In September 2025, a research consortium led by the University of Hamburg published the first interim report of the evaluation of Germany's Consumer Cannabis Act (EKOCAN), commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Health. The headlines focused on how little consumption and health indicators have changed so far. The supply figures got less attention: where does the cannabis consumed in Germany come from, and what role do the legal routes play?
This article summarises what the report says on that, and what it explicitly does not say. As of October 2026.
Key points
- Cultivation associations (cannabis clubs) covered less than 0.1% of estimated total demand in 2024.
- Medical cannabis made up roughly 12 to 14% of demand in the first year.
- According to the report, "social supply", meaning sharing within social circles, plays a central role.
- The market shares of private home cultivation and illegal sources could not be quantified.
- The evaluation is ongoing, so firm conclusions are not yet possible.
How big is demand in the first place?
The researchers estimate total cannabis demand (consumer and medical cannabis) for 2024 at 670 to 823 tonnes. That is a wide-range estimate, not a measured figure. A market that was illegal for a long time has no precise data.
What the cannabis clubs deliver
The law lets non-commercial cultivation associations supply their members with cannabis they grow themselves. The report's finding is clear:
- Production by cultivation associations made up less than 0.1% of total demand in 2024.
- In April 2025, at most 2% of adult consumers could have been members of a cultivation association.
- As for the aim of displacing the black market, the report says the associations have so far made no relevant contribution. Without corrections, it expects no change in the medium term.
A note on context: the law only took effect in April 2024, and associations could only apply from July 2024. That they delivered little in 2024 is partly a matter of start-up time.
The underrated factor: medical cannabis
In the twelve months after the Consumer Cannabis Act and the Medical Cannabis Act came into force, medical cannabis covered roughly 12 to 14% of total demand according to the report's calculations. That is far more than all cultivation associations combined. The report also notes that supply from private home cultivation and medical cannabis from pharmacies appears to be common.
Social supply: the route few people talk about
According to the report, social supply, passing cannabis on among acquaintances, plays a central role. In the researchers' theoretical model it is not a black market in the narrow sense, which means profit-driven illegal trade. Sharing within social circles is usually at cost price or free of charge. Even so, the Consumer Cannabis Act does not provide for it.
