Dr. Julian Wichmann, MD, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomwell GmbH
Germany has, with out query, essentially the most progressive regulation of medical hashish within the EU. But, the present federal authorities’s Ministry of Well being, led by the CDU, needs to considerably limit telemedical entry to medical hashish and particularly flowers, citing abuse. On nearer inspection, there’s nonetheless no supporting information or proof for this.
Critics of telemedicine at all times level solely to sharply rising import volumes. The Federal Ministry of Well being (BMG) expects 300 tonnes of imported medical hashish flower in 2026, up from 205 tonnes in 2025. In 2023, the final full 12 months earlier than medical hashish was faraway from the Narcotics Act, imports stood at simply 31.4 tonnes. No different information level or medical research has truly indicated abuse.
Due to this fact, the query is whether or not imports have actually risen a lot that abuse will be inferred from them. Since April 01, 2024, medical hashish is now not labeled as a narcotic in Germany however as a ‘regular’ prescription medication.
Legislators took this step fairly pragmatically: the chance profile of medical hashish gave no motive to categorise it as a narcotic anymore. Ever for the reason that Hashish as Drugs Act got here into pressure in March 2017, the Federal Institute for Medicine and Medical Gadgets (BfArM) has evaluated its results in an accompanying survey.
What stood out was that sufferers reported both no unwanted effects in any respect or solely delicate ones. Even in contrast with different pharmaceuticals that chronically ailing folks take often, medical hashish flowers have a beneficial side-effect profile.
The habit and danger profile of narcotics reminiscent of opioids is many instances higher than that of medical hashish. Due to this fact, it’s now regulated as a drugs requiring a prescription by a licensed medical physician. There aren’t any over-the-counter medical hashish formulations in Germany, regardless of such calls for by pharmacy lobbying teams.
This has elevated medical hashish as a attainable remedy resolution for docs in Germany with the potential to minimise unwanted effects and dangers of a remedy. For widespread circumstances reminiscent of sleep issues and continual ache, there aren’t any different drugs that may be taken over a number of months with out appreciable dangers.
This utterly modifications the context of the import figures. Medical hashish remains to be largely underprescribed in Germany. In precept, an estimated 20 million folks in Germany are eligible for remedy with medical hashish primarily based on the prevalence of treatable main ailments. From a health-protection perspective, import volumes have subsequently not grown too shortly however too slowly.
There are as well as two main the explanation why entry to authorized medical hashish advantages well being. First, in a survey, sufferers who gained entry to medical hashish remedy by Bloomwell reported that after beginning remedy they have been capable of considerably cut back or solely cease taking different prescription drugs, together with opioids. For the overwhelming majority of respondents, this meant a considerably improved high quality of life and work.
Second, switching from the unlawful market to authorized remedy is already a acquire for prevention and well being safety. For a few years, nonetheless, restrictive medical care left many individuals with no practical various. In autumn 2024, the Sanity Group discovered poisonous pesticides in two-thirds of 300 laboratory samples of unlawful hashish, and round 65% contained traces of human faeces, micro organism or viruses.
A additional survey in September 2026 of seven,900 sufferers who gained entry to remedy by way of Bloomwell confirmed that 9 out of ten respondents had expertise with each pharmacy-supplied medical hashish and the unlawful market. Their desire is obvious: medical hashish stands out for clear info on lively substances, product security, cleanliness, value, and availability or ease of dosing. For sufferers, shopping for on the unlawful market can be a big supply of stress.
Even scientific reviews point out that extra, not fewer customers ought to entry medical hashish as an alternative of relying on different, principally unlawful sources: A research (2026) primarily based on surveys amongst 4,414 hashish customers within the UK discovered that solely 12.9% had acquired a prescription for medical hashish.
An extra 35.9% reported medical use with out a prescription. Scientific surveys in different international locations help the speculation that a minimum of half of the hashish customers pursue medical motives. In Germany, in an on-line survey of just about 11,500 hashish customers, 53.7% referred to medical causes.
However solely 29.2% said that medical hashish from a pharmacy is their fundamental supply. In a consultant on-line survey in 2024 commissioned by Bloomwell, hashish customers have been requested about their motives to be used. 94.4% named a minimum of one well being or medical-related motive. Self-medication is a critical situation from a public well being perspective, because it lacks pharmaceutical-grade hashish high quality {and professional} oversight by healthcare suppliers.
Anybody invoking ‘abuse’ in well being coverage additionally can’t merely level to the portions prescribed. In medical circles, remedy abuse is clearly outlined by recognised requirements reminiscent of ICD-10 and DSM-5, that are primarily based on medically identified impairments to well being and high quality of life, in addition to on dependence. These haven’t been reported in any scientific or official supply in Germany. Logical outcomes of medical hashish abuse could be elevated hospitalisation charges of hashish sufferers or involvement in site visitors accidents. Neither has been reported so far.
The controversy’s emphasis reveals how stigmatised the subject stays. Whereas the BfArM survey additionally highlighted optimistic results, the present debate pushed by conservative political events across the analysis of the Shopper Hashish Act (KCanG) and the MedCanG seems centered on detrimental components.
Even the pushback of illicit buildings recognized within the second interim report is just not sufficiently acknowledged in political and public discourse. To make balanced selections, it could even be fascinating for extra impartial scientific organisations to look at the results of medical hashish extra carefully and to tell apart findings from leisure or illicit hashish use.
The controversy in Europe ought to lastly cease specializing in hypothetical abuse and switch to well being safety and prevention. The German telemedical hashish mannequin already serves as a blueprint for Europe and will assist keep away from antagonistic well being results from widespread use and overprescription of opioids and different addiction-causing drugs.
