In the lead-up to the adoption of Germany’s historic CanG measure in April 2024 by national lawmakers, cannabis opponents in Germany deployed a classic anti-cannabis propaganda tactic. Cannabis opponents warned of ‘doomsday’ scenarios about cannabis usage rates among young people if/when a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure was approved. As Germany continues to modernize its cannabis policies, cannabis opponents are still making the argument.

However, a recent study conducted by researchers affiliated with the Federal Institute of Public Health is throwing cold water on such anti-cannabis claims. The researchers examined twelve representative studies from 2008 to 2025 that tracked changes in the 12-month prevalence of cannabis use among 12-17 year old adolescents and 18-25 year old young adults in Germany. The results of the study were published this month in the Journal of Health Monitoring.

“One year after the partial legalisation of cannabis, no immediate, significant changes in the 12-month prevalence of cannabis use were observed among either female or male adolescents, or among young women, compared with 2023. In the longer term, a decline was observed among male adolescents compared with 2019.” the researchers found.

The only group that was found to have experienced a statistically significant increase in consumption rates was young men aged 18-25 years old, but it is worth noting that such use is legal in Germany. As of April 2024, people who are at least 18 years old can cultivate, possess, and consume personal amounts of cannabis in Germany. Starting in July 2024, adults can join one of the nation’s increasing number of cannabis cultivation associations and source cannabis legally.

“One year after partial legalisation, there was no evidence of an immediate effect on the prevalence of cannabis use among young people in Germany. Further studies should monitor future developments.” the researchers concluded.

The results of this study in Germany were published on the heels of research which found that Malta has the lowest cannabis usage rate among young people in Europe, years after adult-use legalization was approved there. Malta became the first country in Europe to adopt a national adult-use legalization measure, with the nation’s lawmakers having approved the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis Act in late 2021.

Uruguay became the first country to ever adopt a national adult-use legalization measure back in 2013. According to health researchers who conducted a study nearly a decade after Uruguay legalized, “the legalization of recreational cannabis in Uruguay was not associated with overall increases in either past-year/past-month cannabis use or with multi-year changes in any risky and frequent cannabis use among young people.”

Several other studies that examined cannabis usage trends among young people in North America have also failed to identify any statistically significant increases in cannabis usage rates by young people following the adoption of adult-use cannabis legalization. Two dozen states and Washington D.C. have adopted adult-use legalization in the U.S., and Canada approved a national adult-use legalization measure in 2018.