Two Years of Legal Cannabis: Berlin's Growers Face Reality Check
Germany's cannabis legalization faces growing pains amid strict club rules
Berlin (dpa/bb) — When cannabis was legalized in Germany on April 1, 2024, the rush to join cultivation associations was overwhelming. Prospective members lined up to sign up with the many new clubs offering communal cannabis growing. But two years later, disillusionment has set in across Berlin.
"As a cultivation association, we're incredibly unappealing," said Mario Gäde, chair of the Berlin-based White Lake Weed club in Weißensee, speaking to the German Press Agency.
Gäde isn't criticizing the concept itself—he remains convinced of its merits—but rather the rigid regulations that make the clubs' work so difficult. "You'd think Berlin would be flooded with members, but the opposite is true," he said, pointing to stagnant membership numbers. The associations are barred from advertising, and even basic information about their offerings is restricted to members only. "A lot of people don't even know we exist."
Black Market and Online Orders Outcompete Legal Clubs
A quick recap: Since April 1, 2024, adults in Germany have been allowed to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis in public, store up to 50 grams at home, and cultivate up to three plants for personal use. Three months later, on July 1, the first cannabis cultivation associations began operations. These non-profit clubs grow cannabis collectively and distribute it to members for personal consumption. According to Berlin's State Office for Health and Social Affairs (Lageso), the city now has 11 licensed associations, with seven more applications under review.
For Berlin's legal growers, the entrenched black market—and especially the easy availability of medical cannabis—poses the biggest challenge, Gäde explained. While massive billboards advertise medical cannabis, the local, demand-driven cultivation clubs are forbidden from promoting themselves, despite their short supply chains and community-focused approach.
A Few Clicks to a Prescription
More and more recreational users are turning to private online prescriptions to access cannabis through what appears to be a legal loophole. With just a few clicks and a brief questionnaire, so-called medicinal cannabis can be ordered with ease. Since legalization, prescription rates have skyrocketed. Government data shows that imports of medicinal cannabis surged by over 400% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year, reaching 80 metric tons. Authorities are now moving to tighten the rules.
Jana Halbreiter, chair of the Green Leaf Society cultivation association, shares the frustration. "The idea of cultivation clubs isn't unappealing—it's the politics that have weighed this legal, controlled, non-commercial model down with lead blocks, while far more convenient alternatives have been given the red-carpet treatment," she criticized. "We're treated like serious criminals."
"Clubs Need Above All Else: A High Tolerance for Frustration"
The Green Leaf Society has 200 active members and cultivates up to ten different strains. Each month, they harvest and distribute two to three kilograms of cannabis to members. Over the past few months, they've expanded their growing space.
But another issue galls Halbreiter. "Here's the absurdity: While cannabis seeds can now be sold legally in regular stores, cultivation associations are required to maintain detailed personal records on adult members—and keep them for years," she said. Anyone still willing to start a club today needs, above all, "a high tolerance for frustration." The associations are buried under regulations, suspicion, and inspections, while far more convenient—and far less scrutinized—channels for obtaining cannabis have been allowed to thrive.
Still, neither Halbreiter nor Gäde is giving up. Both plan to recruit new members and continue growing—despite the odds.
