What German Family Doctors Think About Cannabis Legalization
Most German primary care physicians expected cannabis use and disorders to increase after legalization, yet few screened patients for cannabis use or wanted additional training.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 239 responding physicians, most anticipated increased cannabis consumption and disorders post-legalization. Doctors with personal cannabis experience (37.9%) were more optimistic about policy goals like quality control. Despite 40.3% prescribing medical cannabis, screening for recreational use was rare.
Key Numbers
25.3% response rate (239 of 946). 37.9% of respondents had personal cannabis experience. 40.3% prescribed medical cannabis. Most anticipated increased consumption and cannabis use disorders after legalization.
How They Did This
Exploratory cross-sectional survey of GPs and practice-based anesthesiologists in three German states, conducted from September 2023 to March 2024 (pre-legalization). 946 surveys delivered, 239 responded (25.3% response rate).
Why This Research Matters
Primary care physicians are often the first point of contact for patients experiencing cannabis-related health issues, making their preparedness and attitudes relevant to post-legalization healthcare.
The Bigger Picture
The gap between prescribing medical cannabis (40.3%) and actively screening for recreational use reflects a broader pattern seen internationally, where healthcare systems have been slow to integrate cannabis screening into routine care even as legalization expands.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Low response rate (25.3%) introduces selection bias. Only three of sixteen German states surveyed. Pre-legalization timing means attitudes may shift with actual experience. Self-selected respondents may differ systematically from non-respondents.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will physician attitudes shift after experiencing the post-legalization reality?
- ?Would structured cannabis screening tools increase detection of problematic use in primary care?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 40.3% of physicians prescribed medical cannabis, but few routinely screened for recreational use
- Evidence Grade:
- Low response rate (25.3%) in a limited geographic area, pre-legalization timing, and exploratory design limit generalizability.
- Study Age:
- 2025 publication with data collected September 2023 to March 2024, before Germany legalized recreational cannabis.
- Original Title:
- Attitudes and expectations of primary care physicians regarding recreational cannabis legalization in Germany: a pre-implementation survey.
- Published In:
- Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 101 (2025)
- Authors:
- Hochheim, Uta, Müller, Frank(2), Noack, Eva Maria
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06671
Evidence Hierarchy
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06671APA
Hochheim, Uta; Müller, Frank; Noack, Eva Maria. (2025). Attitudes and expectations of primary care physicians regarding recreational cannabis legalization in Germany: a pre-implementation survey.. Journal of cannabis research, 7(1), 101. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-025-00367-8
MLA
Hochheim, Uta, et al. "Attitudes and expectations of primary care physicians regarding recreational cannabis legalization in Germany: a pre-implementation survey.." Journal of cannabis research, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-025-00367-8
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Attitudes and expectations of primary care physicians regard..." RTHC-06671. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/hochheim-2025-attitudes-and-expectations-of
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.