On April 1, 2024, the Cannabis Law (CanG) came into force in Germany—a historic step for the country. Two years later, the first reliable data is available, and it’s putting the debate about legalization’s impact on solid ground: consumption remained stable, and the number of cannabis prosecutions plummeted. A result that has surprised many.
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Consumption Did Not Rise—Despite Legalization
One of the most cited arguments against legalization was the fear that decriminalization would significantly increase cannabis consumption—especially among young people. After two years, this concern has not materialized.
Current data, recently analyzed by Business of Cannabis and the German Pharmacy Journal, shows: legalization has not triggered structural changes in consumption behavior in Germany. The number of consumers remained largely constant, and new users were not attracted in any significant numbers. The German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) reaches a similar conclusion: no statistically measurable trend breaks after April 2024.
This aligns with international experience. Canada, the Netherlands, and several U.S. states report similar findings: those who wanted to use cannabis were already doing so. The Frankfurt MoSYD study had already measured youth consumption declining to a 20-year low in the previous year—suggesting that legalization reduces the allure of the forbidden rather than amplifying it.
Arrests and Prosecutions Drop Significantly
Even more striking than the absence of increased consumption is another finding: cannabis prosecutions have declined significantly. The reduction is not because less cannabis is being consumed, but because possession and personal use have simply been decriminalized.
This is a direct success of legalization. For decades, cannabis offenses dominated police statistics—an enormous resource drain for law enforcement and devastating consequences for those affected: criminal records, job loss, social stigma over a bag of dried flowers. The CanG aimed to dampen this effect—and it worked. In retrospect on the first year of decriminalization, this trend was already apparent; the two-year assessment confirms it impressively.
Police and judicial systems can now focus on more serious crime. A straightforward benefit of the law that deserves far more recognition in the political debate surrounding the CanG.
Black Market: Persistent but Under Pressure
The picture is less rosy when it comes to the black market. Illegal cannabis trade continues, but faces mounting pressure. The reason lies in the CanG’s structure: it has so far delivered only one side of regulation—decriminalization of possession. What is missing is a regulated commercial distribution pathway, the so-called second pillar of the law.
Without legal purchasing options, consumers continue to turn to illegal sources. The medical market—the only legal source with high barriers to entry—is growing rapidly and reached nearly one billion euros in Germany in 2025. However, it does not reach all consumers. The finding „Stability or Stalemate?“ from last year captures the dilemma perfectly: legalization is half-hearted.
What Remains: The Second Pillar of the CanG
The data after two years paint a mixed, but overall positive picture. Decriminalization is working, the feared consumption surge failed to materialize, and police statistics are cleaning up. What is missing is the political courage for a fully regulated market.
The debate over Phase II—controlled commercial sales—is stalled. While other countries move forward, Germany is losing reform momentum. The hesitant issuance of CSC licenses in many federal states is symptomatic: law on paper, implementation at a snail’s pace.
Nevertheless: the fears of CanG opponents have not come true. Consumption has not exploded, societal chaos has not ensued. Two years of the CanG vindicate those who bet on evidence-based drug policy—while also revealing how much work remains to be done.
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