Berlin, 2021-09-27: The volume of imported medical cannabis flowers for medical and scientific purposes rose by more than 80% in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period the previous year. A total of 8,966.6 kg of cannabis flowers were imported in the first six months of 2021, up from 4,946.3 kg in the same period of 2020.

In addition, 980.4 kg of dried cannabis flowers were imported for the production of extracts in the first half of 2021 an increase of approximately 19.5% compared to 820.3 kg in the previous year.

Medical cannabis products have now been imported from 17 countries, including 9 European countries (7 from the EU, plus Switzerland and North Macedonia). The full list of export countries was not previously made public, but is now available through the German government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry initiated by former Member of Parliament Dr. Wieland Schinnenburg (FDP) and the FDP parliamentary group.

Dr. Wieland Schinnenburg stated to the BvCW:  “Germany is meeting its growing demand for medical cannabis through imports. This benefits foreign producers, but not the German economy. It’s simply incomprehensible why German companies should be excluded from participating in this lucrative export market. Rather than increasing our dependence on imports, we need more cannabis ‘Made in Germany.’ We must empower German businesses to access export markets and expand domestic cultivation to 100 tons per year.”

Jürgen Neumeyer, Managing Director of the German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW), commented: “The sharp rise in imports reflects the growing demand for medical cannabis in Germany. From the planned domestic cultivation quota of 2,600 kg per year, only about 50 kg had actually been realized in the first half of the year, as far as we know. This development is primarily welcomed by our importing companies. Globally, more and more countries are recognizing the economic value of cannabis cultivation and rightly so. However, Germany must ensure it doesn’t fall behind internationally.”

The German Cannabis Business Association has updated ELEMENTE Volume 8 (its Cannabis Industry publication series): Medical Cannabis – Data Overview.

Import volumes of medical cannabis in the first half of 2021 by country of origin:

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The graphic may be used freely with proper attribution.