No commentary needed to illustrate that just say Nein is where we are at at the moment
Recreational Regulation
Federal States Demand Amendments to Cannabis Law
2025-09-20 | Ahead of the first evaluation of the Cannabis Act in autumn, several federal states voiced strong criticism. The Ministry of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg calls it a “botched” regulation and demands the repeal of partial legalization. NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) still considers the law a mistake. The Ministry of Agriculture of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern criticizes unclear guidelines for approving cannabis clubs, while the Ministry of Agriculture of Schleswig-Holstein refers to “regulatory gaps and contradictory provisions.” Saxony-Anhalt’s Ministry of Health finds the regulations “mostly manageable” but sees a need for improvement regarding cultivation clubs. Bremen’s health department stated that it currently sees no reason for amendments to the recreational cannabis law, reports butenunbinnen. Hesse’s Ministry of Social Affairs indicated changes were necessary in view of the upcoming evaluation report, reports Hessenschau. Lower Saxony’s Health Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) stated publicly that the goals pursued by the Cannabis Act had not yet been achieved. According to the federal government, the evaluation report should specifically review youth protection and possession limits. To date, more than 300 cultivation clubs have been approved nationwide. Meanwhile, Berlin’s traffic authority criticized current THC limits for drivers as too high and announced support for the federal evaluation in autumn, reports rbb24. The goal is to set significantly lower thresholds.
Streeck Expects Mixed Assessment of Cannabis Partial Legalization
2025-09-19 | Ahead of the evaluation of partial cannabis legalization, Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrik Streeck (CDU) stated in an ARD interview that he did not expect clear results regarding consumption behavior but rather a “very mixed picture,” reports SWR. Societal changes, in his view, could only be measured reliably after years. He called for stricter rules for prescribing medical cannabis via video or online consultation, which allowed too easy access. A clear distinction between recreational and medical cannabis was necessary to prevent abuse, Streeck said, supporting the line of Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU). He also highlighted the growing threat of synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and called for a close early warning system as well as harm reduction measures like drug checking and consumption rooms.
Streeck Considers Three Cannabis Plants per Person Too Much
2025-08-27 | Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrik Streeck (CDU) advocated stricter rules in an interview with the Rheinische Post, reports Welt. The allowed personal cultivation of three plants could yield up to one kilogram per person—“far too much for personal use,” Streeck said. Whether the number would be reduced in the future remained open, he added, referring to the ongoing evaluation. Initial results were expected in autumn, further results in spring. Among other things, the evaluation should examine how the black market, traffic safety, consumption rates, and cannabis-induced psychoses had developed.
Coalition Discrepancies on Cannabis Regulation
2025-09-17 | For months, views between CDU and SPD on future cannabis regulation have increasingly diverged, although the coalition agreement originally stipulated a common line, reports KrautInvest. The division was particularly evident regarding the planned Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG). While Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) repeatedly stressed that the rising consumption of medical cannabis was “disturbing” and required a legislative change, leading SPD health politicians such as Matthias Mieves, Carmen Wegge, and Christos Pantazis stated that the reform must ensure patient access and digital care.
Federal Drug Commissioner Hendrik Streeck (CDU) demanded stricter rules and questioned cannabis flowers as a medication. SPD MPs such as Wegge announced that they would “under no circumstances” support tightening in its current form. The postponement of cabinet deliberation on MedCanG from September to October also indicated disagreement. Recent statements by SPD representatives clarified that they ruled out a rollback of partial legalization and aimed for a long-term EU-compliant full legalization. Warken, by contrast, advocated stronger interventions in online sales at the German Pharmacists’ Day. The debate was set to gain additional momentum with the autumn evaluation.
Cannabis Clubs in Bavaria Still Blocked
2025-09-16 | In Bavaria, cannabis clubs continue to face major difficulties in supplying their members, reports BR24. According to Heinrich Wieker of the Federal Working Group of Cannabis Cultivation Associations (BCAv), only eight out of 44 applications in the state have been approved, and 15 withdrawn. He speaks of “dramatic numbers” and accuses Bavaria of a blockade attitude. The Ministry of Health emphasizes that health and youth protection were paramount, therefore a “as restrictive as possible enforcement” was being pursued.
At the same time, a popular lawsuit against the Cannabis Consequences Limitation Act was pending before the Bavarian Constitutional Court, and its review was ongoing. The state government hopes that the federal evaluation planned for autumn 2025 will lead to tightening.
Source German Cannabis Business Assoc Newsletter September 2025
Sean Hocking
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