Cannabis use trends among young people in Germany before partial legalization
Cannabis use remained stable among German adolescents but increased significantly among young adults aged 18-25 in the years before Germany's 2024 partial legalization.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among young women aged 18-25, past-year cannabis use more than doubled from 8.3% in 2008 to 19.4% in 2023. Among young men in the same age group, it rose from 14.8% to 26.9%.
Key Numbers
Young women 18-25: 8.3% (2008) to 19.4% (2023). Young men 18-25: 14.8% (2008) to 26.9% (2023). Adolescent rates remained relatively stable before legalization.
How They Did This
Analysis of representative survey data from Germany's Federal Institute of Public Health, tracking 12-month cannabis prevalence from 2008 to 2023 among 12-17 and 18-25 year olds.
Why This Research Matters
Germany partially legalized cannabis in April 2024. These baseline data from before legalization are essential for measuring what changes, if any, legalization produces.
The Bigger Picture
Germany is the largest European country to partially legalize cannabis. How its youth usage trends compare to post-legalization data from Canada and US states will be closely watched.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-reported survey data may underestimate actual use. Data ends before legalization took effect, so no post-legalization comparisons are available yet.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will partial legalization accelerate the upward trend among young adults?
- ?Why did adolescent rates stay stable while young adult rates climbed?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Young women's use rose from 8.3% to 19.4% over 15 years
- Evidence Grade:
- Representative national survey data over 15 years provides strong trend evidence, though self-report and pre-legalization timing are limitations.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025, data through 2023.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Germany: Study results and prevention measures offered by the Federal Institute of Public Health.
- Published In:
- Journal of health monitoring, 10(3), e13458 (2025)
- Authors:
- Eckhardt, Stephanie, Nitzsche, Anika, Orth, Boris
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06388
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Did cannabis use increase among German teenagers before legalization?
No. Past-year cannabis use remained relatively stable among 12-17 year olds between 2008 and 2023, before Germany's April 2024 partial legalization.
Which group saw the biggest increase in cannabis use?
Young women aged 18-25 saw the largest relative increase, with past-year use more than doubling from 8.3% in 2008 to 19.4% in 2023.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06388APA
Eckhardt, Stephanie; Nitzsche, Anika; Orth, Boris. (2025). Cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Germany: Study results and prevention measures offered by the Federal Institute of Public Health.. Journal of health monitoring, 10(3), e13458. https://doi.org/10.25646/13458
MLA
Eckhardt, Stephanie, et al. "Cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Germany: Study results and prevention measures offered by the Federal Institute of Public Health.." Journal of health monitoring, 2025. https://doi.org/10.25646/13458
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Germany: ..." RTHC-06388. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/eckhardt-2025-cannabis-use-among-adolescents
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.