New German Cannabis Agency Sets Goals for 2019

Last week, we reported to you that the Germany’s new medical cannabis law was made official, but few details about its implementation were available. Now, Germany’s “cannabis agency”, a newly created administrative body which overseen by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), promises to have Germany’s new medical cannabis cultivation program ready for roll-out in less than two years.

The new program will allow wide access to patients with many different ailments under the supervision of a physician. Cannabis will be covered by health insurance and available in pharmacies. Starting in 2019, the agency will solicit bids for cultivation contracts from companies interested in growing the plant on German soil.

However, growing in German soil will be a different story. Following the standards already in place for legal medical cannabis currently produced in Europe, cultivation of the plant will be highly regulated and grown in very strict settings to maintain a stringent level of quality control.

According to a report from the Russia Times, the intent of the German law is to focus narrowly and specifically on the medical aspects of the drug, ensuring a “pharmaceutical grade” standard.

“Those patients will not be allowed to grow their own medicine at home. Only pharmaceutical-grade hemp must reach the patients, Lutz Stroppe, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health emphasized.

“‘The secretary believes that ‘self-cultivation’ does not ensure ‘high-quality, medical cannabis strains,’ needed as relief to pain suffering patients, Deutschlandfunk reports. The government, however, stressed that the new rules don’t mean marijuana will be legal for non-medical purposes.”

The German government will also begin a five-year study to accompany the new program to evaluate the science behind the medicine and the effectiveness of the recently-changed policy.

There’s only one place this spring to learn all the details of the new German cannabis policy. Don’t miss the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin coming up on April 10-12!