Who Would’ve Thought? Legal Cannabis in Germany Is Shrinking the Illicit Market by Almost 90%

Germany is now stepping up and proving what many suspected (and others refused to accept): a legal cannabis market means less drug trafficking. The recipe is simple. More safe access means less reliance on the street.

The KonCanG project, led by the Institute for Addiction Research at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and the Evangelical University of Freiburg, surveyed 11,471 people (11,375 adults and 96 adolescents). The study seeks to measure the impact of the historic legalization approved in April 2024, as confirmed by the International Cannabis Business Conference. The results leave no doubt: safe access works.

Legal cannabis in Germany: From the streets to homes

Since April 2024, the Cannabis Act (CanG) has allowed adults to grow up to three plants in their homes, possess up to 50 grams in private and 25 grams in public spaces, and join authorized associations since July.

This marked a turning point: access was no longer monopolized by the illicit market but spread into safer, more controlled channels.

The KonCanG project measured how this transition was experienced in practice, and the results painted a clear picture of what can be achieved by legalizing weed:

• 97.8% now use at home, though younger users are more likely to light up in public.
• 88.4% purchased legal cannabis in the last six months (home cultivation, associations, pharmacies).
• Before the law, only 23.5% used these now-legal sources.
• Nearly 80% said their main source is either homegrown or pharmacy-bought cannabis.
• Of those who started home growing since CanG took effect, 90.1% are men.
• At the same time, purchases from illegal sellers fell dramatically, both in private spaces and on public roads.

It’s undeniable: legal cannabis in Germany promotes safe and informed access, leading the illicit market to deflate.

Science calls for further research

While the figures show that legal cannabis in Germany is depriving drug traffickers of customers, the scientific community warns one key step is still missing: rigorously measuring the real impact.

Recently, a coalition of doctors and researchers published an open letter to the federal government and the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), demanding that the research projects contemplated in Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the law be approved once and for all.

In the letter, the signatories were categorical: “Germany lacks a reliable database on cannabis use… crucial for still unresolved questions regarding youth and health protection, the illicit market, and consumer behavior.”

Among those who signed are more than 15 academic and medical experts, including Karin Bammann (University of Bremen), Gundula Barsch (Hochschule Merseburg), Franjo Grotenhermen, Kirsten Müller-Vahl (University of Hanover), and Bernd Werse (Addiction Research Institute, Frankfurt).

Researchers point out that there is currently a lack of hard data on:

• Youth and health protection.
• Effects on the illicit market and crime.
• Economic and tax impact.
• Prevention and risk reduction.

In short, they want (and need) strong data to back up what’s already becoming visible.

Other countries, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, are already running legal cannabis pilot programs with positive results, and Germany risks falling behind. The letter closes with a direct request: “We are ready. Our concepts are in place. Please give science the space it needs.”

One thing is clear: without research, we can’t fully measure the impact of legalization. If Germany doesn’t approve research projects soon, it will fall behind, and the debate will remain ideological rather than evidence-based.

While the numbers point to early success (with the informal market shrinking), scientists urge caution. Until further research is available, it’s impossible to know just how big the impact really is.

This article appeared first on El Planteo

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