Germany demands explanations from Sensi Seeds

In a letter sent to Sensi Seeds, the Dortmund prosecutor is asking the Dutch company for clarification regarding the seizure of a large number of cannabis seeds shipped to Germany and intercepted by German customs authorities.

Sensi Seeds is suspending shipments to Germany

The famous Dutch seed bank, based in Amsterdam, has indeed abruptly and indefinitely closed its online store to German customers. The reason is the recent entering multiple orders containing seeds that had been shipped by the company, totaling more than 147,000 seeds.

This is the second major disruption in the European market following the closure, in late 2020, of Dinafem, another major player in the seed market, was forced to suspend its services.

Cologne customs officials reported in early March that they had has already seized more than 70,000 cannabis seeds from the Netherlands. The seeds, sent by mail, were intended for more than 5,800 private orders throughout Germany. According to Jens Ahland, spokesperson for the main customs office in Cologne, «an area roughly the size of ten Bundesliga soccer fields could have been cultivated with this quantity of seeds. Assuming an average yield of 100 grams per cannabis plant, the total amount would have been just under seven metric tons, with a market value of nearly 70 million euros.».

A large portion of the intercepted shipments is believed to have been sent from Sensi Seeds' headquarters according to Cannareporter, which is why the public prosecutor in Dortmund sent a letter to the Dutch company informing it that Sensi Seeds is accused of selling cannabis seeds to private individuals. These individuals, who allegedly purchased the seeds, are also accused of illegally importing them into Germany.

The document submitted by the prosecutor’s office accuses the company of conducting commercial transactions with several individual customers, alleging that the company generated revenue through the sale of cannabis seeds—an activity that requires an official license. Selling seeds without authorization is considered a crime in Germany. Sensi Seeds now has the opportunity to present its defense in writing, provide an explanation, and clarify its financial situation.