Germany’s cannabis gamble backfires: 250,000 addicts and a growing black market

A man smokes cannabis in celebration of Germany’s legalization policy in Berlin, April 1, 2024. EPA-Yonhap

Germany’s experiment with cannabis legalization is drawing sharp scrutiny after new data shows a dramatic rise in addiction cases and a booming black market — just one year after personal use was decriminalized.

The German government initially hoped that legalizing recreational cannabis would curb the illegal drug trade and protect minors. However, the number of people requiring treatment for cannabis addiction has surged to over 250,000 in the past year, many of them in their twenties. Critics now say the policy may have done more harm than good.

Addiction cases rise 14.5 percent in one year

According to a report from Süddeutsche Zeitung, Friday, which cited data from German insurance provider KKH, a total of 250,500 people were treated in 2024 for cannabis-related issues such as addiction, withdrawal, or mental health disorders. That marks a 14.5 percent increase compared to the previous year — roughly 30 cases per 10,000 people.

Young adults were the most affected: people aged 25 to 29 had the highest treatment rate, with 95 cases per 10,000, followed by those aged 45 to 49.

KKH noted that this was the highest number of cannabis-related patients recorded in the past decade. Germany’s Federal Center for Addiction Issues (DHS) added that hospitalizations due to cannabis use have increased sevenfold since 2000, making cannabis the country’s second-most common cause of addiction treatment, after alcohol.

Germany legalized recreational cannabis use in April 2024 under the coalition government of the Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats. However, the new law imposed strict controls: adults could possess up to 25 grams of cannabis, but commercial sales were banned. Users were only allowed to grow cannabis at home or purchase it through non-profit “cannabis clubs.”

A participant smokes cannabis in front of a giant cannabis prop during a pro-legalization rally held near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, April 1, 2024. AFP-Yonhap

The goal was to reduce the widespread illegal trade and minimize youth exposure. At the time, the government argued that since cannabis use had already become mainstream, legalizing and regulating it would be safer than trying to prohibit it.

However, the policy appears to have backfired. By legalizing use but restricting supply, authorities may have unintentionally expanded the underground cannabis market.

To obtain medical cannabis, some individuals reportedly faked conditions like insomnia, leading to inflated prescription demand. In the first quarter of this year alone, Germany imported 37 tons of medical cannabis — more than three times the amount imported in the same period last year.

With addiction cases and illegal activity rising, Germany’s new center-right government, which took office in February, began reviewing cannabis regulations in May. The health ministry is currently considering a ban on online prescriptions for medical cannabis as a first step.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.