Canada still supplies more than half of Germany's cannabis market

Germany imported 50,539 kg of cannabis flowers intended for medical or scientific use in the first quarter of 2026 (Q1 2026), according to the latest data published by German regulator BfArM (Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices).

While these imports were down by around 15% on the previous quarter, they rose sharply year-on-year: +34% compared with the first quarter of 2025. This dynamic trend confirms the continuing increase in German demand for medical cannabis, despite the persistently unstable political context.

No surprises, Canada remains Germany's leading supplier. In the first three months of the year, the country exported to Germany 26,753 kg, or 53 % of total imports.

Visit Portugal comes in second place with 10,342 kg, followed by the Denmark with 3,338 kg. Portugal's position illustrates a well-known mechanism in European industry: certain international producers, notably Canadian, use the country as a gateway to European Union markets, with the Portuguese infrastructure sometimes serving as a logistical and regulatory relay.

Germany remains largely dependent on imports to supply its medical market, despite the gradual development of domestic production.

German production still very limited

With a population of nearly 84 million inhabitants, Germany currently has only three licensed producers on its territory. Two of them are directly linked to Canadian companies: Tilray/Aphria and Aurora.

Canada has nearly 1,000 authorized producers for a population of around 40 million. This industrial capacity enables Canadian companies to position themselves as major players on international markets.

The boom in Canadian exports is also due to economic factors. Foreign sales often offer better margins, not least because Canada's excise tax of 1 dollar per gram does not apply to exported products.

EU-GMP: the sinews of regulatory warfare

The development of the German market has also been accompanied by an increase in requirements EU-GMP. At the end of 2025, BfArM clarified its cultivar approval process, in a climate of reinforced control over the certification of Good Manufacturing Practices European.

In the European Union, any company wishing to import cannabis must guarantee that the products are certified EU-GMP, a standard issued by a recognized regulatory authority. This constraint has encouraged industrial practices that some have described as «GMP washing» European companies import standard-grown flowers GACP, and then processed via EU-GMP infrastructures located in the Canada, at Portugal, in Czech Republic, à Malta or in Switzerland.

Germany between partial legalization and political tensions

Since February 2024, the country has strengthened its medical framework with the German Medical Cannabis Act, allowing patients to access cannabis via pharmacies. The system also allows online medical consultations and the mailing of products. Today, more than one in seven German pharmacies offers medical cannabis.

At the same time, Germany has partially legalized cannabis for adults on April 1, 2024, This reform authorized cultivation and personal consumption, but did not regulate the commercial market. Two years on, this reform has not led to any significant increase in annual consumption or in the number of intensive users. according to an official report.

The government also attempts to limit online medical access, with no clear direction yet. In March 2026, the Federal Court of Justice also reiterated the restrictions, ruling that advertising medical cannabis treatments contravenes German legislation on the promotion of medicinal products.