Cannabis consumption continues to rise in Germany, survey finds

Cannabis consumption in Germany has continued to increase, according to newly published survey data.

Data from the 2024 Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA), published in the journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt International on Friday, show that 9.8 percent of respondents reported using cannabis in the past 12 months. The rate stood at 4.5 percent in 2012 and had risen to 8.8 percent by 2021.

The ESA survey is conducted every three years and tracks drug-use patterns across Germany. For the 2024 edition, 7,534 people aged 18 to 64 were interviewed between August and December.

Cannabis was partially legalized in Germany in April 2024.

Adults have since been allowed to smoke and grow cannabis under conditions. Up to three plants may be cultivated in private homes, adults may store up to 50 grams and carry up to 25 grams in public.

Consumption remains banned near schools and playgrounds and in the presence of minors. Non-commercial cultivation associations, so-called cannabis clubs, with up to 500 members are permitted.

The study’s authors note a slight but statistically insignificant increase in cannabis use in the months immediately following legalization. The researchers say it is too soon to draw conclusions about the law’s impact.

According to the ESA data, most consumers smoke cannabis as joints (88.6%) and around 68 percent typically mix it with tobacco.

Roughly one in four respondents who use cannabis (25.7 percent) said they were a member of a cannabis club. More than one in five (22 percent) reported growing the plant themselves. Nearly two-thirds of consumers were male (65.6 percent).

The most common reason for consumption was “to get high/for fun” (66.8 percent), followed by “to reduce stress/for relaxation” (61.3 percent).