Aurora Cannabis Inc. has announced the launch of its first German-cultivated medical cannabis product under the brand IndiMed. 

Produced at Aurora’s EU-GMP facility in Leuna, Germany, one of only three licensed cannabis production facilities in the country, the new brand will be available for Germany’s expanding medical cannabis patient base.

“Aurora is proud to deliver to the rapidly growing German market our first domestically produced medical cannabis product—a significant step forward since Germany’s move to decriminalize cannabis earlier this year,” says Michael Simon, President, Aurora Europe (Interim). 

“As one of three facilities licensed to cultivate in Germany, we are uniquely positioned to offer domestic product from our EU-GMP facility in Leuna, Germany, which operates within Aurora’s global manufacturing network. It is through our expertise in cultivation and deep commitment to science and innovation that we introduce IndiMed to the German patients.”

Aurora was not able to immediately respond to a request for more details about the harvest, such as total volume. 

Cultivated under GACP and EU-GMP guidelines, Island Sweet Skunk is ​​the new product from Aurora’s IndiMed brand, listed as having 20% THC and less than 1% CBD.

In February 2024, Germany passed the German Medical Cannabis Act, expanding the country’s medical cannabis laws.

Aurora is one of three companies with a cannabis production licence in Germany. The American cannabis company Tilray, which operates in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and Latin America, was the first to receive a commercial cannabis production licence in the country in 2024. Aurora and the German company Demecan were also licensed for production in the country.

In November 2024, Tilray Medical announced that it had launched its first commercially-grown medical cannabis flowers from its Aphria RX GmbH facility in Germany. 

Aphria RX has been present in the medical cannabis space in Germany since March 2019, when the company was awarded a licence for the cultivation of medical cannabis in Germany, from the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (the “BfArM”). 

In July 2024, Aurora announced it was expanding its footprint in the emerging German cannabis market when the company was granted two licences by Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) under the country’s new Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG).

Aurora’s medical cannabis production facility in Leuna, Saxony-Anhalt, in eastern Germany, has been operating since 2021. The facility cultivates approximately 1,000 kg of cannabis flower annually for the medical supply chain. In addition to Canada and Germany, Aurora operates in the UK, Poland, and Australia.

Germany is being eyed by large cannabis companies like Aurora and Tilray as it’s seen as a gateway into the expanding European market and is considered the largest medical cannabis market in Europe, with a population of 83 million, more than double that of Canada.  

Tilray’s Aphria RX has been present in the medical cannabis space in Germany since March 2019, when the company was awarded a licence from the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (the “BfArM”) to cultivate medical cannabis in the country. 

Other European countries, including Switzerland, Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Malta, the Netherlands, and Ukraine, are also considering or in the process of implementing various cannabis markets being eyed by companies like these. 

Germany legalized cannabis for non medical purposes this past March, with the law coming into effect in stages. On April 1, personal possession and cultivation became legal. On July 1, the country began allowing cannabis growing clubs. However, the country does not allow the sale of cannabis except for medical purposes. That bill also made amendments to the country’s medical cannabis laws (MedCanG), paving the way for Tilray’s most recent announcement. 

Germany first legalized cannabis flowers for medical purposes in 2017. Although annual domestic production was capped at 10,400 kg, since that time, the amount of cannabis prescribed under the program has steadily increased, fed by imports from countries like Canada. In the first three quarters of 2017, there were just 530 kg of cannabis imported into Germany. By the completion of the first three quarters of 2023, that increased to 14,315 kg.

Cannabis exports from Canada have been increasing and are expected to continue, especially as the issue of oversupply still plagues the Canadian market. Expanding production into new markets like Germany allows companies to better address supply issues in emerging markets without undergoing extensive export requirements and costs from Canada.

Cannabis exports from Canada continue to increase, with Germany one of the largest recipients of these exports, along with countries like Australia and Israel.

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