First cannabis from Germany: Cansativa starts exclusive distribution of medical cannabis from domestic cultivation
The industry has been waiting a long time for this: Medical cannabis from German cultivation is now available for pharmacies throughout Germany. Cansativa is the only company to start the exclusive distribution of the first cannabis flowers grown in Germany. Last year, the start-up was awarded the sole contract for logistics and distribution services for a total cannabis volume of 10.4 metric tons. 2.6 metric tons of cannabis may be cultivated and harvested in Germany per year.
Cansativa GmbH (“Cansativa”) is starting to distribute cannabis grown in Germany to pharmacies. In August last year, the start-up from the Frankfurt area was the only company to be awarded the contract for the wholesale of cannabis flowers from German cultivation by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). In addition to distribution, Cansativa is responsible for storage, commissioning and outbound logistics.
“Not only for us as a distributor is the start of the distribution of medical cannabis grown in Germany a great success – for the entire industry, nationally and globally, it is a positive signal on the way to stable supply. According to current forecasts, the European cannabis market continues to grow rapidly. Germany, as a core market with a current demand of over 10 metric tons of cannabis flowers, is one of the most leading pioneers – and with good market access and professional structures is making a decisive contribution to the European growth course. The long-awaited start of distribution of German cannabis flowers will now improve the security of supply even further. We are proud to be part of this development,”
says Benedikt Sons, co-founder and CEO of Cansativa.
Initially, pharmacies will be able to obtain cannabis flowers from Aphria’s German cultivation. Along with Aurora and Demecan, Aphria is one of three companies in Germany that was granted the corresponding permit by the BfArM in spring 2019. Currently, up to 2.6 metric tons of cannabis per year may be cultivated and harvested in Germany. Until now, all cannabis flowers prescribed in Germany came from imports.
“The start of distribution is a great success, especially for patients. In total, 9,231 kilograms of cannabis flowers were imported into Germany for medical purposes in 2020 – 37 percent more than the year before. However, with slightly more than 300,000 approved prescriptions, the demand in the market could still not be completely covered. Often, doctors lack the corresponding specialized knowledge and pharmacies lack access to medical cannabis products. With the additional 2.6 metric tons of cannabis from German cultivation, this gap is increasingly being closed. We want to use the trust placed in us to contribute to a professionalization of the market for the benefit of patients in the long term,”
says Jakob Sons, co-founder and General Counsel of Cansativa.
Cansativa has been importing and distributing medical cannabis to many German pharmacies for over three years. With its broad product portfolio and its own distribution and fulfillment center, Cansativa acts as a one-stop shop for medical cannabis in the German market.