{"id":2535,"date":"2025-07-24T14:01:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T14:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cansativa.de\/?p=2535"},"modified":"2025-07-24T14:02:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T14:02:03","slug":"medical-cannabis-under-scrutiny-the-new-draft-bill-from-the-german-health-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cansativa.de\/en\/2025\/07\/24\/medical-cannabis-under-scrutiny-the-new-draft-bill-from-the-german-health-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical Cannabis Under Scrutiny? The new draft bill from the German Health Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What does the current draft bill say?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de\/fileadmin\/Dateien\/3_Downloads\/Gesetze_und_Verordnungen\/GuV\/C\/RefE_AEndG_MedCanG.pdf\">The Federal Ministry of Health&#8217;s draft bill<\/a> provides for stricter regulation of the prescription and dispensing of cannabis flowers for medical purposes. Specifically, the initial prescription of cannabis flowers will only be permitted after personal contact between doctors and patients, either in the doctor&#8217;s office or during a home visit. For repeat prescriptions, personal contact with a doctor is also required at least once every four months. Furthermore, the bill proposes a ban on shipping medical cannabis flowers.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What are the reasons behind this?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">According to the BMG, these changes are due to a sharp increase in cannabis flower imports. The ministry links this increase to the growing use of telemedicine platforms. There was a 170% increase in cannabis imports in the second half of 2024, while prescriptions covered by statutory health insurance only increased by 9%.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While this development may appear problematic at first glance, it also shows that more patients are gaining access to medical cannabis therapy, even without a prescription from their health insurance provider. Reimbursement by statutory health insurance remains reserved for seriously ill patients, such as those with chronic illnesses, cancer, or multiple sclerosis. Since medical cannabis was reclassified as non-narcotic over a year ago, access has become easier and less stigmatized. In the further legislative process, it will be crucial to differentiate between undesirable developments and improved patient care and refine where necessary.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What happens next?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The public consultation phase is now beginning. Stakeholders from the healthcare sector, pharmacies, industry, and patient organizations have been invited to submit comments on the draft. Experience has shown that important suggestions from practitioners are considered during this phase, so this step is crucial. The draft will then be voted on in the cabinet before going through the parliamentary process in the Bundestag and Bundesrat. As the saying goes, &#8220;No law leaves the Bundestag as it entered it.&#8221; Currently, this is only a proposal that may change significantly during the process.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The new government had already announced an open-ended evaluation of the Cannabis Act (CanG) for the fall. This evaluation will examine the effects on youth, consumers, and health protection, as well as the effects on cannabis-related crime, based on data. At least, this was provided for in the coalition agreement.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is an opportunity to help shape the future.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The current phase offers all stakeholders an opportunity to play a constructive role. Rather than resorting to fear-mongering rhetoric, it is time to propose objective suggestions for improvement. The goal is to ensure the long-term supply of medical cannabis is secure, patient-focused, accessible, and comprehensive. We look forward to hearing the various interest groups&#8217; views and seeing which changes will ultimately be incorporated into the final draft law.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The current draft bill to amend the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) has sparked debate within the cannabis industry. What exactly does this first step in the legislative process mean for patients, pharmacies, and companies? We take a closer look at the planned changes and explain how the cannabis supply chain could evolve. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1736,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[352],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-briefing-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Medical Cannabis Under Scrutiny? The new draft bill from the German Health Ministry - Cansativa Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The draft bill for the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) 2025 proposes stricter requirements for doctor-patient contact and shipping. Find out what this means for patients, pharmacies, and the industry, and what the next steps in the legislative process look like.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cansativa.de\/en\/2025\/07\/24\/medical-cannabis-under-scrutiny-the-new-draft-bill-from-the-german-health-ministry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Medical Cannabis Under Scrutiny? The new draft bill from the German Health Ministry - Cansativa Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The draft bill for the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) 2025 proposes stricter requirements for doctor-patient contact and shipping. 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