First 3 Cannabis Clubs approved in Bavaria

After more than a year of bureaucratic hurdles, the Bavaria officially granted the first cultivation permits to Cannabis Clubs.

Among the pioneers is CSC Inntal-Raubling, headed by its founder Florian Degenhart, who describes the journey as a trying but ultimately rewarding experience.

«It's been a long road,» Degenhart told Merkur.de after the announcement.

Since the cannabis law (CanG) in Germany, In principle, the creation of CSCs is permitted. In practice, however, clubs have encountered considerable delays, particularly in Bavaria. Mr. Degenhart's club submitted its documents as early as July 2024 to the’Bavarian Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL), but authorization was not granted until April 2025.

This waiting period was not without consequences. «I'm ruined,» said Mr. Degenhart before obtaining permission, pointing out the heavy financial burden of administrative costs and rent for an unused cultivation site. Fortunately, the landlord offered financial assistance, but the costs still came to between €2,000 and €3,000 a month.

Despite these difficulties, the Raubling CSC can now begin to install the required safety measures, These include alarms and reinforced doors, before the crop can officially get under way.

«It's been exhausting, but worth it,» says Degenhart, although members will have to wait a little longer before they can enjoy the first harvest.

A cautious approach by the Bavarian authorities

The Bavarian government maintains a firm stance against the legalization of cannabis in Germany. According to a statement from the Land Ministry of Health, the authorization granted to three clubs - CSC Inntal-Raubling, Exotic Kingdom CSC Fulda and Marihuana Club Kirchdorf - was due to «unavoidable legal constraints».

Minister of Health, Judith Gerlach (CSU), reiterated Bavaria's opposition to legalization: «The legalization of cannabis for consumption was a mistake, particularly with regard to the health and protection of young people.

Ms. Gerlach also stressed that these authorizations did not mean a softening of the state's hard line: «The authorizations granted to cultivation associations are not a free pass for unlimited cannabis consumption in Bavaria», she insisted.

L’Bavarian central control unit will maintain strict surveillance even after production begins.

Bavaria's reluctance

Compared to other German states, Bavaria has been particularly slow to approve cannabis clubs. In December 2024, the Lower Saxony and the North Rhine-Westphalia had already issued dozens of cultivation licenses, while Bavaria had yet to approve any. Of the 37 applications submitted to the LGL, Eight were withdrawn, and one was rejected on the grounds of the association's failure to comply with federal regulations concerning member participation in culture.

The rejection of the CSC-Minga is an emblematic case in point. The club had proposed that its members contribute by managing social networks instead of participating directly in cultivation, which the authorities deemed incompatible with legal requirements. The association denounced this decision as «scandalous and unacceptable» in an open letter.

Despite this strict approach, the statistics suggest that the positive side effect of partial legalization. The drug-related crime in Bavaria fell sharply in 2024, as in Berlin, cannabis-related offences fell by almost 56 %, to 15,270 cases. However, the Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann and the Minister of Justice Georg Eisenreich (both members of the CSU) remain opposed to the reform, arguing that a drop in crime does not lead to a reduction in the workload of law enforcement agencies.