German medical cannabis imports up 70% in third quarter

The German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) released the figures medical cannabis imports for the third quarter, showing that the country's medical cannabis market continues to grow rapidly.

Since April 1, 2024, and the Implementation of the CanG and under the MedCanG, cannabis is no longer considered a «narcotic» in Germany, which greatly simplifies the process of obtaining and prescribing medical cannabis.

In the third quarter, imports of medical cannabis increased by more than 70% compared with the previous period—the first three full months during which Germany’s sweeping cannabis reforms were implemented.

Although it is not known exactly what proportion of these imports reached pharmacies—since the BfArM no longer tracks these figures—industry insiders suggest that these levels have also risen since April, a a steady increase over the past several years.

The Numbers

Total imports of cannabis for medical and medical-scientific purposes in the form of dried flowers (in kg) reached 20.1 metric tons in the third quarter, representing an increase of 71.9% Q3Q2 compared to the second quarter of 2024 and 140% Q3QY compared to the same period the previous year.

This means that total imports now stand at 39.8 metric tons for the first nine months of the year, an increase of 21.4% compared to the entire year of 2023. The Canada remains by far the largest exporter to Germany and saw its exports increase by 72% (8,098 kg) in the third quarter alone.

To date, Canada has exported 19,201 kg in 2024, already surpassing last year’s total of 16,895 kg, which was itself double the volume recorded in 2022.

The dominance of Canadian imports has been a growing trend in Europe in recent years, as major Canadian companies have prioritized exports to the European medical market due to more favorable prices compared to the heavily taxed domestic market.

This trend has already sparked negative reactions in many markets. In July, Business of Cannabis a reported that Israel had made a «preliminary decision» to impose a tax on Canadian cannabis imports after the Israeli Ministry of Economy launched a market investigation in January, following complaints from local producers about «product dumping».

Last week, the ministry released a final report on the matter, revealing that Canadian cannabis could now be taxed at up to 175 % in order to offset the price pressure on Israeli companies.

The Australian cannabis companies are now beginning to complain about the same type of dumping, claiming that they are having a hard time competing with Canadian prices.

It is unclear whether this will also become a problem in Germany, given that demand levels are still fluctuating.

Another Portugal is an increasingly dominant exporter, which has imported 7,803 kg since the beginning of the year—a figure on track to double compared to the 4,118 kg imported in 2023.

The same applies for Denmark, which is also on track to double its exports to Germany this year, rising from 2,353 kg in 2023 to 4,222 kg in the third quarter of 2024.

In contrast, the Netherlands has seen its volumes drop significantly, with exports so far in 2024 (1,227) amounting to about half of last year’s total (2,537).

Imports and Demand

One of the main challenges for importers and exporters is matching imports to actual demand, as there are few official statistics on how much cannabis actually reaches patients and how much is destroyed.

Before the CanG Act was enacted, approximately 60% of imports actually reached patients.

Niklas Kouparanis, CEO and co-founder of the Bloomwell Group, told Business of Cannabis that he thought this ratio was changing.

«New data from the BfArM show that imports in the third quarter were 2.5 times higher than in the first quarter—the last quarter before the reclassification of medical cannabis takes effect on April 1, 2024. This growth is primarily due to improved patient access and, for those who prefer it, a fully digital patient experience, including telehealth appointments with doctors and electronic prescriptions with delivery.»

«The data from the Bloomwell platform far exceeds even the import figures. In October 2024, the number of new patients on the Bloomwell digital platform and app was 15 times higher than in March of this year. Tens of thousands of patients now receive care through Bloomwell’s medical cannabis platform every month.»

«No one knows the exact quantities that have been supplied to pharmacies since then, since that report is now obsolete following the reclassification. Personally, I assume that a larger portion of the available medical cannabis is now reaching patients. In any case, the German cannabis industry’s greatest achievement since April 2024 has been managing this impressive growth without any supply shortages.»