Cannabis Use Among Germany’s Young Adults Is Rising Regardless Of Legalization, Survey Fin
September 26, 2025
A new study shows that cannabis use among young adults in Germany has steadily increased over the past 15 years, even without the country’s recent legalization.
The findings suggest that Germany’s partial legalization of recreational cannabis came into effect last year, which, by removing cannabis from the narcotics list, allowed personal use, home cultivation, and the establishment of cannabis social clubs, may not be driving the rise in cannabis use among young people. The study’s data, which includes surveys up to 2023, shows that this upward trend began well before legalization was implemented. However, it remains to be seen whether partial legalization will accelerate use or cause it to peak in the coming years.
Published this week in the Journal of Health Monitoring, Germany’s Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) looked at more than 66,000 survey responses collected between 2008 and 2023. It found that in 2023, about 6.7% of teens aged 12 to 17 said they had used cannabis in the past year. Among young adults aged 18 to 25, the number was significantly higher, with 23.5% reporting its use.
Back in 2008, only 8.3% of young women and 14.8% of young men said they had used cannabis. But by 2023, those numbers had risen sharply: to 19.4% for young women and 26.9% for young men.
Age also makes a big difference among teenagers. Fewer than 1% of 12- to 13-year-olds had tried cannabis in the past year, but that figure shot up to 17% among 16- to 17-year-olds. Among young adults aged 18 to 25, though, cannabis use was fairly consistent across the different ages.
Rising Cannabis Use In Young Adults Not Tied To Partial Legalization
The study found little difference in cannabis use when it came to education level or migration background. Among teenagers, boys and girls reported similar rates, but the gap widened in adulthood, with young men much more likely to use cannabis than young women.
The study stressed that cannabis use during adolescence carries particular risks. Because young people are still developing physically and emotionally, they are more vulnerable to the drug’s effects. These include difficulties with thinking and memory, a higher risk of mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or even psychosis when using cannabis strains with a high THC potency. Furthermore, using cannabis repeatedly can also lead to dependency, and starting at a young age increases that risk even further.
The authors of this report, however, acknowledge some limitations to this study. For example, surveys relied on self-reported data collected before legalization, so actual cannabis use may be underestimated. Furthermore, some respondents may have downplayed illegal behavior, and the COVID-19 pandemic could have influenced trends.
Nonetheless, a key question the study raises is whether easier access for adults will lead to higher use among younger people, or if strong prevention efforts can keep rates steady.
For now, the study shows that teen cannabis use has stayed relatively stable, while use among young adults has climbed sharply over the past 15 years. Partial legalization of recreational cannabis, therrfore, doesn’t appear to have affected this trend, at least up to 2023, when the survey data ended. But authors conclude that “it remains to be seen whether and how the consumption behaviour of adolescents and young adults will change in the wake of legalisation for adults after 2024.”
Meanwhile, Germany’s partial legalization seems to be working in terms of the fight against the illegal market.
A survey conducted by the Institute for Addiction Research at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and the Evangelical University of Freiburg, involving more than 11,000 participants, found that 97.8% of them consume cannabis on their own property, while young people are much more likely to use it in public spaces. The study, published in August 2025, also found that, in the past six months as of August this year, 88.4% of adults obtained legally produced cannabis through home cultivation, cultivation associations, or pharmacies. Before the law, only 23.5% used these now-legal sources.
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