Cannabis Use in Germany Before and After Partial Legalization
Cannabis use in Germany rose from 4.6% in 2012 to 9.8% in 2024, but the increase since partial legalization was small and not statistically significant.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Past-12-month cannabis use prevalence reached 9.8% in 2024 after partial legalization, up from 8.8% in 2021, but this difference was not statistically significant. The upward trend had been ongoing since 2012.
Key Numbers
Prevalence rose from 4.6% (2012) to 6.1% (2015) to 7.1% (2018) to 8.8% (2021) to 9.8% (2024). Most users consumed marijuana (92.3%) as joints (88.6%). Top motivations: getting high or having fun (66.8%) and stress relief (61.3%). 25.7% of users belonged to a cannabis social club.
How They Did This
Repeated cross-sectional surveys (Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse) across five waves from 2012 to 2024, with sample sizes ranging from 7,534 to 9,267 German-speaking adults per wave.
Why This Research Matters
Germany is one of the largest countries to partially legalize recreational cannabis, making early post-legalization data valuable for understanding whether policy changes accelerate existing consumption trends.
The Bigger Picture
Early evidence from multiple jurisdictions suggests legalization does not produce dramatic spikes in use, though modest increases appear over time. The German data aligns with patterns seen in North American legalization.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
The 2024 survey occurred very shortly after legalization (April 2024), limiting the ability to detect effects. Self-reported data may underestimate use. The 2024 wave had a smaller sample size than previous waves.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will cannabis use in Germany continue to climb in subsequent years?
- ?How will cannabis social clubs shape consumption patterns compared to commercial retail models?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 9.8% of German adults reported past-year cannabis use in 2024, up from 4.6% in 2012
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative repeated cross-sectional surveys with consistent methodology across waves, though self-report and the short post-legalization window limit causal conclusions.
- Study Age:
- 2025 publication analyzing 2024 post-legalization data from Germany.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis Consumption Before and After Partial Legalization in Germany: Early Trends, Consumption Patterns, and Motives.
- Published In:
- Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 122(23), 632-637 (2025)
- Authors:
- Hoch, Eva(9), Krowartz, Eva-Maria(4), Hollweck, Regina(2), Möckl, Justin, Olderbak, Sally
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06669
Evidence Hierarchy
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06669APA
Hoch, Eva; Krowartz, Eva-Maria; Hollweck, Regina; Möckl, Justin; Olderbak, Sally. (2025). Cannabis Consumption Before and After Partial Legalization in Germany: Early Trends, Consumption Patterns, and Motives.. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 122(23), 632-637. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2025.0161
MLA
Hoch, Eva, et al. "Cannabis Consumption Before and After Partial Legalization in Germany: Early Trends, Consumption Patterns, and Motives.." Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2025.0161
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis Consumption Before and After Partial Legalization i..." RTHC-06669. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/hoch-2025-cannabis-consumption-before-and
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.