A new survey of more than 3,500 medical cannabis patients in Germany has found that more than half were able to reduce their use of other prescription medications.
Data published by Bloomwell Group in its latest ‘Cannabis Barometer’ report indicates that more than half (58.9%) of patients who previously relied on prescription medications, including opioids, sleeping pills, and stimulants such as Ritalin, were able to stop taking these after beginning medical cannabis treatment.
The findings, based on responses from 3,528 patients surveyed in March 2026 alongside anonymised prescription data from 2024 to 2026, suggest a correlation between cannabis use and reduced reliance on conventional pharmaceuticals.
Reduction in side effects
Patients were able to reduce the use of other prescription medications by taking medical cannabis flowers by an average of 84.5% across all categories, while 58.9 % of previously prescribed medications could be discontinued completely.
Those who were able to reduce other medications more significantly through the use of medical cannabis reported, on average, significantly fewer or no side effects at all.
The trend was particularly pronounced among patients taking opioid medications, with 61% of respondents able to completely discontinue opioids by using medical cannabis, and 70.1% no longer experiencing any side effects.
Dr Julian Wichmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomwell GmbH, explained: “The main reason for prescribing medical cannabis, besides symptom treatment, is the reduction or avoidance of side effects from other medications. For example, anyone who can completely discontinue opioids by using medical cannabis has a good chance of managing their daily life and work free of side effects.”
“We should therefore not demand restrictions on access to medical cannabis, but rather ensure that doctors are more willing to attempt an individual therapeutic trial with medical cannabis, or at least recommend it and refer patients to colleagues.”
Expanding access
The number of patients accessing medical cannabis treatment in Germany has increased significantly since the introduction of the CanG Act in 2024, and is now estimated to exceed one million.
Bloomwell reports a more than 4,500% increase in prescribed quantities compared with March 2024, one month before the legislative reforms, partially legalising cannabis, were introduced.
The average price of cannabis flower also fell from €5.23 per gram in December 2025 to €4.52 in March 2026, reflecting increased competition and supply.
However, legislators have recently moved to crack down on the number of prescriptions being issued.
In October, the Federal Cabinet approved proposals to introduce restrictions, including only permitting telemedicine prescriptions for cannabis flowers after an in-person consultation.
Niklas Kouparanis, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomwell Group, said falling prices have made treatment more accessible and warned that tighter regulations could push patients back toward illicit sources.
“In view of more than one million cannabis patients in Germany, 200 tonnes of imported cannabis in 2025, and continuously rising prescription numbers, no one can seriously dispute how many patients have now successfully transitioned from illegal self-medication to legal, medically supervised care,” he commented.
“The low prices have made a significant contribution to making medical cannabis affordable for many segments of the population. Digital therapy is therefore the real game changer on the way to legal sources of supply and the most effective political lever for combating the illegal market.”
