New Survey: Half of German Cannabis Patients Would Return to Illicit Market Without Digital Access

*FRANKFURT, Germany* – A new survey of more than 2,500 medical cannabis
patients in Germany reveals a stark reality: without their current
continued digital access to medical cannabis therapy, 42% of patients say
they would opt to return to the illicit market. The data offers timely
insight as political discussions around restricting telemedicine access
intensify.

The survey, conducted by Frankfurt, Germany-based medical cannabis company

Bloomwell GmbH and compiled into a new report titled the “Cannabis
Barometer: Potential Consequences of Restricted Telemedicine Access,”
paints a clear picture of the patient landscape: digital access to
licensed, physician-supervised cannabis therapy has successfully
transitioned hundreds of thousands of patients away from unsafe,
unregulated sources and into safe, pharmacy-distributed care.

Additionally, Bloomwell found that medical cannabis patient numbers show no
signs of slowing down: in May and June 2025, the number of prescriptions
filled on their digital platform exceeded those from March 2024 — the final
month before medical cannabis was reclassified — by approximately 1100%, a
new record high.

In an analysis of the latest findings, Dr. Julian Wichmann, Co-Founder and
CEO of Bloomwell GmbH, stated, “Respondents in the latest survey have yet
again voiced significant concerns about illegal products. However, the
majority said that if digital access were restricted—as currently proposed
by some politicians—they would have no alternative except to return to
obtaining their cannabis from illicit sources.

Ironically, the allegations of misuse relate to prescription medication,
where limiting digital access would have only negative consequences—for
patients, the economy, the justice system, the state, and public health.

At the same time, we see consistent, widespread misuse of numerous other
prescription drugs with high dependency potential and serious side effects
— but there is currently no comparable evidence that pharmacy-grade medical
cannabis poses the same risks. From a medical perspective, a
re-criminalization of hundreds of thousands of cannabis patients must be
avoided at all costs.”
Key survey findings

- 41.7% of patients would revert to the illegal market if digital access
were blocked.
- Only 7% would consider joining one of Germany’s legal cannabis clubs,
which mainly serve recreational users.
- 79% of patients previously relied on unlicensed sources (illegal
market and/or through friends and acquaintances) before accessing digital
therapy.
- 47.5% now say cannabis obtained from pharmacies is less expensive than
unlicensed products, debunking myths about affordability. Only 13.8%
responded that pharmacy cannabis is more expensive.
- 83% believe medical cannabis from pharmacies is of higher quality than
illicit alternatives.

In addition to patient sentiment, the report shows major medical cannabis
market shifts:

- The share of very inexpensive flower (≤ €6/gram) rose in Q2 from 10%
to now comprising 35% of the market.
- Average flower prices dropped from over €8 to €7.49, indicating
possible oversupply.
- Over 600 products are now available, but many physicians still
hesitate to prescribe them due to complexity and a lack of training.

The report also concludes that the significant price drop in Q2 suggests
that Germany is approaching an oversupply of imported cannabis flower — if
it hasn’t already entered that phase. This comes as Germany set a new
record high for cannabis imports for medical and scientific purposes in the
first quarter of 2025, with imports reaching 37 tonnes, surpassing the
previous record of 32 tonnes in Q4 of 2024, according to the Federal
Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM).

Niklas Kouparanis, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomwell Group, the holding
company for Bloomwell GmbH, said, “Self-paying cannabis patients benefit
from falling prices, but the dramatic price drop from April to May 2025
should set off alarm bells for many wholesalers. While some still publicly
claim there are supply shortages, we’re actually heading into a phase of
extreme oversupply. Exporters from around the world are now flooding the
German market with large quantities of medically regulated cannabis,
intensifying the price war.

“A majority of Germans now support full legalization, and the medical
benefits of cannabis are widely accepted across all social strata,” he
continued. “The premise that politicians are seriously considering slowing
digital innovation in an already overburdened healthcare system,
re-criminalizing patients, threatening jobs, and forfeiting tax revenue is
beyond absurd—and would be laughable if the consequences for patients and
public health weren’t so serious.”

This is the latest in a series of real-world data-driven reports compiled
by Bloomwell, which prioritizes industry transparency for all stakeholders.
In September 2024, Bloomwell released the results of a representative
survey revealing reasons why Germans use cannabis: the vast majority – 94
percent – of respondents reported they consume cannabis for at least one
medical or health reason.

To compile the report, Bloomwell conducted an anonymous survey in June 2025
with 2,571 patients who began cannabis therapy through Bloomwell.
Additionally, prescription data from January 2023 to June 2025 — in the
six-figure range — was anonymously analyzed. All prescriptions were paid
out-of-pocket via Bloomwell’s online platform and filled by partner
pharmacies in Germany.
About Bloomwell Group GmbH

Frankfurt-based Bloomwell Group is one of Europe’s leading companies for
medical cannabis. Founded in 2020, it has become the central hub of a new
cannabis ecosystem covering the entire value chain—except cultivation.
Through innovation and full digitization of the therapy process, Bloomwell
ensures effective and reliable patient care. It also contributes to the
destigmatization of medical cannabis through real-world data based
research. Bloomwell is a European pioneer in telemedicine, digital
payments, and individualized e-prescription solutions for medical cannabis.
Today, it provides tens of thousands of patients, pharmacies, physicians,
and wholesalers with a central digital infrastructure each month. Patients
can receive personalized e-prescriptions via the Bloomwell platform, signed
digitally by D-Trust, a company of the German Federal Printing Office.