illegal drugs—including marijuana—”pose a clear danger of misusing firearms.”

That risk, DOJ contends, justifies the longstanding federal prohibition on gun ownership by drug consumers—known as Section 922(g)(3)—despite the Constitution’s broad Second Amendment protections.

In a petition for review by the high court, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argues that despite recent appeals court decisions calling the constitutionality of the firearms ban into question, the restriction is nevertheless lawful.

“Section 922(g)(3) complies with the Second Amendment,” the government’s June 2 filing in the case, U.S. v. Hemani, says. “That provision targets a category of persons who pose a clear danger of misusing firearms: habitual users of unlawful drugs.”

Some lower courts have said the government’s blanket ban on gun and ammunition possession infringes on the Second Amendment—at least as applied to certain individual cases—because there’s no historical justification for such a broad restriction on an entire category of people.

But in the appeal petition in Hemani, Trump’s solicitor general said the ban is necessary and narrowly tailored enough to survive the legal challenge.

The federal statute “bars their possession of firearms only temporarily and leaves it within their power to lift the restriction at any time; anyone who stops habitually using illegal drugs can resume possessing firearms.”

Notably, while the government mentions “habitual” users of illegal drugs 40 times in its filing, that word does not itself appear in 922(g)(3). The language of the statute prohibits anyone “who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” from purchasing or possessing firearms or ammunition.

A reply brief from Hemani’s lawyers is due to the Supreme Court by July 21.

While DOJ is asking the high court to take up the Hemani case, at least two other, similar cases are waiting in the wings: U.S. v. Cooper and U.S. v. Baxter both of which also hinge on the constitutionality of 922(g)(3).

In Cooper, an Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel dismissed a three-year prison sentence against a person convicted for possession of a firearm while being an active user of marijuana. Judges in that case ruled that government’s prohibition on gun ownership by drug users is justified only in certain circumstances—not always.

“Nothing in our tradition allows disarmament simply because [the defendant] belongs to a category of people, drug users, that Congress has categorically deemed dangerous,” their ruling said.

In Baxter, the Eighth Circuit ruled 922(g)(3) unconstitutional as applied to the facts in the case.

Judges in that case wrote that there were insufficient factual findings in the record “for this Court to review Baxter’s as-applied Second Amendment challenge.” Nevertheless, the they wrote, “We reverse the district court’s ruling on Baxter’s as-applied Second Amendment challenge and remand to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”

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Nebraska AG Sends Threat Letters To Retailers Over Alleged Sales Of Illegal THC Products

The owners of 82 smoke and vape shops and other THC-friendly retailers in Lincoln are receiving cease and desist letters this week from Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) about selling THC-containing products.

Hilgers, the state’s top prosecutor, ramped back up his push to get stores to stop selling delta-8, delta-9 and other products containing tetrahydrocannabinol that he argues offer people an unregulated, unsafe, illegal way to get high.

Store owners in several cities that Hilgers has targeted have argued state law is unclear about the legality of selling the products. Some have argued that federal law might have a loophole allowing it.

Hilgers had said he would pause his efforts to warn and then sue retailers still offering the targeted THC products if the Legislature in the 2025 session passed a bill to clearly make them illegal in the state, which stalled. The bill is likely to return in 2026.

His office, which also files civil cases to enforce state law, has sent the letters to 204 stores statewide alleging unfair business practices, deception and violations of safety requirements for food. That tally includes 104 stores in Omaha, four in Kearney and three in Nebraska City.

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DEA Judge Shuts Down Cannabis Manufacturing Case Without Hearing, Company Plans Legal Challenge

The company behind the application, MMJ BioPharma Cultivation, is now preparing to challenge the ruling in federal court and call for the judge’s recusal.

The ruling was issued by DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney II, who dismissed the company’s bid for a marijuana bulk manufacturing license after more than six years of delays. MMJ BioPharma said the decision came without warning and without any opportunity to present evidence or respond to agency claims—calling it a “procedural ambush.”

“This isn’t regulation—it’s an illegal ambush,” said MMJ CEO Duane Boise, who said the company had complied with all requirements under the Controlled Substances Act and FDA pathways.

MMJ, which is developing cannabis-based medicines for Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis, submitted a legally binding supply agreement in March 2024 with a DEA-licensed Schedule I facility. The agreement included specific sourcing protocols, defined volume, and DEA Form 222 compliance. Despite that, Mulrooney’s June 16 ruling ignored the document entirely and blocked it from being entered into the record.

Boise accused the DEA of demanding the agreement and then refusing to acknowledge it once submitted. “The agency cannot demand a document, receive it, then declare it irrelevant behind closed doors,” he said.

The order also reversed a previous determination by another administrative judge that certain disputed facts warranted a hearing. Instead, Mulrooney cited internal communications from a DEA investigator that MMJ was never allowed to challenge or respond to—raising concerns of ex parte communications and due process violations.

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Why Is Texas Supporting Psychedelics Research While Criminalizing Cannabis?

Texas just announced it will invest $50 million into studying ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic drug that remains illegal at the federal level. The goal? To develop it into a potential Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for conditions like opioid use disorder, PTSD and depression; especially among veterans.

On the surface, this might sound like a bold and progressive move. But here’s the irony: at the very same time, Texas continues to criminalize cannabis and might soon even outlaw hemp-derived THC products.

Let’s break this down. Cannabis, a plant with centuries of use, decades of medical data and broad public support remains illegal for adult use in Texas. Despite overwhelming national support for legalization—a staggering 88 percent of Americans now back medical or recreational cannabis use)—the state has chosen to double down on prohibition, with lawmakers sending Gov. Greg Abbott (R) a bill that would outlaw consumable hemp products with any traces of THC. He has until Sunday to decide whether to allow that ban to take effect.

Even worse, prohibition isn’t stopping anything. The black market is thriving in Texas. Cartels and illicit operators flood the state with unregulated, untested cannabis. No taxes are collected, no consumer protections exist and legal hemp retailers are now being threatened. It is a misguided public safety argument deluded by a lack of facts and science, political conservatism, contradictory business objectives and outdated stigmas.

Meanwhile, ibogaine, a hallucinogenic alkaloid that can induce intense psychedelic experiences, is now the subject of a $50 million state-funded research push. The same lawmakers who claim cannabis is too dangerous and not well studied are throwing their support behind a compound with far less research and much more uncertainty with the intent of studying it.

This isn’t a critique of psychedelic medicine. Ibogaine may very well hold incredible therapeutic value. But if Texas is willing to support cutting-edge, controversial treatments for serious mental health and addiction issues, why not start with widely available data and access to cannabis? Cannabis has already been shown to help with chronic pain, anxiety, sleep, seizures and opioid dependency.

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Cannabis extract proves to be highly effective at killing the most dangerous animals in the world

Every year, mosquito-borne diseases cut short more than a million lives across the globe, outpacing every other animal threat to humanity. The rising toll has public-health teams scrambling for fresh combat tools, especially as traditional chemical sprays lose their edge.

That loss stems from two hard truths. First, the very pyrethroid insecticides that once worked wonders now linger in soil and water, nudging delicate ecosystems off balance.

Second, mosquitoes adapt fast. Larvae soaking in tainted puddles and adults drifting through treated neighborhoods increasingly shrug off doses that once killed them.

Controlling the pests at their waterborne stage is vital, yet options that stay potent without harming everything else remain limited.

Cannabis, CBD, and mosquitoes

Recent research published in the journal Insects points to a solution hiding in plain sight: the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa.

After air-drying and grinding ordinary hemp leaves, scientists at The Ohio State University led by Erick Martinez Rodriguez extracted cannabidiol (CBD) and added the concentrate to cups of water teeming with yellow fever mosquito larvae.

Within 48 hours, both a strain that laughs at common insecticides and a non-resistant strain were wiped out.

“Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world, mainly because as adults they serve as vectors of disease,” Rodriguez explained.

From resistance to vulnerability

Two important findings jumped out. The first was total mortality: every mosquito larva exposed to sufficient CBD died by the two-day mark, regardless of its genetic armor.

The second was efficiency. While industrial chemicals often push resistance higher with every generation, CBD’s effect cut straight through those defenses. Doses varied, but even modest concentrations proved lethal to all mosquito larvae.

“If you compare the amount of hemp extract needed to kill 50 % of the population to other synthetic conventional insecticides, it is on the high side, but when you compare it side by side to other natural extracts we have tested in our lab, only a relatively low amount is required to produce high mortality values in larvae,” said Martinez Rodriguez.

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Exploring Cannabis sativa L for Anti-Alzheimer Potential: An Extensive Computational Study including Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics, and ADMET Assessments

Abstract

Introduction: Cholinesterase enzymes play a pivotal role in hydrolyzing acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter crucial for memory and cognition, into its components, acetic acid, and choline. A primary approach in addressing Alzheimer’s disease symptoms is by inhibiting the action of these enzymes.

Methods: With this context, our study embarked on a mission to pinpoint potential Cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors using a comprehensive computational methodology. A total of 49 phytoconstituents derived from Cannabis sativa L underwent in silico screening via molecular docking, pharmacokinetic and pharmacotoxicological analysis, to evaluate their ability to inhibit cholinesterase enzymes. Out of these, two specific compounds, namely tetrahydrocannabivarin and Δ-9- tetrahydrocannabinol, belonging to cannabinoids, stood out as prospective therapeutic agents against Alzheimer’s due to their potential as cholinesterase inhibitors. These candidates showcased commendable binding affinities with the cholinesterase enzymes, highlighting their interaction with essential enzymatic residues.

Results: They were predicted to exhibit greater binding affinities than Rivastigmine and Galantamine. Their ADMET assessments further classified them as viable oral pharmaceutical drugs. They are not expected to induce any mutagenic or hepatotoxic effects and cannot produce skin sensitization. In addition, these phytoconstituents are predicted to be BBB permeable and can reach the central nervous system (CNS) and exert their therapeutic effects. To delve deeper, we explored molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to examine the stability of the complex formed between the best candidate (Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and the target proteins under simulated biological conditions. The MD study affirmed that the ligand-ChE recognition is a spontaneous reaction leading to stable complexes.

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GOP-Led Congressional Panel Demands Investigation On Biden’s Marijuana Rescheduling Process, Citing ‘Deviations’ And ‘Mental Health Hazards’

A key GOP-led House committee is asking for a review of the cannabis rescheduling recommendation issued under the Biden administration, expressing concerns about “deviations” from a prior review process as well as the “mental health hazards of regular use of high-potency marijuana.”

In a report attached to a large-scale spending bill for the 2026 fiscal year, the House Appropriations Committee included several sections focused on marijuana and hemp—while also encouraging further research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. The panel is set to vote on the bill and report language on Wednesday.

For cannabis advocates and stakeholders, however, the report’s marijuana scheduling language is troubling, with members stating that they’re “concerned about deviations from established drug scheduling evaluation standards in the [Food and Drug Administration, or FDA] 2023 marijuana scheduling review.”

Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that cannabis be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). That process has since stalled out amid legal challenges from witnesses in DEA administrative hearing proceedings.

“The Committee directs the HHS Inspector General to complete a report on the 2023 marijuana scheduling review including but not limited to: deviations from the established five-factor currently accepted medical use test, justification for a new, two-factor currently accepted medical use test and whether this will be the standard for all future reviews, use of a limited number of hand-selected comparator substances, and inclusion of research results that are not statistically significant or inconclusive,” the report section says.

The flagged issues largely echo concerns raised by prohibitionist organizations such as Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM). And the language is consistent with an earlier version of the agriculture spending legislation that advanced though committee but was not ultimately enacted last session.

“The Committee is concerned about reports of the mental health hazards of regular use of high-potency marijuana, particularly among adolescents,” it says. “The Committee encourages the FDA to support research on high-potency marijuana and its effects on the adolescent brain, specifically regarding addiction and mental illness such as schizophrenia or psychosis.”

“Marijuana Rescheduling.—The Committee is concerned about deviations from established drug scheduling evaluation standards in the FDA 2023 marijuana scheduling review. The Committee directs the HHS Inspector General to complete a report on the 2023 marijuana scheduling review including but not limited to: deviations from the established five-factor currently accepted medical use test, justification for a new, two-factor currently accepted medical use test and whether this will be the standard for all future reviews, use of a limited number of hand-selected comparator substances, and inclusion of research results that are not statistically significant or inconclusive. The Committee is concerned about reports of the mental health hazards of regular use of high-potency marijuana, particularly among adolescents. The Committee encourages the FDA to support research on high-potency marijuana and its effects on the adolescent brain, specifically regarding addiction and mental illness such as schizophrenia or psychosis.”

Elsewhere in the report, the panel also talked about their problem with “the proliferation of products marketed in violation of the [Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA)], including products containing derivatives of the cannabis plant,” which is consistent with provisions of the underlying bill that would ban all hemp items containing “quantifiable” amounts of THC.

“The Committee is aware that non-FFDCA-compliant products pose potential health and safety risks to consumers through misleading, unsubstantiated, and false claims that cannabis and cannabis derivatives can treat serious and life-threatening diseases and conditions, including COVID–19 and cancer,” the report says. “Such products may also be contaminated with harmful substances.”

“The Committee recognizes FDA’s use of existing authorities to undertake cannabis-related efforts, including research, requests for data, consumer education, issuance of guidance and policy around cannabis-based drug product development, and enforcement against wrongdoers,” it continues. “The Committee expects FDA to continue and increase these efforts given the proliferation of non-FFDCA-compliant, cannabis-containing products and the risks they pose to public health.”

“Cannabidiol Oil Enforcement.—The Committee is concerned about the proliferation of products marketed in violation of the FFDCA, including products containing derivatives of the cannabis plant. The Committee is aware that non-FFDCA-compliant products pose potential health and safety risks to consumers through misleading, unsubstantiated, and false claims that cannabis and cannabis derivatives can treat serious and life-threatening diseases and conditions, including COVID–19 and cancer. Such products may also be contaminated with harmful substances. The Committee recognizes FDA’s use of existing authorities to undertake cannabis-related efforts, including research, requests for data, consumer education, issuance of guidance and policy around cannabis-based drug product development, and enforcement against wrongdoers. The Committee expects FDA to continue and increase these efforts given the proliferation of non-FFDCA-compliant, cannabis-containing products and the risks they pose to public health. The Committee also expects FDA to take enforcement action against the manufacturers of any cannabis products marketed with unlawful therapeutic claims to preserve the integrity of the drug development and approval processes, which ensures that products, including cannabis-containing products, marketed as drugs have undergone a rigorous scientific evaluation to ensure that they are safe, pure, potent, and effective for the diseases and conditions they claim to treat. It is also imperative that FDA continue to exercise its existing authorities to preserve incentives to invest in robust clinical study of cannabis so its therapeutic value can be better understood.”

The report further states that members expect FDA to “take enforcement action against the manufacturers of any cannabis products marketed with unlawful therapeutic claims to preserve the integrity of the drug development and approval processes, which ensures that products, including cannabis-containing products, marketed as drugs have undergone a rigorous scientific evaluation to ensure that they are safe, pure, potent, and effective for the diseases and conditions they claim to treat.”

“It is also imperative that FDA continue to exercise its existing authorities to preserve incentives to invest in robust clinical study of cannabis so its therapeutic value can be better understood,” the committee said.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies advanced the underlying bill last week, stirring controversy over provisions to prohibit cannabis products containing any “quantifiable” amount of THC or “any other cannabinoids that have similar effects (or are marketed to have similar effects) on humans or animals” as THC.

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Marijuana Users Are Nearly 5 Times As Likely To Regularly Exercise Than Eat Fast Food, Stereotype-Busting Survey Shows

Marijuana consumers are more than three times more likely to regularly exercise than drink alcohol—and they’re nearly five times more likely to routinely work out than eat fast food—according to another stereotype-defying survey.

The poll from the cannabis telehealth platform NuggMD looked at the habits of cannabis users, who were asked about the frequency they engage in seven different activities—from alcohol consumption to movie theater attendance.

One of the takeaways was that marijuana consumers reported regularly engaging in exercise (27.4 percent daily and 34.9 percent multiple times per week) significantly more often than using alcohol (6.1 percent daily and 11.3 percent multiple times per week).

Another finding from the survey was that cannabis consumers are 4.8 times more likely to regularly exercise than to eat fast food (1.5 percent daily and 11.5 percent multiple times per week).

“This finding is yet more evidence that today’s cannabis consumers defy the prohibitionist stereotype of layabouts munching Doritos and then crossfading with booze to get their fix,” Andrew Graham, head of communications at NuggMD, told Marijuana Moment.

“The data shows that cannabis consumers self-report several healthy lifestyle habits. When compared with federal data on exercise and fast food consumption, our poll shows that cannabis consumers are in fact more likely to exercise and less likely to eat fast food than the average U.S. adult,” he said. “Previous polling we’ve done shows cannabis has a distinct replacement effect on alcohol use, and this poll charts a similar direction.”

“For millions of wellness-focused Americans, cannabis is simply part of the routine. It’s kind of mind-blowing how wrong the prohibitionist crowd is about everything,” Graham said.

Several other studies have similarly found that cannabis users exercise at average or above-average levels compared to non-users, bucking the long-held stigma that marijuana makes people lazy. This is one of the latest data points to show the same.

Notably, the new poll also found that relatively few marijuana consumers frequently use food delivery services, with just 3.3 percent reporting that they order delivery daily and 8.3 percent saying they use such services multiple times a week.

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A Lot More Older Americans Are Now Using Marijuana, Federally Funded Study Shows

A new federally funded report published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that use of marijuana by U.S. adults 65 and older has increased considerably in recent years amid broader legal access for medical and recreational use.

Cannabis consumption had already been on the rise over the past couple of decades, the research letter says, with reported past-year consumption rising from 1.0 percent in 2005 to 4.2 percent in 2o18. The new findings, which draw on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, show that past-month use has now climbed to 4.8 percent in 2021 and to 7.0 percent in 2023.

The growth in prevalence over the past few years was seen among nearly all demographic subsets, but it was especially strong among people who listed their race as “other,” women, white people, people with college or post-college degrees, those with higher-income, married people and those living in states with legal medical marijuana, the report says.

Data also showed that people with multiple chronic diseases also reported a recent increase in prevalence of use.

Some trends reveal what authors called “shifts in cannabis use by older adults.”

“Adults with the highest incomes initially had the lowest prevalence of cannabis use vs other income levels,” they said, for example, “but by 2023, they had the highest prevalence, which may indicate better access to medical cannabis given its costs.”

The rise in cannabis use among adults 65 and older in legal jurisdictions “highlights the importance of structural educational support for patients and clinicians in those states,” the report notes, pointing to potential complications in treating chronic disease.

It also flags that tobacco and excess alcohol use “continues to be high among older adults who use cannabis. However, these results do not suggest that concurrent use is changing.”

The report concludes by advising that clinicians “consider screening and educating older patients about potential risks of cannabis use.”

The new findings, by researchers at University of California, San Diego and New York University medical schools, were published as a research letter on Monday.

Along with the report, JAMA also published an editor’s note asserting that “existing therapeutic evidence for medical cannabis in older adults has been inconsistent across several conditions, with many studies suggesting possible benefits, while others finding limited benefit.”

It also highlights “apparent” potential harms that marijuana might cause older adults, including “increased risks of cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal conditions, stroke, sedation, cognitive impairment, falls, motor vehicle injuries, drug-drug interactions, and psychiatric disorders.”

“Older adults require information on methods available for taking cannabis and age-specific dosing guidance,” the editor’s note says. “Health care professionals should recognize that older adults are increasingly using cannabis products and promote open and judgment-free conversations about its use.”

Overall, it says, the new research findings “underscore the need for more high-quality evidence evaluating the benefit to risk ratio of cannabis in older adults as well as the need for clinician support to prevent cannabis-related harm.”

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Only One European Country’s Cannabis Policy Is Actually Undermining The Illicit Market

In the last several decades, Europe has made significant strides in its approach to legalized cannabis use, moving from strict criminalization and prohibition to decriminalization and legalized medical and adult-use models. In addition to expanding healthcare and adult-use access to cannabis use, it’s also important to discuss what impact these varying policies have in counteracting the foothold of illicit cannabis markets throughout the European Union.

Under E.U. law, many countries encounter hurdles in legalizing adult-use commercial cannabis, as they likely would be subject to penalties under the European Court of Justice. For this reason, several countries—including the Netherlands, Malta, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany—have taken unique approaches to cannabis policy.

Germany, however, stands out in terms of producing a measurable impact to push back against the illicit cannabis market.

The Netherlands: A Tolerance Model Without Market Control

Long seen as a pioneer, the Netherlands’ approach to cannabis is based on tolerance rather than legalization. Adults can purchase small quantities of cannabis from Dutch “coffee shops,” which are tolerated but not fully legalized. These shops are forced to source products from an illegal supply chain due to a lack of legal production.

In terms of impact, the tolerated model might seem like a considerable way to go, as every adult in the Netherlands can access coffee shops. However, in terms of control, product safety and regulation, the Dutch cannabis system is vulnerable, as the whole value chain is not regulated and the products are produced illegally for the coffee shops.

Due to the drawbacks of the tolerance model, the Netherlands has just initiated its Weed Experiment. The experiment will allow coffee shops in 10 municipalities to sell legally produced and supplied cannabis. A report on the results of the closed-loop experiment is expected for 2028.

Malta: Liberal on Paper, Constrained in Practice

Malta decriminalized cannabis use in 2015 and, in 2021, became the first European Union country to allow the cultivation and private personal use of cannabis. However, the market remains heavily restricted.

The government permits adult cultivation of cannabis (up to four plants) and personal possession of seven grams when away from home and 50 grams at home. The country also legalized nonprofit cannabis associations that can distribute cannabis to their members. These clubs are limited to 500 people, and membership is only available to residents. However, the public consumption, transportation and sale of cannabis are still banned and can result in fines.

With club membership strictly limited, public consumption outlawed and no other options for adults to legally purchase cannabis outside of the nonprofit associations, the market remains very limited. As of May 2025, no public information is available detailing the exact amount of cannabis provided by these associations to their members.

Luxembourg: Legalization Without Access

In 2021, Luxembourg legalized cannabis cultivation for adult use. However, it wasn’t until two years later, in 2023, that the country defined its legal cultivation and possession rules for personal use. Under the law, adults can grow up to four plants and possess three grams. However, consumption, transportation, and sale in public spaces are still banned and can result in fines.

As reported by the Luxembourg Times, 46.3 percent of the country’s residents have tried cannabis at least once in their lives, including 14.2 percent who have used the plant within the last year and 7.8 percent in the past month, according to an ILRES poll. Just under seven out of ten people who grow cannabis at home said they started cultivation after the government legalized home grow, amounting to just 11.5 percent of recent users.

Despite homegrow gaining moderate interest from residents after legalization, there has not been a significant growth in users, and this has not resulted in an explosion in the market. For now, the market remains stagnant and limited in counteracting illicit sellers due to the country’s lack of legalized sales marketplaces as well as restrictions on public consumption.

Switzerland: Research-Oriented but Limited in Scope

Switzerland has taken a scientific approach through pilot programs across seven major cities to determine the viability of cannabis legalization and controlled distribution within the country over 10 years.

While the pilot programs are set up to allow recreational cannabis commerce at a local level, in terms of true societal impact, this initial rollout does not serve as a solution to counteract the illicit cannabis market. This is mainly due to the limited availability of the majority of Swiss residents. Only Swiss residents who have previously established histories of using cannabis can purchase through the pilot program entities. These pilot programs are also limited to a maximum of a few hundred or a few thousand participants.

Germany: A Functional, Scalable Legal Medical Market

Germany’s cannabis market is widely hailed as one of Europe’s most progressive. On April 1, 2024, the country passed The Cannabis Act (CanG), reclassifying cannabis as a non-narcotic. Through this, administrative burdens were eased for medical cannabis patients and prescribing doctors. CanG also allows possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis and cultivation of up to 3 plants, and it permits the rollout of not-for-profit cannabis clubs.

In January 2025, my medical cannabis company, Bloomwell Group, released its “Cannabis 2024 in Germany: A new era for patients in Germany” report. According to the report, in December 2024, the number of prescriptions issued increased by a little less than 1,000 percent compared to March 2024, following the reclassification of cannabis. The rise of patients who are now able to access cannabis for various medical conditions signals a shift in the perception of cannabis being used for its wellness properties in the medical space.

Telemedical technology in the sector has also positively impacted growth and counteracted the illicit market. Telemedical platforms offer convenience for patients and the physicians who prescribe their treatment. This is extremely helpful to patients who are located in rural or isolated areas of Germany and have geographic limitations in accessing healthcare professionals for their medical needs.

The Bloomwell report also revealed that medical cannabis prices dropped to an all-time low by the end of 2024. During October and November 2024, select strains were available for just €3.99 per gram, a stark contrast to previous pricing models. These decreases are due to a steady supply and increased demand for medical cannabis as the number of self-paying patients continues to soar.

Such demand continues to open doors for international imports of medical cannabis to supply the growing market. Just in the first quarter of 2025, more than 37 tonnes of cannabis for medical or scientific purposes have been imported to Germany, according to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM).

Unlike other legalized markets, like California in the U.S., which fell victim to being dwarfed by a behemoth illicit market, the passage of CanG served as a catalyst to boom the German medical market, and with more patients able to access cannabis, prices of the plant actually decreased. This allowed the legalized medical market to stay competitive with the illicit market.

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