Starting on July 1st, 2024, aspiring cannabis cultivation association operators can apply with their local regulatory authorities to try to open facilities. The nation’s first cannabis cultivation association application was approved in the district of Oldenburg last month.
Cannabis cultivation associations will serve as a major foundational component of Germany’s legalization model for the foreseeable future. Cultivation associations, which are also legally operating in Malta, involve up to 500 members cultivating cannabis to be distributed to association members.
Additionally, cultivation associations can conduct other cannabis activities, such as selling cannabis clones and seeds to home cultivators. Associations, home cultivation, and eventually regional adult-use pilot trials, are the legal channels from which adult consumers can source their cannabis in Germany.
Bureaucratic delays have slowed the process of launching cannabis associations in various parts of Germany, however, the flow of applications is starting to pick up in some regions. The German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW) provided the following status update in its most recent newsletter (translated from German to English):
