From First Questions to Everyday Care
This is not a recent development. Back in 2017, expopharm was already looking at the first cannabis prescription and how pharmacies could handle it safely. A dedicated Cannabis Day followed in 2019, a larger programme in 2023 and a guided tour of specialist exhibitors that ran several times in 2024. Meanwhile, the market itself grew rapidly.
This year, pharma-world kicks off with “Medical Cannabis in Dialogue”. One of the speakers is **Dr Richard Böser** from Cansativa. On Tuesday, 15 September 2026, from 10:40 to 11:10, he will give a “Political Update on Telemedicine, the Mail-Order Ban and Other Current Developments” at pharma-world in Hall A3, Stand C5. Other sessions cover compliant pharmacy practice and how to choose the right cannabis portfolio. With more than 500 exhibitors and over 200 sessions on the programme, medical cannabis has clearly earned its place at Germany’s biggest pharmacy trade fair. (expopharm 2026)
Growth Alone is Not Enough
The market has moved fast since 2024. For pharmacies, that means more choice, more suppliers and more room to specialise. But it also makes day-to-day work more demanding. Which products belong in the portfolio? Which ones are reliably available? And how can teams keep on top of purchasing, quality records and training? Dispensing medical cannabis is about much more than selling a product.
Pharmacies carry out the required checks and preparation, explain dosing and keep an eye on potential risks. That takes time, knowledge and solid processes. In a mature market, dependable supply chains, clear quality standards and good advice matter more than the biggest range or the fastest ordering process.
Pharmacies at the Heart of the System
And while the fair is taking place, the pharmacy sector will be discussing its wider political future right next door. The German Pharmacists’ Convention, organised by ABDA (Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists), is the profession’s main political forum. More than 300 delegates from Germany’s regional chambers and pharmacists’ associations come together to debate the issues facing pharmacies and agree on the positions that shape the profession’s political agenda. This year, the focus will be on the future role of pharmacies in primary care, the implementation of the pharmacy reform and the wider financial pressures facing the healthcare system. The Convention also comes just weeks after a change at the top of the Federal Ministry of Health.
Carsten Linnemann took over from Nina Warken at the end of July and was sworn in before the Bundestag on 8 September. Just one week later, he will give the opening address at the Convention. The sector will be listening closely. What priorities will the new minister set? What comes next for the pharmacy reform that has already been passed? And what role does he see for pharmacies in the future of statutory health insurance, emergency care and primary care? The session “Better Care Together: The Future of Primary Care” gets to the heart of this wider debate. One thing is clear: if pharmacies are expected to take on more responsibility, they also need enough staff, enough time and sustainable funding. Munich will be more than a meeting point for the sector. It will also offer an early indication of how the new minister plans to work with pharmacies. (German Pharmacists’ Convention; Bundestag; Pharmacy Reform; Statutory Health Insurance Reform)
Medical cannabis is only one part of pharmacy care, but it clearly shows how much the role of pharmacies is growing. The next stage is about turning market growth into reliable, patient-centred care that lasts.
Note: Cansativa will be at expopharm in Munich from 15 to 17 September 2026. You can find us in Hall A3, Stand B28.
From the editorial team:
Do you have any questions, suggestions or ideas for topics for the Cannabis Briefing?
If so, please feel free to email us at briefing@cansativa.de.
This edition was written by:
Nicole Borges Steeb
External Affairs Manager
Cansativa Group