Since Germany’s Hashish Act (CanG) got here into power on 1 April 2024, a lot has modified concerning what was as soon as the nation’s most generally used unlawful drug. Hashish has been faraway from the record of prohibited substances, and adults are actually permitted to develop as much as three potent hemp vegetation of their properties and harvest the buds.
The authorized standing of hashish in drugs has additionally shifted: a prescription for managed substances is not required when hashish is used to deal with medical circumstances. This has led to the speedy progress of telemedicine platforms, permitting sufferers to acquire medical hashish via on-line consultations and postal supply.
A brand new survey by the Institute for Habit Analysis (ISFF) at Frankfurt College of Utilized Sciences and the Protestant College of Utilized Sciences Freiburg reveals that, practically 18 months after the CanG was launched, each residence cultivation and medical provide channels have grow to be extra fashionable than unlawful sources.
CanG Already Thought-about a Success
Whereas Germany’s conservative events proceed to criticise the Hashish Act as a step within the flawed course—citing elevated import volumes and potential abuse by way of telemedicine—the outcomes of the survey recommend in any other case.
In accordance with the undertaking Adjustments for Hashish Customers as a Results of the Hashish Act (KonCanG), which surveyed nearly 11,500 individuals on-line between March and June 2025, nearly all of respondents favor authorized sources of provide over the black market.
The non-representative research discovered that the majority respondents favoured residence cultivation and buying medical hashish from pharmacies. Of all individuals, 99 per cent have been adults, 81 per cent reported weekly hashish use, and 39 per cent stated they consumed day by day.
“The survey reveals that the Hashish Act is already successful by way of weakening the unlawful market: it’s exactly those that eat nearly all of hashish in Germany who overwhelmingly use authorized sources,’”he stated.
Massive Majority Towards Unlawful Purchases
The research reveals a marked shift because the CanG took impact. Earlier than 1 April 2024, solely 23.5 per cent of respondents sourced hashish legally, via residence cultivation or pharmacies. Now, 88.4 per cent say they’ve relied totally on these authorized channels previously six months.
For 80 per cent of individuals, non-public cultivation or purchases from pharmacies—each bodily and on-line—are actually the primary provide routes. Earlier than the reform, 57.4 per cent of adults stated they purchased hashish from trusted or recognized sellers, and 13.8 per cent from road sellers. Each classes have fallen considerably since legalisation.
For under-18s, who stay prohibited from accessing hashish, the survey discovered a continued reliance on friends: earlier than CanG, 59.4 per cent obtained hashish from buddies or acquaintances, and 50 per cent from trusted sellers. Six months into legalisation, 67.7 per cent of minors nonetheless reported acquiring hashish via social contacts, however purchases from public sellers have dropped sharply to 7.3 per cent.
