What States Can Actually Decide About Cannabis
Before every state election, it’s worth remembering the division of powers. Full legalization is a federal matter—no state parliament can change that. Yet the room for maneuver is larger than many assume. States can shape how they handle cultivation associations and how strictly authorities review applications. They control driver’s license procedures in administrative practice, approval of drug-checking projects, and municipal pilot programs for controlled cannabis distribution. These are the precise points where the Cannabis Consumption Act either works in daily practice or gets bogged down in bureaucracy. How far intention and reality can diverge was recently evident in the first home-grown cannabis distribution at Berlin Central Station.
📑 Inhaltsverzeichnis
Berlin: Clear Endorsement for the Greens and Left Party
Berlin is currently governed by a coalition of CDU and SPD under Mayor Kai Wegner. In the federal council vote on the Cannabis Act, the state abstained due to the SPD, preventing the Berlin CDU from blocking the reform. Eleven cultivation associations are approved in the capital, managed by the State Office for Health and Social Affairs. Berlin is a pioneer in drug-checking; the project dates back to the red-green-red government era and continues under the current black-red coalition. The city operates eight drug consumption facilities, five of them stationary.
The German Hemp Association issues clear voting recommendations for Berlin’s Greens and Left Party. Both parties have strong drug policy programs and provided convincing answers to the election questionnaire. The FDP receives a qualified endorsement: while cannabis doesn’t appear in their program, their responses to the questionnaire were consistently liberal. That the Free Democrats don’t always present a unified stance on drug policy was evident at the federal party convention, when the Portuguese model was rejected. The SPD failed to make the recommendation list because they didn’t respond to the questionnaire at all. The association explicitly advises against CDU, BSW, and AfD—all three support a restrictive course.
Berlin’s district councils, elected the same day, are also significant. Neukölln, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, and Pankow have applied for pilot projects on controlled cannabis distribution, similar to Frankfurt and Hannover. Voters in these districts help decide whether these applications will move forward politically.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: An Election Check With No Winner
The analysis for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern reads considerably more disappointing. The state is governed by SPD and Left Party under Minister President Manuela Schwesig. The red-red coalition abstained in the federal council during the mediation committee process, allowing the law to pass. In 2024, the coalition created the legal foundation for the University of Rostock’s drug-checking project through a state ordinance on substance analysis pilot programs. Six cultivation associations have been approved so far, managed by the State Office for Agriculture, Food Safety and Fisheries.
This election check crowns no winner. The association rates all parties‘ election platforms as shockingly weak on cannabis policy, even those typically progressive on drug issues. The Greens‘ program relies on platitudes, the Left Party doesn’t address it at all. Both parties are saved by their questionnaire responses, earning qualified endorsements. The SPD didn’t respond, nor did BSW, leaving their cannabis positions unclear. CDU and AfD clearly reject a liberal approach, with the CDU wanting to abolish the Cannabis Consumption Act entirely. That cannabis can function differently in election campaigns is not so distant—in 2021, legalization was an offensive campaign issue for the Greens.
What This Means for Cannabis Policy After September 20
This finding aligns with what emerged in the Saxony-Anhalt state election. Cannabis has largely disappeared from state election platforms since the federal reform was decided. For consumers, patients, and cultivation associations, this is a false conclusion—the crucial pressure points now lie in administration. How long approval takes, how states handle building regulations and distance rules, whether drug-checking expands: these are decisions made by state governments. Those voting on September 20 should focus less on legalization promises and more on how parties handle the existing legal framework.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly are the Hemp Association’s election questionnaires?
Before elections, the German Hemp Association sends parties a standardized questionnaire on drug and cannabis policy. The responses, combined with the party’s election platform and parliamentary record from the previous term, inform the overall assessment. If a party doesn’t respond, this is explicitly noted in the analysis.
Can a state independently legalize cannabis?
No, the Cannabis Consumption Act is federal law. States can only fill in the framework—for example, in approval procedures for cultivation associations, driver’s license regulations, or pilot projects. A state parliament can neither legalize cannabis independently nor reverse the partial legalization on its own.
What happens to municipal pilot projects?
Several cities and Berlin districts have applied for pilot programs on controlled distribution. Whether these applications proceed depends on political support at federal, state, and local levels. A change in government can accelerate or effectively bury such projects.
Why does the association rate the programs so critically?
Since partial legalization, many state party branches treat the issue as settled. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s election programs, cannabis barely appears concretely. The association views this as a step backward because the practical problems of the law must be solved at the state level.
Where can I find the full analyses?
The German Hemp Association publishes both election checks with individual party assessments on its website. It’s also worth checking the Wahl-O-Mat and abgeordnetenwatch.de to understand your direct candidates‘ positions in your electoral district.
Sources: German Hemp Association, election analysis for Berlin state parliament election on 20.09.2026 and election analysis for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament election on 20.09.2026, both from 11.09.2026, and DHV-News No. 521 from 11.09.2026.
Wie wichtig ist dir die Cannabis-Position einer Partei bei der Wahl?
Branchen-Update
News, Analysen und Reportagen — mehrmals im Monat direkt in dein Postfach.
Folge uns
