The emerging legal cannabis industry in Germany is one of the most exciting markets globally by many measures. Legal medical cannabis sales through pharmacies launched in the European nation in 2017, and lawmakers approved a historic national adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2024. A considerable amount of market data is now flowing out of Germany, providing valuable insights for investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers.

As Germany’s medical cannabis sector has progressed and matured over the years, it has become clearer just how many patients the sector serves. Unlike state-level medical cannabis programs in the United States, in which there is typically a central registry that makes it easier to pinpoint the number of registered patients at any given time, Germany’s patient count is less straightforward to calculate. Some medical cannabis patients receive reimbursements through the public healthcare system, while others are “self-payers” and acquire their medicine through private means.

Evaluating Germany’s Medical Cannabis Patient Count

According to leading international cannabis economist Beau Whitney, founder of Whitney Economics, there are an estimated 200k-300k medical cannabis patients in Germany who are not self-payers, and an estimated 500k-600k self-paying medical cannabis patients in the country. The rise in the use of telemedicine in Germany in recent years has directly contributed to a steady increase in medical cannabis patients making their purchases through legal sources.

Another major contributing factor to increased legal safe medical cannabis access in Germany is the number of medical cannabis pharmacies operating in the European nation. As cited in a German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW) newsletter, roughly 2,500 of Germany’s 17,000 registered pharmacies now offer medical cannabis.

Medical Cannabis Imports

One of the most insightful sources of data that puts into context how much Germany’s medical cannabis industry has increased in size in recent years pertains to medical cannabis imports. Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) publishes quarterly data for imports, and in just the third quarter of 2025 alone, Germany imported nearly 57 tons of medical cannabis products.

To put that figure into perspective, consider that in the third quarter of 2024, about 20.654 tons of medical cannabis products were imported, which was a record at that time. In the first nine months of 2025, Germany imported over 142 tons of medical cannabis products. That is a mind-boggling amount, and a testament to the growth of Germany’s legal medical cannabis industry.

Researchers at the IPE Institute for Policy Evaluation conducted a market analysis, determining that Germany’s self-payer medical cannabis market may be worth as much as 2.9 billion euros annually. That is a massive cost saving for Germany’s public healthcare system.

Widespread Benefits

The rise of the legal medical cannabis industry in Germany doesn’t just benefit patients and members of the industry. All of German society benefits to some degree, including from the increased output that a more productive workforce provides the nation via reduced sick days. The German Association of Pharmaceutical Cannabinoid Companies (BPC) estimates that the economic benefit of reduced sick days for cannabis patients in Germany is more than 3.7 billion euros.

As is the case in every large cannabis market, the potential of Germany’s adult-use cannabis sector is much larger than the medical sector from the perspective of the total population. According to the European Union Drugs Agency’s annual estimates, 17.2% of adults in Germany report having consumed cannabis at least once in the last year. Additionally, 8.4% of German adults report having consumed cannabis within the last month. That works out to a total adult-use market of several million consumers.

A vast majority of the German adult-use cannabis market remains unregulated, but that is slowly changing as consumers are afforded more legal options. Germany’s legal recreational cannabis model is built on a handful of components, with all of them having the potential to help the nation’s legal market capture more market share with every passing month.

Germany’s Homegrow Market

Home cultivation is a major facet of Germany’s legal sourcing model, and is proving to be popular among adult consumers. Survey data compiled by the Department of Horticultural Economics at Geisenheim University found that one in ten adult cannabis consumers in Germany have cultivated cannabis since it became legal in April 2024. Another eleven percent “could imagine” doing so in the future.

Cultivation associations are another big component of Germany’s legalization model. According to the German Federal Association of Cannabis Cultivation Associations’ (BCAv) most recent data, 368 cultivation association applications have been approved so far nationwide. A total of 806 applications have been submitted. Considerably more cultivation associations need to be approved for Germany’s legal industry to sufficiently compete with the unregulated market, but the overall total is continuing to increase slowly but surely.

Pilot Trials Needed

A major gap in Germany’s industry right now is that there are still no regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials approved in the country. Dozens of jurisdictions have applied to launch trials, but so far, the number of approvals remains at zero, to the detriment of legal cannabis access and to the detriment of the country’s professed cannabis policy and industry goals. Pilot trials are already operating in several jurisdictions in the Netherlands and Switzerland, with no major issues reported, and hopefully Germany’s government moves forward on approvals sooner rather than later.

With so much going on in Germany right now, and the country continuing to serve as the top market on the continent, it is more important than ever for people interested in getting in on the action to learn about current opportunities and network with industry leaders. The perfect opportunity to do that is in Berlin in April at the International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC).

The post Germany’s Emerging Cannabis Industry by the Numbers appeared first on Cannabis Now.

From her early days as a cancer researcher to her role as a global cannabis advocate, Macias’ journey is one of resilience, passion and a commitment to helping others.

Chanda Macias’ mission is to make cannabis accessible worldwide is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

— T-Mobile appointed Jon Freier as its new chief operating officer. He succeeds Srini Gopalan, who was named CEO of the Bellevue, Wash., telecom giant in a surprise move that took effect last month.

Freier joins the C-suite from his previous position as president of the T-Mobile Consumer Group, a title he has held since 2021. But he has been with the company for much longer: Freier began his professional career at Western Wireless in 1994 when he was 19 years old. That business became T-Mobile after Germany’s Deutsche Telekom took over as majority shareholder in 2001.

The company disclosed Freier’s promotion in a filing. T-Mobile has undergone additional leadership reshuffling in recent months, expanding the role of its chief technologist and marking the departure of its chief communications and corporate responsibility officer and its business group president.

— Alex Berezhnyy is now chief technology officer for RentSpree, a Seattle company that supports the rental application and screening process, and helps manage lease documents and payments.

Berezhnyy was previously at the real estate platform Redfin for more than a decade, leaving the role of vice president of engineering. Prior to that, he was at Amazon where he served in a variety of software development manager roles in retail systems and Kindle education.

“[Berezhnyy] brings deep technical expertise, a track record of building strong teams, and a bold vision for how AI will shape the future of renting,” RentSpree posted on LinkedIn.

— Paige Johnson has left her role as Microsoft’s vice president of Education. She is relaunching EdCatalyst Group, an Oregon-based consulting business that she previously ran for nearly three years that supports companies, nonprofits and public organizations in using AI to expand their impact.

“My years at Microsoft were an extraordinary chapter. I learned so much about how AI is reshaping industries — from education and media to public sector and financial services,” Johnson said on LinkedIn.

Earlier in her career, Johnson was with Intel for nearly two decades, creating and scaling a professional development program that trained millions of teachers worldwide.

— James Newell is chief financial officer of WayTrade, a commodity trading company focused on renewable fuels including sustainable aviation fuel.

Newell, who will work remotely from Seattle, was previously a general partner with Voyager Capital, an investor in early stage companies in the Pacific Northwest.

“I found the perfect opportunity to make a meaningful impact at a company that itself makes a meaningful impact, and I get to do so alongside incredible people,” Newell said on LinkedIn.

— After 15 years with Amazon Web Services, Julien Ellie has resigned from his job as senior principal engineer. Ellie praised his colleagues who helped shape cloud computing, but said the company he joined and what AWS has become are no longer the same.

“From where I sit, process has taken precedence over customers, and rules have replaced high judgment. The culture has shifted from high trust to low trust, and from impact-driven to ‘who you know.’ That doesn’t align with the builder mindset that brought me here,” Ellie said on LinkedIn.

Prior to Amazon, Ellie was at Microsoft for nearly a decade.

— Jonathan Assayag has left his Sunnyvale, Calif., role with Amazon where he served as general manager and director of the company’s smart eyewear program. During more than nine years at the tech giant, Assayag worked on products including Echo Frames and Smart Delivery Glasses.

“These were true zero-to-one efforts that pushed ambient computing, Voice AI, and AI-assisted workflows into new territory. They challenged me both as a builder and a leader, sharpening how I think, make decisions, and drive impact,” he said on LinkedIn.

Assayag also thanked his team members and company leaders. He did not share his next move.

— Gravyty, a Seattle-based company that facilitates alumni donations and higher ed student engagement, named Lisa Haubenstock as its new chief customer officer. Haubenstock joins Gravyty from shipping logistics company Truckstop, and has held roles at Amazon and the education company Everfi.

“Gravyty presents an opportunity to tie together so much of my previous experience with a truly dedicated global team working to build something great,” Haubenstock said on LinkedIn.

— Bobby Franzo is now CEO of WatchMeGrow, a Lacey, Wash.-based company that provides cameras and live video streaming in the childcare, pet-care and senior-care spaces. He succeeds John Lewison, who led the company for 24 years and is now a board member and advisor.

Franzo is the founder of PB&J TV (Peanut Butter and Jelly TV), a streaming service that merged with WatchMeGrow earlier this year.

“What started as an idea to give families peace of mind has evolved into a company shaping how technology supports safety and quality during the most important years of a child’s development,” Lewison said on LinkedIn. He added that Franzo “is exactly what the company needs at this moment, and I’m thrilled he’s at the helm.”

— CreateMe, a California-based clothing manufacturer using robotic assembly lines, announced two leadership changes:

• Nick Chope, who is located in Portland, Ore., has been promoted to chief engineer and head of manufacturing. Chope has worked in robotics and automation at Microsoft, Apple, his own firm and elsewhere.
• Seattle’s Natasha Chand is now executive advisor, having previously worked as the global CEO of Amazon Softlines Private Label, which includes clothes, footwear and accessories.

— Lauren Weinberg is now a board advisor at Adora, a Seattle-based marketing technology startup that emerged from stealth in October. Her past roles include leadership positions at Peleton Interactive, Square, Yahoo and elsewhere.

When planting outdoors, it’s highly probable that there will be problems that may leave plants in a less than perfect state. Even the best cocktail of nutrient and trace chemicals can still allow a nutrient deficiency. Grasshoppers may rear their ugly green heads or the nutrient will attract unsavory company, leading to an infestation that must be dealt with.

There are many variables to growing outdoors, but the most common of nutrient deficiencies will be encountered during the green foliage growth period. Lack of nitrogen is the most common deficiency. A large green leafy plant requires a very high level of nitrogen to achieve its full glory. The first sign is a gradual creep of yellow among the lowest and therefore leaves of the plant. If this happens, be sure to add a full ration of nitrogen to the next watering session. The yellow creep can be cured in only a few days if it hasn’t progressed to a point at which the tips of the leaves are curling and black or brown. At that point, it’s a permanent situation that can’t be remedied. It will be necessary to increase the amount of nitrogen so it doesn’t damage any newer leaves that would be higher on the plant. Some other symptoms of a nitrogen deficiency include red stems, smaller new leaves and slow growth.

A phosphorus deficiency rears its head by slow and stunted growth. The newer leaves of the plant will be smaller and a darker green than usual. As with nitrogen deficiency, a red color appears on the stems. The leaves may also develop a nasty red or purple color in the veins on the underside of the leaf. If phosphorous isn’t added, the older leaves will start to die. The affected leaves won’t be healed, but the progression of the damage will be stopped. The leaves will lighten in color to the beautiful green and the growth rate will pick up.

A potassium deficiency is often a tricky one to diagnose. Most of the time a potassium deficient plant will be tall and healthy looking, though they may be slightly phototropic in appearance. The indicators are the phototropic appearance and browning of the ends of the oldest leaves. A phototropic plant is one who expends all of its energy to reach a feeble light source, thus the tall spindly look they have. Recovery from a potassium deficiency is usually slow and is measured in weeks. The leaves that have been browned already usually die off. The leaves will have brown spots on them, particularly along the prominent center vein. As with most deficiencies of a serious nature, the stems and underside veins have a reddish or purple hue to them. The most common source of potassium is wood ash; so if last year the crop had a potassium deficiency, add a cup of wood ash this year to the nutrient or growing medium.

There are also deficiencies to be had with the elements iron, manganese, boron, molybdenum, zinc and copper. Because most outdoor growing mediums tend to be natural in source, nature has already included the other trace elements required for most of their life. However, adding trace elements two or three times in the life of the plant is always a good idea. If the plants don’t require them, they simply won’t take them up.

For those of growers in the country and planting in the backyard, the easiest way to keep pests and animals away from the plants is to plant geraniums around them. The common geranium secretes a substance that acts as an all-around pest repellent. This is its natural way to combat predators and has been working great for a lot longer than humans have been growing grass, so take note. Both animals and pests will shy away from your crop.

Whatever growing medium that will be used will eventually attract a pest, then many pests. This infestation of the growing medium can be tricky to get rid of. If the little critters are in the topmost inch or so of the growing medium, that medium will have to be replaced. Be gentle with the root system and deluge the area with a good garden-safe insecticide after removal of the top inch. It’s important to replace the growing medium with a chemically-inert medium. Test and alter the pH of the medium as required to hit a neutral value of seven. The growing medium will eventually adjust itself to the pH levels the plant is accustomed to over a space of about a week.

Growing outdoors is an easy and productive means to reduce or even replace the costs incurred by our green friend over the winter. With the right knowledge this year’s crop should thrive.

What are some of your outdoor growing tips? Share with our community on Facebook.

The post Re-Coup Winter Costs: Grow Outdoor appeared first on Cannabis Now.

There’s nothing quite like growing your own cannabis at home. Watching a tiny seed turn into a beautiful, potent plant that twinkles with trichomes, smelling those first terpenes, knowing you did it all yourself, is unmatched. But for many people, the dream of growing at home hits a brick wall before they even get started. It’s easy to feel like you’ll mess it up and lose a bunch of time and cash. Thankfully, I Love Growing Marijuana (ILGM) is here to help ensure that doesn’t happen. 

A Dutch cannabis seed company operating exclusively in the US market, ILGM was built on a simple, powerful belief: Anyone can grow their own cannabis.

They are dedicated to providing not only top-tier seeds, but also the expert knowledge and a foolproof safety net you can count on. Expect success at every step of your journey.

From a Simple Blog to a Thriving Community

The company’s story started with its founder, Robert Bergman, a Dutch grower who genuinely loved the plant but was tired of the misinformation around it. So, he started a low-key blog to share what he knew so everyone could grow weed at home. He wanted to pull back the curtain on cultivation and show that it wasn’t some big secret for a few pros. His straightforward approach resonated with the canna-curious and amateur cultivators around the world.

“Getting started can feel like the hardest part,” says ILGM CEO Ernst Rustenhoven. “But if you have a knowledgeable friend who guides you through it, that big hurdle turns into a small step. We are that friend.”

That blog turned into a buzzing community. Growers would jump into the comments to ask questions, share tips and celebrate their wins. It was a true collaboration built on trust and a shared love for growing. That’s what eventually led to the launch of a trusted seedbank.

The seedbank is a huge part of ILGM’s DNA—the belief that the best weed is the one you grew yourself and the best way to do that is with a solid community behind you. It’s this grower-first mindset, mixed with a deep understanding of what US home growers actually need, that gives them their edge.

Top-Shelf Seeds, All The Way To Harvest

The heart of ILGM lies in its genetics, as showcased in their cannabis seed bank. All the cultivars that are carefully selected because they’re easy to grow, tough and have killer terpene profiles. ILGM has done the homework for you, so you can pick a strain that’s a perfect fit for your location.

ILGM also does limited drops from some of the best craft breeders in the country. With every single strain, you get the whole backstory—the breeding intent and the best way to grow it.

But a great cannabis seed is just the start. To really succeed, you need to know what you’re doing. That’s why ILGM has built the industry’s best educational support. Every strain comes with a detailed, step-by-step grow guide. It’s like having a cheat sheet for everything from planting to watering to fertilizing.

And if you ever hit a roadblock, the free ILGM Grow Guide Library is a goldmine. It’s packed with expert-written content on everything from spotting pests to mastering advanced techniques. It’s a resource the company is proud of because it shows they’re in this with you, from the first day to the last.

“Learning to grow cannabis, like everything else, begins with the basics,” Rustenhoven says. “Our grow guides are designed to take you through each stage, from your first grow to advanced techniques, one step at a time.”

The Germination Guarantee: Your Safety Net

One of the biggest anxieties for a new grower is a seed that won’t sprout. It can stop a grow journey before it even gets going. That’s why ILGM created its Germination Guarantee. It’s pretty simple: If your seeds don’t pop, the company will send you new ones, no questions asked. This is a game-changer. It takes the fear of failure off the table and lets you start your grow with a ton of confidence. It’s one of the few truly grower-friendly return policies you’ll find in this business, and it’s ILGM’s way of proving they’ve got your back.

The customer support team is legendary for a reason, too. They’re not just some call center reps; they’re real growers who get it. They offer genuine advice and help, not canned responses.

Ready to Get Growing?

If you’re ready to start your own grow adventure, ILGM is making it easy for you. Check out their wide selection of high-quality seeds, from classic strains to exciting new drops. And while you’re there, be sure to visit the deals page for special bundles and offers, especially if you’re just starting out.

Ultimately, ILGM’s mission is making home cultivation easier and way more fun. They combine top-tier genetics with expert guidance and a promise that you’re set up for success every step of the way. Because when it’s all said and done, the best flower is the one you grew yourself.

The post Your Home Grow Journey Starts With I Love Growing Marijuana appeared first on Cannabis Now.