Starting on July 1st, 2024, adults in Germany can apply to their local authority to launch an adult-use cannabis cultivation association. Cultivation associations, sometimes referred to as social clubs, involve consumers registering with the association and acquiring products legally.

According to the most recent data from the Federal Association of Cannabis Cultivation Associations (BCAv), the total number of approved German cultivation association applications is now at 323. BCAv lists that 743 total applications have been submitted to date.

A survey of 220 German cultivation associations was recently conducted by the hemp app, and association operators were asked about several things, including how many members they have. According to the survey’s results, the average number of members for German cultivation associations is 275. The survey also found the following:

• Average member age is ~36 years (range 25–60)
• Associations dispense 22.6 g per member/month
• Total association product dispersal is 6.2 kg per club/month
• 6.1 varieties/month (range 3–10)
• Average cannabinoid content is THC 18.6%, CBD 5.0%
• 100% of responding clubs offer education or prevention programs

“Clubs are controllable, licensed distribution points with age verification, prevention, documentation, and clear legal sanctions for violations. This is exactly what politicians are demanding – including conservative voices,” says Florian Pichlmaier, CEO of the hemp app (Signature Products GmbH), translated from German to English. “To further strengthen youth protection and consumer safety and to more quickly displace the black market, more licenses are needed – especially in Bavaria.”

“Growing your own cannabis in a cannabis club is consumer protection: known origin, consistent quality, clear responsibility. With more licenses—especially in conservative regions—the black market can be significantly reduced,” Pichlmaier also stated.

BCAv provided the following geographical breakdown of submitted, approved, rejected, and withdrawn applications for cultivation associations in Germany in their most recent newsletter:

The Federal Association of Cannabis Cultivation Associations, which describes itself as “the interest group for cannabis cultivation associations within the Cannabis Industry Association (BvCW),” recently published a position paper listing several demands that the association has determined would improve Germany’s cannabis laws.

Below are some of the highlighted demands of the position paper, per BCAv’s recent newsletter (translated from German to English):

• Protection against disproportionate requirements that make the operation of non-commercial cultivation associations virtually impossible.
• Protecting consumers’ information rights: Some federal states interpret the advertising ban so broadly that cultivation associations can hardly be found online.
• Accelerated and transparent approval procedures for cultivation associations.
• Clarification as to whether cultivation associations should levy VAT on cannabis sold.
• Nationwide standardization of standards

“If the cultivation associations are to effectively curb the black market, administrative hurdles must be removed and legal uncertainties eliminated.” states BCAv coordinator Heinrich Wieker.