Germany Is Seeking Stricter Rules For Medical Cannabis To Crack Down On Online Prescriptio
October 6, 2025
Germany is proposing restrictions on medical cannabis prescriptions that could severely impact patients and telemedicine platforms, a move that is drawing widespread criticism.
The Federal Ministry of Health introduced in July a draft bill amending the Medical Cannabis Act that would change the rules of the game in the medical cannabis industry in Germany.
Under the proposed bill, cannabis flowers will only be prescribed after an in-person doctor visit and must be picked up at a pharmacy, whereas today, licensed doctors can prescribe medical cannabis in person or via telemedicine, and patients can purchase it at pharmacies or have it delivered home.
If adopted, the proposed changes to Germany’s medical cannabis regulations would significantly disrupt patient access and telemedicine platforms that rely on online consultations and prescriptions. These measures could also have severe economic consequences for Germany’s cannabis market, the largest in Europe, with cannabis consulting firm Prohibition Partners estimating its market size at over $787 million in 2025.
Medical Cannabis Telemedicine in Germany
Telemedicine platforms have expanded their presence and are becoming more popular in Germany, particularly since the country legalized recreational cannabis for personal use in April 2024. This quasi-legalization reclassified cannabis from a narcotic to a controlled substance, facilitating easier access to medical cannabis, which had been legalized in 2017. The law also allows adults to possess and use small amounts of cannabis, cultivate up to three plants for personal use, and establish non-profit cannabis social clubs.
It’s estimated that Germany has around 338,000 active medical cannabis patients, up from 250,000 before the quasi-legalization took effect in April 2024. The surge has pushed imports to over 43,000 kg in Q2 2025 alone, with nearly 73,000 kg imported in 2024. Prescriptions have skyrocketed by roughly 1,000% between March and December 2024, according to telemedicine platform Bloomwell.
Amid these reforms, the Health Ministry, led by Nina Warken of the center-right CDU—which opposes cannabis legalization and is part of the governing coalition with the center-left SPD—justifies the proposed restriction by citing a 170% rise in medical cannabis imports from H1 to H2 2024, while prescriptions covered by statutory health insurance, which operate under regulated oversight, increased by only 9%.
The ministry says this shows that private prescriptions, often issued through telemedicine platforms, are responsible for most cannabis imports, with little medical oversight, and argues that patients should see a doctor in person to ensure proper evaluation, counseling, and safe use.
However, some cannabis stakeholders reject the Ministry’s claim, arguing that the rise in private prescriptions reflects limited doctor access and reluctance to prescribe cannabis, with many in-person doctors favoring riskier narcotics instead.
Most Patients Seek Cannabis Online Due To Low Doctor Expertise
A new survey by the telemedicine platform Bloomwell, involving nearly 3,900 patients and 500 doctors, found that only 13% of patients requesting cannabis actually received a prescription. This suggests that patients turn to telemedicine not just for convenience but because traditional healthcare providers often fail to meet their needs. Only 16% of patients considered their doctors knowledgeable about cannabis.
“When it comes to medical cannabis, many general practitioners fear recourse claims, meaning that their health insurers might reclaim the costs,” Dr. Julian Wichmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomwell, said. “But more importantly, many lack the necessary expertise, and strong reservations still persist.”
Among doctors surveyed, more than two-thirds prescribed a different drug instead, and over half of those alternatives were opioids, the survey shows. Because of that, even patients eligible for statutory health insurance reimbursement often choose private access because it offers more expertise, saves time, and is overall more cost-effective.
Florian Pichlmaier, CEO of Germany’s Signature Products and creator of the Hanf-App cannabis club software, says the main issue is how medical cannabis is prescribed. While “most online and offline platforms offer proper care with consultations, dosing plans, and follow-ups, a few “black sheep” platforms abuse the system by skipping medical checks and monitoring.
“What we need is a uniform standard so every patient receives consistent, high-quality care,” he said.
While most medical cannabis telemedicine platforms follow proper guidelines with consultations, ID checks, and follow-ups, some don’t, according to Pichlmaier. In some cases, patients can get a prescription just by filling out an online questionnaire, without ever speaking to a doctor. The doctor may never evaluate the patient, yet the prescription is issued and cannabis is delivered straight to their home.
Alex Khourdaji, senior analyst at Prohibition Partners, explained that while there may be abuse of telemedicine platforms, they have clearly reduced the illicit market.
“Removing telemedicine and mail delivery would likely drive many users back to illegal sources,” he said, adding that this move would also contradict the goals of Germany’s cannabis legalization, based on protecting youth, curbing illicit use, and ensuring public health.
Coalition Faces Disagreement on Medical Cannabis Bill
Cannabis is expected to be at the center of the political debate within the CDU-SPD coalition.
Last week, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Ministry of Health, Tino Sorge, told Frankfurter Rundschau that some people obtain medical cannabis through various channels for recreational use. “The numbers have risen significantly. It is now possible to get a prescription without ever seeing a doctor. This cannot be the intention.”
However, Pichlmaier explained that the CDU is politicizing a few cases to justify broad restrictions.
“The majority of patients have real medical needs, and most doctors prescribe responsibly,” he said. “The government should target enforcement against the few bad actors, not restrict access for patients.”
The draft bill amending the Medical Cannabis Act is scheduled for review by the German cabinet this week, before it proceeds to parliamentary hearings and the Bundestag’s legislative process.
Dr. Wichmann explained that the draft law is unlikely to take effect as it is because the SPD, CDU’s coalition partner, opposes the proposed restrictions as they would re-criminalize hundreds of thousands of patients, restrict access to prescribed medication for the chronically ill, and overwhelm doctors’ offices.
“We will, fortunately, see a much more reasonable adjustment that will continue to ensure efficient digital care in the future,” he said, adding that a ban on prescribing medical cannabis via telemedicine would hit all German cannabis companies, limiting growth and costing jobs in this emerging sector.
Proposed Bill Could Hit Patients and Industry
The proposed bill could affect medical cannabis patients, especially those who are disabled, chronically ill, or living in rural areas with limited access. They may face stricter rules for obtaining their medication, longer waits for appointments with general practitioners, and extra trips to pharmacies. But the bill could also impact Germany’s broader medical cannabis industry. Online prescriptions are the core business of dozens of telemedicine platforms, and some of these could be forced to shut down if the bill passes.
Khourdaji said that removing telemedicine and mail-order access would severely harm Germany’s medical cannabis industry, a major market for producers and distributors. Stricter rules, such as mandatory video consultations, could slow growth temporarily, while a full ban could cut the market by nearly 50%.
Germany’s medical cannabis market is growing rapidly, drawing international investment. In January 2025, Canadian company High Tide bought a 51% stake in Purecan for €4.8 million, marking its German debut. Around the same time, Aurora Cannabis launched IndiMed, its first Germany-made medical cannabis brand, produced at an EU-GMP-certified facility to meet rising local demand.
Sales in Germany were projected to top €420 million in 2024 and could reach €1 billion by 2028.
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