Local and national totals for Germany’s member-based cannabis cultivation associations keep rising. According to the latest figures from the Federal Association of Cannabis Growers (BCAv), regulatory authorities across Germany have received at least 908 applications. Of those, 474 applications have received approval. Lower Saxony, a state in northwest Germany bordering the North Sea, recently passed a major milestone with the issuance of its 100th permit.

“The Minister of Agriculture presented the 100th permit issued in Lower Saxony to the cannabis cultivation association “The Cherry eV” in the Göttingen district. This means that cultivation associations have now been established in 36 of Lower Saxony’s 45 districts, independent cities, and the Hanover Region.” the Ministry stated in a press release (translated from German to English).

“Lower Saxony is demonstrating how the federal government’s consumer cannabis law can be implemented in a legally sound manner. With the 100th cultivation association, we have increased the availability of legal and controlled cannabis compared to states like Bavaria, which has only nine. We offer an alternative to the black market almost everywhere, albeit at a low overall level.” Agriculture Minister Miriam Staudte said.

“The evaluation report commissioned by the federal government called for stronger support for cultivation associations as a legal source of supply. The continuous increase in approved cultivation associations in Lower Saxony was only possible through cooperative, objective exchange between authorities and the volunteer boards of the cannabis cultivation associations.” Minister Staudte added.

“During my visits to various growers’ associations, I observed that the volunteer board members act with a strong sense of responsibility to promote safer consumption. A common motivation is the desire to no longer support criminal organizations through alcohol consumption. The people I meet come from all walks of life and work in a wide variety of professions, bringing with them diverse experiences. They take addiction prevention and cooperation with counseling centers very seriously. This level of commitment is something one can only dream of when it comes to alcohol in supermarkets.” the Minister also stated.

According to BCAv, North Rhine-Westphalia is in the lead for total cultivation association applications received at 246, and for total applications approved at 138. Lower Saxony has received the second-most applications at 148, 100 of which have been approved, followed by Baden-Württemberg, which has received 121 applications and approved 38 of them.

Conversely, Bremen and Saarland have received the least amount of applications, with both federal states having received just 8 applications each. Of the applications received, Bremen has approved 4 applications, and Saarland has approved just 1 application, according to BCAv’s latest newsletter.

At the International Cannabis Business conference in Berlin earlier this year, a panel of experts evaluated the status of Germany’s cultivation association sector, discussed the challenges facing associations, and offered insights into what to anticipate going forward. The panel was moderated by freelance journalist Michael Knodt, the author of Cannabis-Extraktion. Mr. Knodt was joined by:

• Frederik Bockslaff – Founder & Partner, Nimrod Rechtsanwälte
• Peter Mösenthin – CEO & Founder, Cannanas
• Lorenz Minks – Strategic Consultant, Research Gardens

You can view the panel discussion in its entirety via the embedded video below from the International Cannabis Business Conference’s YouTube channel: