Overview

• The amendment requires a personal doctor–patient contact in a practice or during a home visit before any initial or follow-up medical cannabis prescription.
• Mail-order distribution of medical cannabis would be banned and dispensing confined to on-site pharmacies subject to mandatory counseling obligations.
• Medical cannabis imports surged by 170 percent between the first and second halves of 2024 while insurance-covered prescriptions rose by just 9 percent.
• The Bundesgesundheitsministerium cites increased consumption, elevated health risks and enforcement strains as reasons to reverse remote prescribing rules.
• The Federal Union of German Pharmacists’ Associations has praised the proposal for enhancing patient safety, but some lawmakers warn tighter rules could fuel black-market sales.