On the second anniversary of Germany’s landmark Hashish Act (CanG) coming into pressure, probably the most complete information and evaluation of its impression so far has been revealed.
Right this moment, the federal government revealed the outcomes of the second Ekocan (Analysis des Konsumcannabisgesetzes) analysis, offering important new particulars to an more and more sturdy image of the bold hashish challenge.
Since its implementation in 2024, Germany’s medical hashish market has skilled fast, unmitigated ranges of development, with Prohibition Companions revealing in its newest International Medical Hashish Market Evaluation 2026 that the market greater than doubled in measurement final 12 months.
It arrives at a vital juncture. Germany’s coalition authorities is halfway via a contentious set of proposed amendments to the Medical Hashish Act (MedCanG), justified in a big half by allegations that the framework is being ‘abused’ for leisure functions, and inspiring the unfold of hashish use all through Germany.
Whereas the preliminary Ekocan report and subsequent unbiased evaluation straight contradict this evaluation, the most recent findings determine structural gaps within the reform’s implementation, however strengthen the case that the reform has not pushed the rise in consumption or hurt that underpins the federal government’s proposed restrictions.
Finn Hänsel, founder and CEO of Sanity Group, stated in an announcement to the press: “Two years after the Hashish Act took impact, one factor is apparent: the reform deserves a critical, scientifically based mostly analysis, not a rushed political change in fact.
“As agreed within the coalition settlement, we must always look ahead to the complete analysis to be accomplished earlier than drawing far-reaching conclusions or imposing new restrictions.”
What the primary report discovered
When Ekocan revealed its first interim report in September 2025, the headline findings had been broadly reassuring for its advocates.
Hashish consumption had not surged following legalisation, youth use was declining, and the autumn in recorded hashish offences, probably the most important decriminalisation within the historical past of the Federal Republic, mirrored a real shift within the authorized panorama somewhat than a change in underlying behaviour.
The black market endured, however early indicators pointed to a gradual shift towards authorized sources. The primary report was specific that it was too early for definitive conclusions, and that sturdy inferential evaluation would comply with later within the challenge.
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What the second report finds
The second interim report of the Ekocan consortium, a multi-institutional analysis programme mandated to judge CanG’s social impacts, was revealed on 1 April 2026, working to 222 pages and drawing on a wider proof base than something revealed beforehand.
The authorized provide image has continued to develop. As much as 200 tonnes of medicinal hashish had been accessible in Germany in 2025, combining imports with 2.6 tonnes of home manufacturing.
Whole demand for each medical and leisure hashish was estimated at between 670 and 823 tonnes within the first report’s baseline 12 months, with medical hashish overlaying round 9% to 13% of that determine and cultivation associations accounting for lower than 0.1%.
So-called ‘social provide’, casual, peer-to-peer sharing drawing on combined authorized and unlawful origins, stays probably the most generally cited supply, at 35.2% of shoppers within the second half of 2025.
House cultivation has grown considerably. Within the first half of 2024, 5.4% of surveyed shoppers stated they primarily grew their very own hashish. By the second half of 2025, that determine had risen to 21.4%.
The report is evident that this shift represents a real transfer towards authorized sourcing, however equally clear that it was not the mechanism the legislature envisaged.
Cultivation associations, designed because the central pillar of black market displacement, have largely did not fulfil that position. Solely 366 had been accredited as of October 2025, overlaying fewer than half of Germany’s counties.
The BvCW notes that the determine has since risen above 400, and is looking on the federal authorities to comply with Ekocan’s advice to loosen up the regulatory framework governing golf equipment, together with permitting them to publish impartial info on-line and reviewing the restrictions on hashish sharing and consumption inside affiliation premises.
BvCW president Dirk Heitepriem stated: “One of many core goals of the Hashish Act is the displacement of the black market and organised crime. However a key ingredient continues to be absent: the scientific mannequin tasks for regulated hashish allotting. Allow us to work along with all related stakeholders to make a giant leap ahead.”
Prohibition Companion’s senior analyst, Alex Khourdaji, added: “It is going to be fascinating to see how Germany develops, because the market’s adult-use potential is at the moment restricted.
“The dearth of pilot tasks and the minimal variety of hashish associations have led many shoppers to buy via the medical route or proceed to buy by way of the illicit market, with a minority sustaining their use from dwelling cultivation.
“Because the Ekocan report finds that there has not been any surge in hashish consumption behaviour, establishing pilot tasks for authorized entry ought to be applied, probably via utilizing already established medical channels, to additional mitigate considerations of social hurt and supply a safer route for leisure customers.
Consumption and well being
Ekocan’s personal devoted wastewater monitoring programme, AMoCan, tracked THC-COOH concentrations throughout 15 German cities earlier than and after the reform, accumulating 3,239 measurements break up both facet of April 2024.
No important short-term impact on consumption was detected, a discovering that each confirms the soundness conclusion from the primary report and locations it on a firmer evidential footing, given AMoCan was designed particularly to detect a reform-related sign.
Amongst adults, lifetime and up to date use prevalence exhibits a slight enhance per the pre-existing pattern, with no proof of a post-legalisation surge.
Out there information recommend that hashish use prevalence amongst younger individuals has remained steady or declined barely. Threat notion has additionally largely remained steady, with younger individuals considerably extra prone to understand hashish as dangerous since CanG got here into impact.
Hashish-related well being incidents, emergency calls, and hospitalisations present no main enhance so far.
Ekocan flags that the dominance of high-potency merchandise within the authorized market, significantly medical hashish flowers with THC content material above 10% or 15%, carries an elevated danger profile that current medical proof doesn’t adequately assist. The report recommends that lawmakers take into account capping the THC content material of freely prescribable hashish flowers.
The BvCW welcomes the consumption findings however frames them as a basis for the following section somewhat than a cause for complacency.
BvCW managing director Michael Greif notes: “The mannequin tasks for authorized hashish entry wouldn’t solely push again the unlawful market, but in addition present scientifically grounded information for future regulation. The Federal Workplace for Agriculture and Meals should lastly be given stronger authorized powers to allow clear specialist outlets with strict qc and dependable youth safety.”
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Organised crime
The second report’s most substantive new part considerations cannabis-related organised crime, a subject particularly mandated for this interim report below the KCanG’s personal analysis necessities.
Black market exercise has been partially curbed, with extra shoppers turning to authorized or quasi-legal sources. Whether or not this has financially weakened organised prison networks just isn’t but assessable, and there are early indicators that organised crime is trying to take part within the authorized market somewhat than merely being displaced from it.
Officers interviewed by Ekocan report that the reform has decreased investigative stress on cannabis-related organised crime. Hashish possession not capabilities as a ‘door-opener’ for broader prison investigations.
Undercover investigative strategies have been restricted below the brand new authorized framework. Surveyed officers had been broadly adverse in regards to the KCanG’s results on their capability to pursue organised crime networks, and Ekocan recommends that lawmakers take into account strengthening regulation enforcement functionality and reviewing the authorized framework round undercover operations.
Hashish offences are down sharply, and Ekocan confirmed in its first report that this constituted probably the most important decriminalisation within the Federal Republic’s historical past, however in response to the officers closest to the issue, the organised crime image just isn’t straightforwardly bettering.
Medical hashish
The report describes the thriving medical hashish market as quickly evolving, and notes that it can’t be cleanly separated from the leisure image.
A authorized evaluation commissioned as a part of the analysis discovered that on-line platforms for medicinal hashish are systematically violating pharmaceutical promoting laws below Part 10 of the Heilmittelwerbegesetz, which prohibits promoting of prescription medicines.
Kathrin Konyen, the BvCW’s medical hashish coordinator, argues that the difficulty requires a European somewhat than nationwide resolution: “Telemedicine is of the utmost significance in 2026 given the challenges going through the healthcare system. What’s lacking is evident regulation for your complete EU. Nationwide go-it-alone approaches and approaches targeted on particular person drug teams aren’t the correct method.”
The BvCW is looking on the federal authorities to pursue an EU-wide framework for telemedicine platforms somewhat than cannabis-specific nationwide laws.
What EKOCAN recommends
The report closes with 5 legislative suggestions.
- Reform the cultivation affiliation framework to make golf equipment genuinely accessible to all grownup shoppers, together with stress-free restrictions on hashish sharing and consumption inside associations, allowing golf equipment to publish impartial info on-line, and establishing a nationwide whitelist of accredited associations
- Enhance coordination of early intervention programmes for younger individuals below Part 7 KCanG, which has to this point failed to fulfill the legislature’s expectations in closing the hole created by decriminalisation
- Improve funding for outpatient habit counselling providers and tailor provision to the wants of younger adults, given declining uptake of providers towards a backdrop of rising consumption
- Strengthen regulation enforcement functionality to pursue cannabis-related organised crime, and study whether or not authorized changes are required, significantly round undercover investigative measures, given the decreased investigative stress on organised crime networks because the reform
- Tackle undesirable developments within the medical hashish market by contemplating a cap on the THC content material of freely prescribable hashish flowers, and study how to make sure efficient enforcement of current pharmaceutical promoting laws towards on-line platforms
The complete analysis runs to April 2028, and the authors are specific that sturdy inferential evaluation just isn’t anticipated till later within the challenge. What’s now accessible is significantly extra detailed than six months in the past, and it’s the dataset towards which the present MedCanG modification debate deserves to be assessed.
