Researchers estimate that Germany has roughly 1 million legal medical cannabis patients, with even more suffering patients turning to legal cannabis to treat their condition(s) with every passing year, making Germany the largest legal medical cannabis market in Europe.

Medical cannabis industry service provider Weed.de recently surveyed German medical cannabis patients, asking them, among other things, how long it took them to decide to try medical cannabis therapies. Weed.de is an online platform where people can search for experienced cannabis professionals and find information about cannabis products, strains, CBD shops, and cultivation associations.

“According to the respondents, the path to this prescription is often marked by years of suffering – from their own research, the fruitless search for an open-minded doctor, and frequently years of self-medication with cannabis before medical treatment even begins. The data surprisingly clearly illustrates why this path is so long and what hinders those affected.” the platform wrote about its survey, which involved 535 participants.

Key findings of the survey include:

• 45% reported experiencing their health symptoms for more than five years, and 28% for more than ten years, before they received a medical cannabis prescription.
• 71% cited finding an open-minded doctor as a major hurdle for the delay.
• 70% self-medicated with cannabis before receiving their first prescription.
• Three-quarters (75%) had previously tried conventional, prescription medications, and many had also undergone physiotherapy or psychotherapy.
• Only 8% learned about medical cannabis through a doctor or therapist. The vast majority researched it themselves or were made aware of it through their personal network.

The survey results provide insightful context for the ongoing political conversations in Germany surrounding medical cannabis policy. Similar to the conversations occurring in other parts of the world, cannabis opponents are wrong when they assert that medical cannabis patients ‘just want to get high’ and are ‘misusing medical cannabis access.’ As the results of Weed.de’s survey clearly demonstrate, many German patients explore other options for many years before gaining safe access to medical cannabis.

Ultimately, suffering patients should always have safe access to proven medications when treating their condition(s), including medical cannabis. They should not have to deal with stigma and shame when seeking approval for medical cannabis therapies, nor should they be villainized by cannabis opponents and politicians. They also shouldn’t have to suffer for years needlessly before they are afforded the option to use medical cannabis if it helps them. Medical cannabis policies should always be based on science and compassion, and not on the meritless opinions of politicians.