Regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are an interesting public policy concept. They involve permitting cannabis consumers, producers, and retailers to participate in local cannabis commerce for research purposes. The results from the regional commerce research can help national policymakers and regulators be better suited when crafting national laws and industry regulations.

When Germany approved the nation’s CanG law, one of the main components of Germany’s legalization model was cannabis pilot trials. The pilot trials were to be combined with home cultivation and cultivation associations to serve as the backbone for how adult consumers were to source recreational cannabis products legally in Germany. Those provisions of Germany’s model are in line with current European Union agreements.

Unfortunately, no cannabis pilot trials have been approved in Germany so far, and in some cases, pilot trial proposals were rejected by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE). Applicants have filed formal objections.

“In 2024, the district offices of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Neukölln, and Pankow, together with Humboldt University and the Sanity Group, designed a pilot project for the controlled sale of cannabis, signed a letter of intent, and submitted the project outline. After thorough review, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) has now rejected the application for an exemption permit under Section 2, Paragraph 4, Sentence 1 of the German Consumer Cannabis Act (KCanG).” stated the District Office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in a recent press release (translated from German to English).

“The aim of the pilot project was to create a scientifically sound basis for evidence-based cannabis policy by giving adult study participants the opportunity to legally purchase cannabis at selected retail outlets. In return, the participants would regularly provide anonymized data on consumption patterns, health, and usage histories, enabling a well-founded assessment of risks, benefits, and effective harm reduction approaches.” the press release also stated. “The applicants have already filed an objection to the BLE’s rejection. This action is welcomed by the districts of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Neukölln, and Pankow.”

“The BLE’s justification for the rejection is completely absurd. We need evidence-based answers, not ideology. The previous federal government should have taken decisive action here. Now the new government is ignoring the legal situation and rejecting the pilot project for flimsy reasons. This pilot project could have been an effective measure to curb the black market in cannabis and improve public health.” said Clara Herrmann, Mayor of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.

“Current legislation explicitly provides for research projects. The BLE’s legal interpretation is therefore neither comprehensibly justified nor does it do justice to the objective of the Cannabis Act. Contrary to the BLE’s decision, a second legal framework is not necessary to enable research. It remains a mystery why the authority is using a non-binding policy paper from the failed coalition government to interpret existing law. The BLE is ignoring the impact of widespread cannabis legalization on everyday life in the community and turning a blind eye to the urgent scientific need to research consumption patterns.” added Hannes Rehfeldt, District Councillor for Social Affairs and Health, Neukölln District Office.

“Home cultivation and cannabis clubs alone cannot meet the demand in Germany and are simply insufficient as legal sources. Therefore, together with our partners, we continue to work to ensure that cannabis consumers are not once again left to rely on the illegal market. And international experience confirms our approach: scientifically monitored pilot projects are the right way to combine health protection and consumer safety with effectively dismantling the black market.” Finn A. Hänsel, Founder & CEO of the Sanity Group, stated.

Regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot trials are operating in several jurisdictions in the Netherlands and Switzerland, with no major issues being reported. If the Netherlands and Switzerland can approve pilot trials to operate safely and effectively, there’s no valid reason why Germany can’t do the same.

Cannabis opponents in Germany’s government need to stop the foot-dragging and quit acting like there is no precedent in Europe, and that the metaphorical public policy wheel needs to be reinvented. It is beyond time that German pilot trials were approved and for Germany to take the next sensible step toward modernizing its approach to cannabis public policy.

Die BLE hat nun auch die Cannabis-Modellprojekte von drei Berliner Bezirken abgelehnt. Der CSU-Landwirtschaftsminister verhindert die Erprobung von Alternativen zum Schwarzmarkt und schützt damit kriminelle Strukturen.https://t.co/iOXHsO5kPy

— Hanfverband (@hanfverband) November 29, 2025