A study points to a continuing slight rise in cannabis use in Germany, with 9.8 percent of adults reporting consumption in the past twelve months. The data from the Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA) 2024, collected shortly after partial legalization, indicate a minor, statistically non-significant increase.
The Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA) 2024, conducted every three years to map drug consumption behavior in Germany, surveyed 7,534 people aged 18 to 64 from August to December 2024. The results, published in the Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, reveal that 9.8 percent of respondents consumed cannabis in the last twelve months—compared to 4.5 percent in 2012 and 8.8 percent in 2021.
Partial legalization took effect on April 1, 2024, implemented by the Ampel coalition. It permits adults to smoke and grow cannabis with restrictions: up to three plants at home, 50 grams storage, and 25 grams for carrying. Consumption near minors is prohibited, and distances to schools and playgrounds must be maintained. Non-commercial cannabis clubs with up to 500 members are allowed.
The study authors note: "It is still too early to recognize clear effects of the legal change." Benedikt Fischer from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver added that cannabis use changed only minimally due to partial legalization, and further impacts cannot be derived from data collected shortly after it.
Among consumers, 88.6 percent smoked joints, and 68 percent usually with tobacco. About 25.7 percent were members of cannabis clubs, and 22 percent grew their own. Nearly two-thirds (65.6 percent) were male. The most common reasons: "to get high/for fun" (66.8 percent) and "to relieve stress/for relaxation" (61.3 percent).