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# EU medical cannabis market: Germany imported more than 50 tonnes in Q1 2026

![Portrait of Rob Harley, Cannabivo news desk](/images/uploads/5f094d99-3443-4907-8555-2910851fd38a/rob-harley-1920x1920.jpg)By [Rob Harley](/user-profile?u=a65dddce-73db-40b5-8660-fe93612a7384 "View the author's member profile")Published June 20, 2026in [Business](/news/business "Business")

 EU medical cannabis still runs through Germany: imports topped 50 tonnes in Q1 2026, even as quarterly volumes dipped for the first time in two years.

![Portrait of Rob Harley, Cannabivo news desk](/images/uploads/5f094d99-3443-4907-8555-2910851fd38a/rob-harley-1920x1920.jpg)By [Rob Harley](/user-profile?u=a65dddce-73db-40b5-8660-fe93612a7384 "View the author's member profile")

Rob Harley has reported on cannabis law and the non-profit association movement across Europe for the past decade. He focuses on how regulation actually reaches the members who use cannabis social clubs — the paperwork, the limits, and the slow build of public trust. His work for Cannabivo aims to be accurate, sourced, and free of hype.

[More articles by this author](/news/author/rob-harley "See all articles by this author")Published June 20, 2026in [Business](/news/business "Business")

 In this article1. [Why one German quarter matters across the EU](/news/business/eu-medical-cannabis-market-germany-imported-more-than-50-tonnes-in-q1-2026#why-one-german-quarter-matters-across-the-eu "Why one German quarter matters across the EU")
2. [The first quarterly decline since early 2024](/news/business/eu-medical-cannabis-market-germany-imported-more-than-50-tonnes-in-q1-2026#the-first-quarterly-decline-since-early-2024 "The first quarterly decline since early 2024")
3. [How legal reform changed the supply picture](/news/business/eu-medical-cannabis-market-germany-imported-more-than-50-tonnes-in-q1-2026#how-legal-reform-changed-the-supply-picture "How legal reform changed the supply picture")
4. [Why Germany still functions as the EU gateway](/news/business/eu-medical-cannabis-market-germany-imported-more-than-50-tonnes-in-q1-2026#why-germany-still-functions-as-the-eu-gateway "Why Germany still functions as the EU gateway")
5. [The next pressure point may be reimbursement](/news/business/eu-medical-cannabis-market-germany-imported-more-than-50-tonnes-in-q1-2026#the-next-pressure-point-may-be-reimbursement "The next pressure point may be reimbursement")

Across the **European Union**, [Germany](/germany "711 Cannabis Social Clubs in Germany (2026)") remains the market that most clearly sets the scale for medical cannabis trade. Fresh figures from Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), as [reported by Newsweed](https://www.newsweed.fr/en/allmeagne-import-50-tons-cannabis-medical-q1-2026/ "reported by Newsweed"), show that the country imported at least **50.539 tonnes** of medical cannabis products in the first quarter of 2026 alone — enough to keep Germany at the centre of the EU supply chain even as quarterly imports eased from late-2025 highs.

## Why one German quarter matters across the EU

On the figures [reported by Newsweed from Germany’s medicines regulator](https://www.newsweed.fr/en/allmeagne-import-50-tons-cannabis-medical-q1-2026/ "reported by Newsweed from Germany’s medicines regulator"), Germany brought in at least **50.539 tonnes** of medical cannabis products in the first quarter of 2026. Add the previous three quarters and the rolling 12-month total rises above **218 tonnes**, a scale that keeps Germany at the centre of the **European Union** medical cannabis economy.

The scale is easiest to grasp through a few benchmark figures:

The import numbers shaping the EU market

50.539 tonnesGermany's medical cannabis imports in Q1 2026

218+ tonnesGermany's imports over the preceding 12 months

30 tonnesUnited Kingdom medical cannabis imports in 2025

53%Approximate Canadian share of Germany's Q1 2026 imports

That matters because Germany’s medical cannabis supply chain has not been built overnight. The primary source says cannabis has been available through pharmacies in Germany since **2017**, and what began as a relatively limited patient-access programme has grown into a mature, internationalised market supplied by producers from several countries.

Seen from the EU level, the story is less about one quarter in isolation and more about the logistics footprint needed to feed that demand:

## The first quarterly decline since early 2024

The quarter was still notable for another reason: it interrupted a run of uninterrupted growth. Trade coverage based on the same BfArM dataset said Germany’s import volume fell from **60.8 tonnes** in the previous quarter to about **50.5 tonnes** in Q1 2026, marking the [first quarter-on-quarter decline since early 2024](https://www.mmjdaily.com/article/9844648/germany-s-medical-cannabis-imports-post-first-quarterly-decline-since-early-2024/ "first quarter-on-quarter decline since early 2024").

Set against the prior quarter, the shift looks like this:

Germany's quarterly medical cannabis imports (tonnes)

> What was once a relatively limited patient-access programme has been transformed into a mature and highly internationalised industry.
>
> Newsweed, summarising the German market's development

That drop should not be mistaken for a weak market. A quarter above **50 tonnes** remains exceptionally large by European standards, and the rolling annual total above **218 tonnes** suggests that Germany is still absorbing imported product at a pace unmatched elsewhere in the region. The more plausible reading is that the market may be entering a more complicated phase, in which import growth no longer rises in a straight line.

## How legal reform changed the supply picture

The primary source argues that the softer Q1 figure may partly reflect changes inside Germany itself. To understand why imports may be flattening without disappearing, the recent sequence of reforms matters:

How Germany's medical cannabis market reached this point

1. 2017Pharmacy access begins

    Medical cannabis becomes available through pharmacies in Germany.
2. 2024CanG removes production quotas

    Germany's Cannabis Act removes quotas that had previously limited commercial domestic cultivation.
3. April 2024Home grow permitted

    Adults are allowed to cultivate up to three cannabis plants at home.
4. July 2024Cultivation associations start

    Non-profit cultivation associations may cultivate and distribute to registered members under strict rules.
5. Q4 2025Imports peak before easing

    Quarterly imports reach 60.8 tonnes before falling in the next quarter.
6. Q1 2026Imports stay above 50 tonnes

    Germany imports at least 50.539 tonnes in a single quarter.

The key policy change was **CanG**, Germany’s Cannabis Act, which the primary source says removed the production quotas that had previously constrained commercial cultivation. Since then, domestic production capacity has continued to expand, allowing local producers to meet a larger share of patient demand. That is the central explanation offered for why imports were lower in Q1 2026 than in the revised figures at the end of 2025.

Three other changes help explain why the supply picture is no longer as simple as import volumes alone:

- **Home grow** has been legal for adults in Germany since April 2024, with a limit of up to three plants.
- **Cultivation associations** have been allowed since July 2024 to grow and distribute cannabis to registered members under strict rules.
- Germany has already approved **more than 430** cultivation associations nationwide.
- The primary source says the precise impact of home grow and clubs on medical cannabis sales remains uncertain, but both clearly widen the legal ecosystem beyond pharmacy supply alone.

Those reforms also pushed Germany into the wider [Cannabis Legalization Overview: Global Legal Status](/cannabis-wiki/law/cannabis-legalization-overview "Cannabis Legalization Overview: Global Legal Status") debate, but their immediate market effect is practical rather than symbolic. More demand can now be met domestically or outside the traditional pharmacy-only pathway, even if nobody has yet put a precise number on how much demand has shifted.

At EU level, that means import dependence can soften even while overall market activity remains high:

## Why Germany still functions as the EU gateway

Imports are still international in composition even as Germany develops more local supply. According to [Hanfjournal’s breakdown of Q1 2026 import origins](https://hanfjournal.de/2026/05/24/deutschland-importiert-ueber-50-tonnen-medizinalcannabis-boom-oder-warnsignal/ "Hanfjournal’s breakdown of Q1 2026 import origins"), Canadian producers supplied about **26,753 kilograms**, or roughly **53%** of the total, preserving Canada’s leading role in Germany’s market.

That weight is one reason companies view Germany as more than a single national opportunity. In May, [MJBizDaily reported that Organigram sees Germany as a launchpad for European expansion](https://mjbizdaily.com/news/organigram-ceo-sees-germany-as-launchpad-for-european-expansion/616067/ "MJBizDaily reported that Organigram sees Germany as a launchpad for European expansion"), reflecting how one large import market can influence planning across the EU.

A simple comparison shows why Germany now sets the reference point:

Germany's scale against nearby reference points
| Market / period | Figure | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany, Q1 2026 | 50.539 tonnes imported | Shows the size of a single quarter in Germany's market | [Newsweed report on Germany's Q1 2026 imports](https://www.newsweed.fr/en/allmeagne-import-50-tons-cannabis-medical-q1-2026/ "Newsweed report on Germany's Q1 2026 imports") |
| Germany, previous 12 months | More than 218 tonnes imported | Confirms sustained demand rather than a one-off spike | [Newsweed rolling 12-month import total](https://www.newsweed.fr/en/allmeagne-import-50-tons-cannabis-medical-q1-2026/ "Newsweed rolling 12-month import total") |
| Germany, Q4 2025 | 60.8 tonnes imported | Provides the immediate comparison for the Q1 2026 decline | [MMJDaily report on the quarterly decline](https://www.mmjdaily.com/article/9844648/germany-s-medical-cannabis-imports-post-first-quarterly-decline-since-early-2024/ "MMJDaily report on the quarterly decline") |
| United Kingdom, 2025 | About 30 tonnes imported in a full year | Shows how much larger Germany's import market is than another major European comparator | [Newsweed comparison with the United Kingdom](https://www.newsweed.fr/en/allmeagne-import-50-tons-cannabis-medical-q1-2026/ "Newsweed comparison with the United Kingdom") |
| Canada's share of Germany, Q1 2026 | 26,753 kg, roughly 53% of the total | Illustrates the continued importance of overseas supply | [Hanfjournal estimate of Canadian share](https://hanfjournal.de/2026/05/24/deutschland-importiert-ueber-50-tonnen-medizinalcannabis-boom-oder-warnsignal/ "Hanfjournal estimate of Canadian share") |

The wider policy backdrop makes that concentration even more striking. A [summary of the 2026 European Drug Report](https://www.newsweed.fr/en/european-drug-report-2026/ "summary of the 2026 European Drug Report") says cannabis remains Europe’s most-used illicit substance and that the market is becoming more complex; we explored those tensions in our earlier reporting on the EU drug report. At the same time, other parts of the continent’s cannabis economy are moving toward tighter controls, as seen in [Europe tightens the net around cannabis flowers and food products](/news/policy/europe-tightens-the-net-around-cannabis-flowers-and-food-products "Europe tightens the net around cannabis flowers and food products").

For patients, pharmacies and exporters, that leaves Germany in an unusual position within the EU landscape:

## The next pressure point may be reimbursement

For now, the safest reading is that **imports** remain the cornerstone of Germany’s medical market, but they are no longer the only moving part. Domestic cultivation, home grow and club-based access all create new ways for adult consumers or patients to source cannabis, even if the exact degree of substitution is still unknown.

The uncertainties are not only agricultural. Policy over reimbursement could still alter purchasing patterns if cannabis flowers become harder to obtain through Germany’s statutory health insurance system. The German Cannabis Association argued in a [submission on the draft GKV savings law](https://hanfverband.de/dhv-stellungnahme-zum-regierungsentwurf-gkv-beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz "submission on the draft GKV savings law") that cutting reimbursement would be medically counterproductive and could raise costs, not reduce them — a dispute that surfaced publicly when Germany’s Bundestag first debated a reimbursement cut-off for cannabis flowers.

For readers tracking what the latest import data does and does not show, the core answers are these:

What Germany's Q1 2026 import figure really tells us

How much medical cannabis did Germany import in Q1 2026?At least 50.539 tonnes of medical cannabis products, according to figures from Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices reported by Newsweed.

Was that lower than the previous quarter?Yes. Trade reporting based on the same BfArM dataset said imports fell from 60.8 tonnes in Q4 2025 to about 50.5 tonnes in Q1 2026, the first quarter-on-quarter decline since early 2024.

Why might imports have eased?The primary source says rising domestic cultivation after Germany’s Cannabis Act removed production quotas may explain part of the decline. It also says home grow and cultivation associations could be affecting demand, although their precise impact on medical sales is still uncertain.

Does Germany still dominate Europe's medical cannabis import market?The available figures still point that way. The primary source says Germany imported more than 218 tonnes over the preceding 12 months, while the United Kingdom imported about 30 tonnes in 2025.

Key takeaways

- Germany imported at least 50.539 tonnes of medical cannabis products in Q1 2026, keeping it at the centre of the EU medical cannabis trade.
- The Q1 figure was lower than the previous quarter's 60.8 tonnes, marking the first quarter-on-quarter decline since early 2024 rather than a collapse in demand.
- Germany's Cannabis Act, expanding domestic cultivation, home grow and cultivation associations, may be redistributing part of demand away from imports.
- Canada still supplied roughly 53% of Germany's Q1 2026 imports, underlining how strongly overseas producers remain tied to the German market.
- Future import volumes may depend not only on cultivation capacity but also on policy choices such as reimbursement rules in Germany's statutory health system.

Across the European Union, Germany’s 50-tonne first quarter looks less like a cooling market than a market entering a new phase. Imports are still vast by any European measure, but the first quarterly dip in two years suggests that the next chapter will be shaped not only by foreign supply, but by domestic cultivation, alternative legal access routes and the politics of reimbursement.

## Sources

1. [Germany imported more than 50 tons of medical cannabis in the first quarter of 2026 (newsweed.fr)](https://www.newsweed.fr/en/allmeagne-import-50-tons-cannabis-medical-q1-2026/ "Open source in a new tab: https://www.newsweed.fr/en/allmeagne-import-50-tons-cannabis-medical-q1-2026/")
2. [Germany's medical cannabis imports post first quarterly decline since early 2024 (mmjdaily.com)](https://www.mmjdaily.com/article/9844648/germany-s-medical-cannabis-imports-post-first-quarterly-decline-since-early-2024/ "Open source in a new tab: https://www.mmjdaily.com/article/9844648/germany-s-medical-cannabis-imports-post-first-quarterly-decline-since-early-2024/")
3. [Deutschland importiert über 50 Tonnen Medizinalcannabis – Boom oder Warnsignal? (hanfjournal.de)](https://hanfjournal.de/2026/05/24/deutschland-importiert-ueber-50-tonnen-medizinalcannabis-boom-oder-warnsignal/ "Open source in a new tab: https://hanfjournal.de/2026/05/24/deutschland-importiert-ueber-50-tonnen-medizinalcannabis-boom-oder-warnsignal/")
4. [Organigram CEO sees Germany as launchpad for European expansion (mjbizdaily.com)](https://mjbizdaily.com/news/organigram-ceo-sees-germany-as-launchpad-for-european-expansion/616067/ "Open source in a new tab: https://mjbizdaily.com/news/organigram-ceo-sees-germany-as-launchpad-for-european-expansion/616067/")
5. [European Drug Report 2026: A More Complex and Powerful Cannabis Market (newsweed.fr)](https://www.newsweed.fr/en/european-drug-report-2026/ "Open source in a new tab: https://www.newsweed.fr/en/european-drug-report-2026/")
6. [DHV-Stellungnahme zum Regierungsentwurf „GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz“ (hanfverband.de)](https://hanfverband.de/dhv-stellungnahme-zum-regierungsentwurf-gkv-beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz "Open source in a new tab: https://hanfverband.de/dhv-stellungnahme-zum-regierungsentwurf-gkv-beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz")