A new survey following the landmark law change in Germany has revealed that the majority of people consuming cannabis are doing so for health issues.
Frankfurt- based medical cannabis company Bloomwell GmbH conducted a representative survey exploring the reasons why Germans use cannabis following the change in legislation in April 2024.
The survey was conducted among a representative panel of 3,092 people based in Germany, aged 18 and over, in August 2024. Over 1,000 people said they had consumed cannabis at least once in the last 12 months or taken it medicinally as a patient.
According to the results, 94% reported they consume cannabis for at least one medical or health reason.
The most common health-related issues consumers reported they use cannabis for were to help with sleeping disorders (50%) and stress relief (almost 60%), followed by pain relief (35%).
However, only 10% of the survey participants acquired cannabis exclusively from a licensed pharmacy, within the past year.
“There is clearly a strong and growing demand for cannabis to treat common health ailments, but more awareness and education is needed to inform potential patients that they can now obtain medical cannabis safely and with the same ease as other Rx prescriptions through specialised telemedicine services,” says Dr Julian Wichmann, Co-Founder of Bloomwell Group.
Surge in medical market demand, but doctors would benefit from more education
Since the introduction of the CanG Act in April, which saw cannabis removed from the list of narcotics, the number of patients accessing medical cannabis prescriptions is believed to have risen significantly.
Speaking at a conference in June 2024, Finn Age Hänsel, Founder and CEO, of medical cannabis company, Sanity Group, reported a ‘70% jump in market demand’.
Proposals by the G-BA and approved by the Ministry of Health, are also expected to make it easier for more doctors to prescribe without prior approval from statutory health insurance companies.
However, the data also indicated that doctors may benefit from more education on medical cannabis treatment.
One in five of those surveyed said that they had already spoken to a doctor about medical cannabis, but were not prescribed medical cannabis.
Only 9% of those surveyed had ‘no issues’ finding a doctor who could competently support them in their therapy with medical cannabis.
“These findings underscore the need for medical cannabis to be treated on an equal footing as other modern medical therapies. However, for too many doctors in Germany, medical cannabis is still a taboo subject,” added Dr Wichmann.
“Education in cannabis medical treatment is needed, not just for patients, but also for medical professionals in order to normalise use and dispel outdated stigmas. From a legal perspective, medical cannabis is now equivalent to other prescription medications such as pain relievers, sleep aids and antidepressants, but we’ve found that it is often still treated differently by the medical community.
“Medical cannabis has great and proven potential to help provide relief to patients with a range of conditions, including common issues like stress and sleep disorders; both are widespread conditions in Germany that are often overlooked for medical treatment or treated insufficiently.”
‘Buyers remorse’ from the illegal market
The report also revealed that many consumers who had purchased cannabis from unlicensed sellers had “buyer’s remorse” and were fearful of the negative side effects.
Over a third reported purchasing cannabis that was of poor quality and are afraid that illegally acquired cannabis will have a negative impact on their health. More than a quarter believed they have already purchased contaminated cannabis.
Since July, cannabis social clubs have been able to apply for licences, but according to reports, meaningful progress on this front remains slow and hampered by hurdles.
“According to the data from our survey, more than 20 million people in Germany could benefit from access to medical cannabis therapy,” said Niklas Kouparanis, Co-Founder and CEO, Bloomwell Group GmbH, the holding company for Bloomwell Gmbh, which operates a digital medical cannabis platform and app.
“The responses illustrate the immense potential and room for growth of the country’s rapidly expanding medical cannabis industry following the implementation of the Cannabis Act (CanG) on April 1, 2024, which rescheduled cannabis as a non-narcotic.”
Kouparanis added: “Our aim is to reach the rapidly growing number of people who are seeking out medical cannabis and make them aware that there are licensed and convenient telemedicine services providing safe and reliable care from physicians and pharmacies. Patients no longer need to rely on the illicit market and also should not be pushed in that direction.”
The post Most Germans are consuming cannabis for health reasons—but many still access it illegally appeared first on Cannabis Health News.
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Author: Sarah Sinclair
