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Key Takeaways
- Germany’s cannabis legalization did not increase youth use; studies show flat or declining rates among adolescents after the CanG Act.
- Cannabis use among young adults aged 18 to 25 rose but reflects a long-term trend, not a result of the legalization.
- The EKOCAN evaluation and other studies found no significant changes in cannabis-related health issues or usage patterns amid the reform.
- The legalization led to a significant drop in cannabis-related criminal cases, freeing police resources for other priorities.
- Overall, data support that Germany’s cautious approach to cannabis reform can mitigate fears about increased youth use.
A peer-reviewed study published in this months version the Journal of Health Monitoring by researchers at Germany’s Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) and the Robert Koch Institute found no statistically significant change in cannabis use among young people one year after Germany’s partial legalization under the Cannabis Act (CanG) in April 2024. Cannabis use among adolescents aged 12 to 17 remained flat or slightly declined, and any increases seen in older age groups reflect long-running trends that predate the reform.
One of the loudest arguments against cannabis reform has always been this: legalize it, and more young people will use it. Germany put that theory to the test when it passed the Consumer Cannabis Act (KCanG) in March 2024, permitting adults to possess and cultivate cannabis for personal use. The reform was historic for Europe, and the scrutiny that followed was intense.
Now, more than a year into the new law, the data is starting to come in. And critics of Germany’s cannabis legalization may not like what it shows.
Multiple peer-reviewed studies and a government-mandated evaluation have reached the same conclusion: cannabis use among young people in Germany has not increased since the CanG came into force. Teen use rates are flat, cannabis-related arrests have collapsed, and the medical cannabis market is growing fast. This is the story those numbers tell.
What Is Germany’s Partial Cannabis Legalization Under the CanG Act?
Germany’s Consumer Cannabis Act, commonly referred to as CanG or KCanG, came into force on April 1st, 2024. The law permits adults in Germany to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis in public and cultivate up to three plants at home for personal use. It also established a legal framework for cannabis social clubs, known as cultivation associations, which allow members to grow and share cannabis collectively on a non-commercial basis.
The reform did not create a commercial retail market. That distinction matters when comparing Germany’s approach to places like Canada or US states that moved to full recreational sales. Germany’s model is more cautious, which makes the early data from the CanG particularly relevant for policymakers watching from elsewhere in Europe.
What the RKI and BIÖG Study Found About Cannabis Use Among Young People in Germany
The most detailed picture of youth cannabis use since the reform comes from a study published in the most recent Journal of Health Monitoring. Researchers at the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) analyzed data from twelve representative surveys spanning 2008 to 2025, with the 2025 Drug Affinity Study providing the post-legalization snapshot.
Their conclusion was direct: “Overall, there are no indications of any short-term effects of partial legalisation on the prevalence of cannabis use among young people”
Did Cannabis Use Rise Among Adolescents Aged 12 to 17?
No. Among female adolescents aged 12 to 17, the 12-month prevalence of cannabis use fell from 6.1% in 2023 to 4.6% in 2025. Among male adolescents in the same age group, it dropped marginally from 7.4% to 7.2%. Neither change was statistically significant. Among young women aged 18 to 25, prevalence went from 19.4% to 18.8%, also broadly flat.
Teen cannabis use had already been declining since 2019, and according to the RKI and BIÖG data, that declining trend appears to have continued through 2025, well past the point of legalization.
What About the Rise in Cannabis Use Among Young Men Aged 18 to 25?
Cannabis use among young men aged 18 to 25 did rise, from 26.9% in 2023 to 31.6% in 2025, and that increase was statistically significant. But the researchers were clear about what it means. The rise “does not represent a new development but rather continues a rising trend that has been observed since 2008”.
The Epidemiological Addiction Survey (ESA) had already predicted this group’s cannabis use would increase regardless of any legislative change, based on trend data from 2012 to 2021. The increase tracks with a long-term pattern, not a policy-driven surge.
What Did the EKOCAN Evaluation Find About Cannabis Use After Germany’s Reform?
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health funded an independent scientific evaluation of the CanG called EKOCAN, coordinated by Dr. Jakob Manthey at the Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Preliminary findings published at the end of 2025 drew on data from 12 surveys and 20 routine data sources.
The results aligned with the BIÖG and RKI findings. Dr. Manthey noted: “The available data indicate that, following partial legalisation in 2024, the number of cannabis users and the extent of health problems related to cannabis use have changed very little in the short term.”
Professor Dr. Daniel Kotz, head of the Addiction Research and Clinical Epidemiology unit at the University Medical Center Düsseldorf, added: “The declining trend in the proportion of adolescents who consume cannabis has continued even after partial legalisation.”
What Did the Lancet Study Say About Cannabis Use and Driving in Germany?
Separate from the BIÖG and RKI research, a study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe by researchers at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf examined both cannabis use and driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) in the eight months following legalization. The study compared Germany with Austria, where cannabis remains illegal, to help isolate the effect of the policy change.
Cannabis use among adults aged 18 to 64 rose from 12.1% to 14.4% in Germany over the study period, but a similar increase was observed in Austria despite prohibition still being in effect. On the driving side, the data showed no significant difference between the two countries.
The researchers concluded: “Overall, this study found no short-term impact on cannabis use or DUIC after legalisation of cannabis in Germany.”
How Did Cannabis Decriminalization Affect Crime Rates in Germany?
One of the clearest outcomes of the CanG has been a sharp reduction in cannabis-related criminal cases. According to the German Police Crime Statistics for 2024, police recorded more than 100,000 fewer cannabis-related cases compared to the previous year, a decline of 60 to 80%.
Professor Dr. Jörg Kinzig, Director of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Tübingen, described it plainly: “The partial legalisation of cannabis represents the most significant quantitative decriminalisation in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
That is a meaningful shift in resources. Police and courts are no longer processing low-level cannabis cases at the scale they once were, freeing up capacity for other priorities.
What Does Germany’s Cannabis Reform Tell Us About Legalization and Youth Use?
The data from Germany, taken together, challenges one of the most persistent arguments against cannabis reform. Teen cannabis use did not increase. Driving under the influence did not spike. The criminal justice system recorded a dramatic drop in cannabis-related cases. And the medical cannabis market expanded access for patients who need it.
That does not mean every question is answered. The EKOCAN researchers and The Lancet authors both emphasize that longer observation periods are needed before drawing firm long-term conclusions. Cannabis cultivation associations are still being established. Home growing is rising fast and is not yet fully tracked. The picture will keep evolving.
Still, what the first year of Germany’s cannabis legalization research tells us is worth taking seriously: smart cannabis policy, built around harm reduction and adult access, can avoid the panic-driven outcomes that critics predicted.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. According to a study published in the Journal of Health Monitoring (July 2026) by the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there was no statistically significant change in 12-month cannabis use prevalence among adolescents aged 12 to 17 between 2023 and 2025. Teen use rates were marginally lower in 2025 than the year before legalization.
The EKOCAN evaluation is a government-mandated independent scientific assessment of the CanG, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health. Preliminary findings published in late 2025 found that the number of cannabis users and health problems related to cannabis use had not changed significantly in the short term. The declining trend in adolescent cannabis use also continued following legalization.
Cannabis use among young men aged 18 to 25 rose from 26.9% in 2023 to 31.6% in 2025, but researchers from the RKI and BIÖG explicitly stated this increase continues a rising trend observed since 2008, not a result of partial legalization. The Epidemiological Addiction Survey had already predicted this rise would occur regardless of legislative changes.
