Tag: Germany

Canopy announces launch of its Tweed brand in German medical cannabis market

Written by David Brown on February 27, 2025. Posted in Business, Cannabis News, International.

Another Canadian cannabis producer has announced the launch of more products into the growing medical cannabis market in Germany.

Canopy Growth Corporation has now officially launched its Tweed brand in Germany, including the availability of four new cultivars grown in the EU through an agreement with Gro-Vida S.A, a Portuguese medical cannabis cultivator.

Authorized medical patients in Germany will be able to access Jack Herer, a new sativa-dominant cultivar; Balanced Caramel and Wappa, two indica-prominent strains; and Gelato 33, a balanced hybrid strain.

This builds on Tweed’s initial introduction of Glitter Bomb, an indica-dominant high THC strain, to the German medical market earlier in December 2024. That happened through an agreement with Cansativa GmbH (Cansativa), a vertically integrated German cannabis cultivator and distributor.

In addition to its flagship operations in Canada, Canopy Growth has a presence in Australia, Germany, Poland, and other specific international markets. The company also produces, distributes, and sells vaporizers and similar cannabis accessories in various global markets, including the United States.

In its most recent quarterly report for the three months ending December 31, 2024, Canopy’s international market net revenue increased 14% year-over-year, with strong growth in Poland and Germany. This growth was partially offset by a decline in Australian medical cannabis sales and the exit of US CBD sales earlier this fiscal year.

“As a leader in medical cannabis, Canopy Growth is expanding its German product lineup with the launch of the Tweed brand as well as new genetics to meet the growing needs of patients and healthcare practitioners,” said Luc Mongeau, Canopy Growth’s new CEO.

“Through strategic agreements with EU-based cultivators and continued supply from our EU-GMP facility in Canada, Canopy Growth is focused on delivering a consistent, reliable flower supply enabling healthcare practitioners to confidently prescribe Tweed for patients across Germany.”

According to the Canadian government, exports of cannabis for medical purposes have continued to show significant increases in recent years. In the first six months of 2024, 67,475.28 kilograms of dried cannabis were exported to the international market, and in 2023, 79,279.75 kilograms were exported.

Australia received the most—3,512.5 kilograms, a 5% year-over-year increase. Germany was second with 1,546.2 kg, down by 27% year-over-year. Czechia was third, followed by Israel, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the UK.

While Germany’s medical cannabis market has been growing, with two of three production licences in the country going to Canadian companies Aurora Cannabis and Aphria, the recently-elected Conservative government has promised to push back on Germany’s cannabis laws. What that means for the country’s growing medical cannabis space is uncertain.

Finn Haensel, CEO and Founder of Berline-based Sanity Group, an EU-based cannabis company, told StratCann recently that he is confident the Conservative government won’t touch medical cannabis,

“If you read publicly what they are saying, they don’t differentiate, they just say cannabis,” said Haensel. “But we talked a lot with politicians over the last six months. We had very good exchanges with the conservative politicians, and when you talk to them, they say they only want to take back adult-use and don’t want to touch medical.”

In November, Tilray’s Aphria RX facility launched its first German-grown cannabis. In January, Aurora also announced the launch of its first cannabis brand in Germany under a new cultivation license. The German company Demecan is also licensed for production in the country.

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

Germany is also a gateway into the expanding European market and is the largest medical cannabis market in Europe, with a population of 83 million, more than double that of Canada.

Other European countries, including Switzerland, Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Malta, the Netherlands, and Ukraine, are also considering or are in the process of implementing various cannabis laws.

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 non-medical purposes.

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Increase in medical sales helps offset declines for Canopy in Q3 2025

February 7, 2025

What does the Conservative win mean for legal cannabis in Germany?

February 26, 2025

What does the Conservative win mean for legal cannabis in Germany?

Written by Jonathan Hiltz on February 26, 2025. Posted in Business, Cannabis News, Government, Insight, Producers.

Germany’s conservatives pledged to overturn the 2024 legalization of cannabis if they win power in February’s election. They just won. What will this mean for German cannabis?

With over six years of adult-use cannabis legalization in Canada and far more for medical, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the end of prohibition is still a hot-button political issue in many existing international markets.

A case in point is the recent regime change in Germany, where the right-wing Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won the German parliamentary elections. While on paper this might not necessarily mean anything immediately dire for the German market, the shift no doubt raised a few eyebrows in Canada considering the sheer quantity of cannabis products that are regularly shipped to the European nation.

There is a whole list of topics that are very important for the government [including] migration, economic changes, and inner security. Yes, they want to take back the cannabis law, but it’s agenda point number fifteen out of fifteen points. It’s not a high priority.
Finn Haensel, Sanity Group.

In 2023, Germany imported a record 31,398 kg of medical cannabis products with approximately 50% of that originating from Canada, and the numbers have only increased from there. Further, several Canadian companies have expanded their presence in the German market including Organigram, Tilray, Aurora, Cronos Group, and various others.

Two steps forward, one step back

“[Germany] historically comes from a so-called traffic light coalition,” said Finn Haensel, CEO and Founder of Sanity Group. “That means left wing and Liberal parties formed a government together. This government fell apart in September or October last year. There were new elections this January, and what came out is that the Conservative Party won the election.”

Haensel added that the Conservatives said during their election campaign that they want to repeal the cannabis law. As dire as that sounds, he was quick to point out that Germany is required to have a coalition government, and will more than likely form one together with the Social Democrats. That was the group leading the old government, and they are one of the main driving forces behind legalization.

It should also be noted that the Conservative Party has not been clear about what it means by repeal. Does it mean the adult-use initiatives or the existing and robust medical system?

“If you read publicly what they are saying, they don’t differentiate, they just say cannabis,” said Haensel. “But we talked a lot with politicians over the last six months. We had very good exchanges with the conservative politicians, and when you talk to them they say they only want to take back adult-use and don’t want to touch medical.”

“What I could imagine is home cultivation will not be allowed anymore. I can also imagine that public consumption will not be allowed anymore because that’s something the Conservatives really don’t like.”
Finn Haensel, CEO and Founder of Sanity Group

So if the conservatives want to take back adult-use initiatives and the democrats want the status quo with everything, including adult-use, Haensel believes that the compromise would be the medical cannabis laws remaining untouched and the adult-use getting some tweaks.

“[Social Democrats] will need to make compromises on the adult-use part. What I could imagine is home cultivation will not be allowed anymore,” he said. “I can also imagine that public consumption will not be allowed anymore because that’s something the Conservatives really don’t like.” He added that possession amounts will likely go down to something significantly lower.

Another important player in the German cannabis landscape is Constantin von der Groeben, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Demecan. He agrees with Haensel’s assessment of the current situation regarding compromises.

“It’s very unlikely we see a complete 180 on cannabis policy as long as the Social Democrats are part of the new government coalition,” said von der Groeben. “That said, there might be some concessions that will be made. Home cultivation allows three plants, maybe they reduce it to two plants or just one.”

“It doesn’t impact any of the LPs. Also the timelines are really important. This is something that was explained to me. [First] the government doesn’t get formed until, at the earliest, May. Then, even assuming they want to make changes to the medical program, they would need to start that process the second they get in. Given everything that is happening in Europe, that’s [unlikely].”
Deepak Anand, ASDA Consultancy Services

He also felt that there might be a reduction of possession amounts from 25 grams on your person and 50 grams at home to something lower, and also the repeal of cannabis clubs, of which there are only currently a handful.

Von der Groeben went on to say that Demecan’s business is fully on the medical side, so they don’t expect any significant issues. In fact, if recreational cannabis becomes less accessible, he feels that there may be more business because medical cannabis is easily accessible in Germany, and people will substitute adult-use for the medical side of the market.

“For the time being our 2025 forecast outlook for Demecan is still very optimistic. It is a bit of a downside that the overall sentiment from the new government will be a little more against cannabis,” he said. “The former coalition of the [Social Democrats], the Greens, the Liberals, they were totally pro-cannabis. They would have gone further. But the incoming government will be fine with the status quo.”

Our home and native land

It’s safe to assume that when this news came out regarding this regime change in Germany to a more conservative representation, it caught the attention of many cannabis companies in Canada who rely on Germany as a regular customer.

In the first half of 2024, Canadian medical cannabis exports nearly doubled compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 67,475 kg. This was largely driven by demand from European countries, particularly Germany.

Should we be worried about whether this will affect existing and future supply deals? Deepak Anand, Principal of ASDA Consultancy Services, doesn’t think so.

“It doesn’t impact any of the LPs,” he said. “Also the timelines are really important. This is something that was explained to me. [First] the government doesn’t get formed until, at the earliest, May. Then, even assuming they want to make changes to the medical program, they would need to start that process the second they get in. Given everything that is happening in Europe, that’s [unlikely].”

Haensel also agrees with that reassuring sentiment. “There is a whole list of topics that are very important for the government [including] migration, economic changes, and inner security. Yes, they want to take back the cannabis law, but it’s agenda point number fifteen out of fifteen points. It’s not a high priority.”

Regardless of this, Anand did point out that if your business is cannabis you are “basically in politics,” so companies need to keep a close eye on what happens anywhere and everywhere. However, regarding the current election involving one of Canada’s most significant international cannabis customers, it seems the message of the day for Canadian companies is ‘don’t panic’.

New retail cannabis project in Germany could be good news for Canadian cannabis exporters

Written by David Brown on December 13, 2024. Posted in Business, Cannabis News, Government, International, Retail.

New changes to cannabis regulations in Germany could be good news for Canadian cannabis exporters, say some in the industry.

A new research project could allow for cannabis to be sold in retail stores in up to 25 different German cities, supplied by authorized cannabis wholesalers in the country.

The program will allow applications for retail, adult-use, and non-medical cannabis sales in partnership with German municipalities and supply partners, with a focus on research.

Because the program is built around scientific research, it will also avoid EU and UN restrictions that would otherwise prevent the import of cannabis from outside of Germany, says Finn Age Hänsel, managing director and founder of Sanity Group GmbH, a cannabis-focused company based in Berlin. Similar to EU and UN rules, Health Canada only allows the export of cannabis for medical or research purposes.

Sanity Group operates as a wholesaler in Germany’s medical cannabis market, as well as partaking in a similar retail pilot project in the Netherlands. As such, Hänsel says he’s already in the process of securing supply deals with different international cannabis brands, from suppliers ranging from their partner Organigram to independent Canadian producers like Cake and Caviar, Lyonleaf, and Miracle Valley, and US brands like Kalifa Mints and Alien Labs.

Sanity Group announced the completion of an investment from Organigram’s Jupiter Fund earlier this year.

Hänsel says there’s a demand in the market for both value-priced and craft products, noting that this is an opportunity for any Canadian craft growers who want to see their products sold through the pilot project.

“To be honest, because I am an enthusiast myself, I would rather work with smaller companies who really have an eye on quality and are craft cannabis producers compared to working with large companies,” says Hänsel.

“I like some of the large companies. We let Organigram invest because we like them. But in general I think we are a company who [prefers] the smaller growers.”

The research side of the project, he explains, will require customers to register with the company and fill out surveys on their consumption habits at six-month intervals. This research will be collected over two years in a five-year project, seeking to better understand the public health impacts of such a model.

The research will be in coordination with local universities and the municipalities in which they are located. Cities will also receive €0.50-€1 per gram of cannabis sold from the stores under their purview. He expects cannabis to be sold for around €10 a gram, which he says is similar to typical black market prices. One Euro is about $1.50 Canadian.

Deepak Anand, a Canadian industry consultant who assists cannabis companies with exports, also sees significant potential for Canadian growers if the pilot project is successful.

“If this is couched as a scientific research project then it would meet the definition of medical or scientific purposes. Why I think this is important for Canadian companies is this would allow them to sell cannabis for both medical and scientific purposes. So I think it opens up and expands the reach of our market.”

Although Hänsel is unsure what types of cannabis products they will be allowed to sell in their stores, if licensed, he hopes to offer dried flower and edibles, with a focus on seeing if survey respondents report moving from mixing cannabis with tobacco to using cannabis only, or even shifting from inhalation to edibles.

The change was announced on December 11, when the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BMEL) was tasked by the German Parliament (the Bundestag) with appointing the responsible body for processing research applications on consumer cannabis and industrial hemp.

The regulation that has now been issued—the Consumer Cannabis Science Responsibility Regulation—requires the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food to examine relevant research applications and monitor the approved projects.

This moves this specific type of work away from the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), which remains the responsible authority for research into medical cannabis.

Germany legalized cannabis in March 2024. The law came into effect in two main phases: the first phase, which allowed for personal cannabis cultivation and possession, came into force on April 1, and cultivation clubs were allowed in July.

Phase two was supposed to allow for a medical sales model, but shifting domestic politics appears to have slowed that process down. That delay caused the German Parliament to create this new enactment that will allow the retail cannabis pilot project.

Because the new pilot project was created as an enactment of parliament rather than as legislation, Hänsel says a new government could stop the project, but he does not believe any applications already approved and initiated can be stopped.

His own organization plans to apply very soon, and facing several months of application process and site selection and other logistical issues, he encourages others to do the same.

“If you don’t get the applications in December, it will be very tight to be approved before the new government has formed.”

Mother Labs to bring branded cannabis to German market

Written by David Brown on October 2, 2024. Posted in Business, Cannabis News, International, Producers.

A German pharmaceutical company says it will be partnering with Canadian cannabis nursery Mother Labs to bring a line of branded cannabis flower to the German medical market.

ADREXpharma is a licensed wholesale distributor of controlled drugs and medical cannabis serving most of Germany’s 20,000 pharmacies. New legislation that came into force on April 1, 2024, removed medical cannabis from the German narcotic list, making access easier for Germans seeking to access cannabis for medical purposes.

Cannabis for medical purposes is available at pharmacies in Germany by prescription. Several Canadian cannabis companies have entered the German market in recent years as the country’s medical cannabis program has expanded, increasing demand for products.

In 2019, ADREXpharma announced a deal with Canadian cannabis producer MediPharmm Labs to supply cannabis concentrate derivative products, including THC and CBD oil, to the German market. Earlier this year, the German pharmaceutical company announced a similar deal with a Danish medical cannabis producer to supply cannabis oil through ADREXpharma.

This newest collaboration with Canadian cannabis company Mother Labs will help meet the evolving demands of the German cannabis market, says Nicole Broockmann, CEO of ADREXpharma.

“This partnership represents a significant milestone in our mission to provide German medical patients with the highest quality cannabis products. Mother Labs’ advanced genetic development capabilities perfectly complement our distribution and regulatory expertise. Together, we will bring a product to market that meets the highest standards of quality and consistency.”

The new “Mother Labs” branded cannabis flower is expected to soon be available in German pharmacies.

“We are excited to bring our advanced genetics to Germany in partnership with ADREXpharma,” said Brian Bain, CEO of Mother Labs. “Our purpose-built facility, with dedicated pheno-hunting space and comprehensive storage via our TC lab, allows us to rigorously test all genetics in-house for a minimum of 72 weeks before release. This precision process ensures that only the highest quality, stable, and unique genetics make it to market, reinforcing our position as leaders in genetic innovation.”

Bain told StratCann that the first run of genetics Mother Labs will provide into the German market will be Beta808 (Slurricane x Chatterbox) and Garlic Funk (First Class Funk x GMO). The second will be Tangerine Skies (Wedding Cake x Banjo), Orange Drink, King Z, and Flawless Victory (Ice Cream Cake x Cherry Cheese Cake). Mother Labs bred all of these cultivars, Bain says, except for Orange Drink.

“Over the past year or two, we’ve made significant strides in securing tighter control over our intellectual property, particularly our unique genetics. Rather than broadly releasing certain genetics in the Canadian market, we’ve been selective, tightly controlling which cultivators are initially proving out these genetics domestically and tightening up our terms around domestic and international sales. This approach ensures we maintain the strongest possible grip on our IP as we expand globally.”

Germany has become one of the newest countries to see a ramp-up of cannabis imports from Canada, with brands and producers either teaming up with local companies like ADREXpharma or through their own footprint in Germany, like Aurora and Tilray.