German 100% medical cannabis arrives in pharmacies

Demecan, the only independent German producer of medical cannabis (the Two others are Aurora and Tilray), prepared its first cannabis flowers for the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), marking its first harvest destined for German pharmacies.

In 2022, more than 300 kg of high-quality cannabis flowers have already been harvested, dried, and packaged by Demecan. The first batch of 100 kg will be collected by the German Cannabis Agency and distributed to pharmacies.

The company chose an indica-dominant strain based on the cultivar OG Kush with a high THC content, ranging from 18.1% to 22.1%. Since March, another variety (DEMECAN Type 2) has also been under cultivation; no further details are available at this time regarding the specific variety, though it is already known that it is expected to contain between 12% and 16% THC with less than 11% CBD.

Demecan has already produced about half of the annual quantity ordered by the BfArM. Each year, up to 660 kg of this variety are shipped from their cultivation site in Saxony.

For Dr. Adrian Fischer, a physician and co-founder who oversees cultivation and quality control, knowing that his own cannabis flowers are available in pharmacies is a particularly significant milestone: «Cannabis from Germany is finally available in pharmacies.» I am particularly pleased that this high-quality product can help many patients and that we can improve the supply situation through domestic cultivation. Of course, it would be desirable if we could produce much more. Demecan is capable of doing so.”.

From a Berlin startup to Germany’s largest cannabis producer

Since 2017, the German law permits cannabis therapeutic.

In 2019, DEMECAN was the only German company an independent company to win the federal government contract for the production of medical cannabis flowers. The resulting supply contract is valid for a period of four years. Production takes place at their EU-GMP-certified manufacturing facility near Dresden and in accordance with pharmaceutical manufacturing quality standards.

Demecan acquired the 100,000-square-meter production facility in the summer of 2020. In less than 15 months of construction, the building—a former slaughterhouse—was converted and is now the largest indoor cannabis production facility in Europe.

24 cm of reinforced concrete in all walls, steel doors, 150 cameras, and a high-tech computer system to monitor and optimize plant growth ensure that the plants develop perfectly. Thanks to its scalable production capabilities, Demecan can also massively increase its production capacity, even on short notice, to meet growing demand in Germany.