Cannabis Consumption Before and After Partial Legalization in Germany

Early trends, consumption patterns, and motives

Background: Germany experienced a steady rise in the prevalence of past-12-months cannabis use from 2012 to 2021. In 2024, cannabis was partially legalized for recreational use. Against this background, it is important to systematically examine consumption patterns in the early phase after legalization.

Methods: Data are from the 2012 (n₂₀₁₂ = 9084), 2015 (n₂₀₁₅ = 9204), 2018 (n₂₀₁₈ = 9267), 2021 (n₂₀₂₁ = 9046), and 2024 (n₂₀₂₄ = 7534) waves of the Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA), a repeated cross-sectional survey of German-speaking adults in private households.

Results: The prevalence of past 12-month cannabis use rose steadily from 4.6% in 2012 to 8.8% in 2021. The prevalence in 2024 was 9.8%, an additional increase compared to 2021, but the difference is not statistically significant. Most cannabis users consumed marijuana (92.3%), predominantly in the form of joints (88.6%). One-quarter of them (25.7%) also belonged to a cannabis social club. The most frequently stated motivation for using cannabis was “to get high or have fun” (66.8%), followed by “to reduce stress or relax” (61.3%). 

Conclusion: In the early post-legalization period, there was a small, non-significant increase in the prevalence of cannabis use in Germany compared with 2021. Given the legalization is very recent, it is too soon to observe any clear effect.

Cite this as: Hoch E, Krowartz EM, Hollweck R, Möckl J, Olderbak S: Cannabis consumption before and after partial legalization in Germany: Early trends, consumption patterns, and motives. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2025; 122: 632–7. DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2025.0161

According to the World Drug Report 2024 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) , cannabis remains the most widely used illicit substance globally, with an estimated 228 million people 15 to 64 years old reporting use in 2022 (1). Some countries have introduced legislative reforms to regulate non-medical use (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). These new policy frameworks have sparked interest in research to improve understanding of the health, social, and economic consequences of cannabis legalization. A growing body of research—primarily from North America—suggests that legalization may be associated with an increase in the prevalence of cannabis use by adults (8). Empirical data from European jurisdictions remains sparse, particularly in relation to the early impacts of such changes in regulation.

The Cannabis Act (Cannabisgesetz; CanG), implemented in Germany on 1  April 2024, comprehensively reformed the policy on cannabis (7). The new law permits private possession and cultivation of cannabis by adults, enables the establishment of non-commercial cannabis-growing clubs, and revises the framework for the medicinal use of cannabis (9).

Germany has seen a rise in adult cannabis use since 2012: The prevalence of consumption during the past 12 months among 18- to 64-year-olds rose from 4.6% in 2012 (10) to 9.8% in 2024 (11). Given the risks associated with the non-medicinal use of cannabis (12), its important to track use patterns following legalization.

The aim of this study is to investigate cannabis use patterns in a national sample, designed to be representative, in the early years after legalization in Germany, with particular focus on changes in consumption since 2012 and on modes of consumption and motives for use in 2024.

Methods

Sample

The persons making up the sample were participants in the Epidemiological Survey on Substance Abuse (ESA), a national survey of the German-speaking adult population living in private households conducted every 3 years. The data presented here are from the 2012 (n₂₀₁₂ = 9084), 2015 (n₂₀₁₅ = 9204), 2018 (n₂₀₁₈ = 9267), 2021 (n₂₀₂₁ = 9046), and 2024 (n₂₀₂₄ = 7534) survey waves (11, 13), with analyses restricted to individuals aged 18–64 years. Samples were drawn using a two-stage selection procedure: first random selection of municipalities across the whole country, then random selection of persons from the respective population registers. The 2024 sample was collected between August and December 2024, i.e., after the implementation of CanG in April (11) (eMethods). Younger participants were oversampled, and a calibration weight was applied to all analyses to adjust for age, sex, federal state, municipality size, and educational attainment. Data collection was conducted by a field institute—Infas GmbH from 2012 to 2021 and Ipsos GmbH in 2024. A mixed-methods approach was employed allowing participants to choose between a paper-and-pencil interview (PAPI), a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI), and a computer-assisted web interview (CAWI). Further methodological details can be found in (11, 13).

Instruments

Data are based on self-reports within the ESA. For the full measures, see https://www.esa-survey.de/en/study/instruments/. Extensive plausibility checks were conducted, and variables were created based on the responses to one or more questions. All free-text fields were recoded and, when possible, assigned to the predefined response options. A brief overview of the variables measured is provided below; further details can be found in the eMethods.

Participants who reported consuming cannabis (marijuana, hashish, or another product with a THC content of at least 0.3%) in the past 12 months were identified as cannabis users. Three groups of users were differentiated:

• Infrequent users (< 1× per month)
• Regular users (≥ 1× per month/week)
• Heavy users ([almost] daily)

In 2024, participants were asked about their cannabis consumption by type: marijuana, hashish, or another product with a THC content of at least 0.3%. Furthermore, responses to the question about “consumption of cannabis for the first time in the past 3 years” were documented (these data were not available for 2018).

In the 2024 wave, several additional variables were considered. Mode of use was assessed for the past 12 months as well as for a typical consumption day, with multiple responses allowed. The response options were:

• Joints
• Water pipes/bongs, pipes, or chillums (straight conical-shaped pipe);
• Vaporizers
• Cannabis-infused foods or drinks
• Other (free text field)

The smoking of cannabis in combination with tobacco was assessed with four response options and assigned to one of two categories:

• “Sometimes to (almost) never”
• “(Almost) always”

Sources of cannabis included home cultivation along with a list of other categories, with multiple responses allowed. The participants were also asked whether they were a member of a cannabis cultivation club (cannabis social club) at the time of the survey and why, in the past 12 months, they had consumed cannabis. The possible answers were as follows:

• To get high/for fun
• To reduce stress/relax
• To improve sleep
• For social reasons
• Out of curiosity/to experiment
• To help cope with depression/anxiety
• To enhance performance
• Other (free text field)

Multiple responses were allowed. Participants also stated on how many days they had used marijuana or hashish during the past 30-day period.

Statistical analysis

Analyses were conducted using Stata 15.1 SE (14), with calibration weights applied for prevalence estimates. Descriptive statistics are presented for all cannabis users and for infrequent versus regular/heavy users. Absolute sample sizes are given alongside weighted prevalence estimates with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]. Confidence intervals were calculated using Taylor linearization, which accounts for the complex sample design. This method may result in asymmetric intervals due to the inherent variance estimation (15). To test for statistically significant differences between infrequent and regular/heavy users, weighted chi-square tests were used for categorical variables and weighted Wald tests for continuous variables.

Results

Cannabis use from 2012 to 2024

The prevalence of cannabis use in the past 30 days steadily increased after 2012 (2.3%) to reach 5.1% in 2024—more than double. However, taking the confidence intervals into account, the rate did not change significantly compared with 2021 (4.3%). The prevalence of past-12-months cannabis use also climbed from 4.5% in 2012 to 9.8% in 2024, but not change significantly in relation to 2021 (8.8%) (Table 1, Figure). The proportion of heavy users in 2024 was 16.2%, comparable with that in 2021 (17.3%). It was approximately 5% higher than in previous waves, but the difference is not statistically significant. The proportion of cannabis users whose first use occurred in the previous 3 years did not change significantly from 2012 (24.9%) to 2024 (20.7%) (Table 1).

Figure

Prevalence of cannabis use in the past 12 months (among 18- to 64-year-olds) Percentages are weighted. In 2024 the cannabis category included not only marijuana and hashish but also other cannabis products with 0.3% or more tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The assessment of user types is limited to those who reported on their cannabis consumption frequency.

Table 1

Past-12-months and past-30-days prevalence of cannabis use (among 18- to 64-year-olds) and proportion of consumers by user type and first use

Cannabis use in 2024

Persons who had used cannabis in the past 12 months were more likely to be male (65.6%) and were on average 34.0 years old (Table 2). The majority consumed marijuana (92.3%) followed by hashish (36.7%) and other cannabis products containing 0.3% or more THC (27.5%). Regular/heavy users were more likely to consume hashish (52.5%) than infrequent users (25.2%). Regular/heavy users were also more likely to consume other products (containing 0.3% or more THC) (40.3%) than infrequent users (18.2%). Around one fourth of cannabis users were cannabis social club members (25.7%) with regular/heavy users more likely to be members (33.1%) than infrequent users (20.1%). Approximately one in five cannabis users got their cannabis by growing it themselves (22.0%), with regular/heavy users more likely to get their cannabis this way (37.9%) than infrequent users (10.4%).

Table 2

Cannabis consumption behavior in 2024 (among 18- to 64-year-olds)

The most common mode of use were joints, both during the past 12 months (88.6%) and on a typical consumption day (70.0%; Table 3). Regular/heavy users were more likely than infrequent users to have consumed cannabis using a vaporizer in the past 12 months (28.9% versus 10.5%). The majority of persons smoked cannabis with tobacco (68.2%).

Table 3

Cannabis mode of use in 2024 (ages 18 to 64 years)

Cannabis consumers were most likely to use the substance to get high or have fun (66.8%) followed by using the substance to decrease stress/relax (61.3%) (Table 4). Regular/heavy cannabis consumers were more likely than infrequent users to use cannabis to decrease stress/relax (87.6%), to improve sleep (58.3%), to help cope with depression/anxiety (32.3%), and to enhance their performance (12.9%). Infrequent cannabis consumers were more likely than regular/heavy consumers to use cannabis to get high or have fun (71.2%) and out of curiosity/to experiment (39.3%).

Table 4

Motives for cannabis use in 2024 (ages 18 to 64 years)

Marijuana had been consumed on average on 11.7 ([9.7; 13.7], n = 389) of the previous 30 days while hashish had been used on average on 5.5 ([3.6; 7.4], n = 81) of the previous 30 days.

Discussion

The 12-month prevalence and 30-day prevalence of cannabis use

The prevalence of past-12-months and past-30-days cannabis use in 2024 was higher than in the last ESA wave in 2021; however, the increases were not statistically significant. An increase in the 12-month prevalence was projected, independent of any legislative changes, in line with the steady increase in rates observed between 2012 and 2021 (16). An increase was also expected because of the new legal status of cannabis (6)—potentially fueled by increasing availability of the substance as well as greater willingness to try cannabis and become a user (17).

Although rising cannabis use has been observed in countries where marijuana has been legalized (18, 19), our data show that legalization in Germany has not yet been followed by any great additional increase. There are multiple possible reasons why the 12-month prevalence rate is not higher. The data presented here were collected 5–10 months after CanG, perhaps too early for a notable change; the effects of legalization may need more time to take effect (20). Home cultivation was only permitted from April, so the time required for growing and harvesting may also contribute to the observed latency. Additionally, only a few cannabis growing clubs received approval to open in 2024 (21). Furthermore, the last ESA wave coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, and most studies reported increased cannabis use during that time (22). The 12-month and 30-day prevalence rates observed in 2021 may therefore have been higher than would have been expected without the pandemic.

Cannabis consumption behavior

Consistent with results from the German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA [23]), the European Web Survey on Drugs (EWSD), and the online module of ESA 2021 (24), the majority of past-12-months users reported smoking cannabis together with tobacco. The most frequently reported reasons for cannabis use were to get high/for fun, followed by stress relief/relaxation and sleep improvement; this is also in accord with the data from the 2021 EWSD (16). One fourth of cannabis users were a member of a cannabis social club and around one in five grew their own cannabis, which is a notable increase in relation to 2021. In contrast, the data from the EWSD indicated that only 2.4% derived their marijuana from home cultivation (25).

Marijuana was most commonly consumed by adult cannabis users in Germany, mostly in the form of joints, in agreement with the findings of EWSD 2021 (25) and the 2023 International Cannabis Policy Study (ICPS) (26). Other forms of consumption, such as bongs, vaporizers, and edibles, are consistently reported less frequently (e.g., [25]).

Motives for use

Hedonism and stress relief are the primary motives for cannabis use in Germany. This finding is in concordance with previous research showing that cannabis is often used either to enhance positive emotions or to alleviate negative affects (27, 28). Notably, regular/heavy users report functional motives more frequently than infrequent users, particularly using cannabis to manage stress, improve sleep, or cope with psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. This pattern supports the self-medication hypothesis, which suggests that some individuals use substances to regulate emotional or psychological distress (29). In contrast, infrequent users appear to be more driven by exploratory or situational motives, such as curiosity or a desire to experience a temporary high (30).

Strengths and limitations

The broad scope and methodological rigor of the ESA, conducted regularly since 1980, ensure provision of reliable data for long-term monitoring of substance use trends. The two-stage randomized selection process, the consistently applied data collection procedure, the standardized question wording, and harmonized processing of the data in successive waves support the high methodological quality of the data. In this way, every effort is made to ensure a continuously high level of scientific evidence. Nevertheless, the data on substance use are based on self-reports, which on the one hand permits authentic assessment of their behavior, but on the other hand may mean that socially desirable responses lead to underestimation of actual rates (31).

Persons with limited German language skills, without a fixed residence, or those undergoing inpatient treatment could be reached only with difficulty or not at all. People with lower educational attainment, lower income, and poorer health status typically participate less frequently in population based health surveys (32, 33), which may lead to further underestimation of prevalence rates, since these factors are associated with a higher risk of substance use (33).

To ensure a high willingness to participate, the length of the questionnaire had to be limited, so not all information could be documented in the desired level of detail. Cannabis was described in broad terms, which meant detailed information on the THC content could not be collected, although this is relevant for understanding consumption behavior (34).

Conclusion

An evaluation of cannabis use patterns in a national sample, designed to be representative, early after legalization in Germany shows no significant rise in past-12-months cannabis use since 2021. There are strong consistencies among those who use cannabis. The majority consume marijuana via a joint, mix in tobacco, and use cannabis to get high/for fun or to reduce stress/relax. However, there is also considerable variation between users; for example, marijuana and hashish are consumed in different ways. Future research is needed to continue monitoring ongoing trends.

Funding

The Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse 2024 was funded by the German Ministry of Health (BMG) (project no.: ZMVI1–2520DSM203). The funding entailed no obligations.

Conflict of interest statement
EH, SO, JM, and EK have received payment for chapters in the yearbook of the German Central Office for Addiction Issues.

RH is a paid statistics consultant for university-based research projects—with no direct relation to addiction research—and a member of Kreuzbund e.V., an organization that provides advice to addicts and relatives of addicts.

JM is currently employed by the German Federal Statistical Office.

SO is principal investigator (PI) for the German section of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). She led the German data collection for the European Web Survey on Drugs (EWSD) and is a member of the German Psychological Society (DGP).

SO and EH are PI for the German section of the International Cannabis Policy Study (ICPS).

EH has received payments for conducting CANDIS workshops and for the manual CANDIS: A Marijuana Treatment Program for Youth and Adults. She is president of the German Society for the Research and Treatment of Addiction (DG-Sucht), editorial board member of the journals Addiction and Sucht, and advisory board member of the Hetzler Foundation.

JM has received payments for presentations to the Saxony–Anhalt branch of the League for Charitable Care, the Saxony–Anhalt State Office for Addiction Issues, and the Bavarian Medical Association.

EK is a member of DG-Sucht.

Manuscript received on 16 May 2025, revised version accepted on 9 September 2025

Corresponding author:
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Eva Hoch

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