Cannabis Act Faces Scrutiny as interim Report Lands, CDU/CSU Call for Reversal
Berlin – An initial evaluation of Germany‘s Cannabis Act, implemented in Febuary 2024, offers a measured assessment of its early impact, while conservative opposition leaders are intensifying calls for its complete repeal. The report, released today, September 29, 2025, provides a first look at the law’s effects on public health, law enforcement, and the illicit cannabis market. Concurrently, Thuringia’s Minister-President Mario Voigt of the CDU has publicly denounced the legislation as fundamentally flawed and advocated for its abolition.
The cannabis Act, designed to allow adults to possess and cultivate limited amounts of cannabis and establish regulated non-commercial cannabis clubs, was a landmark policy shift for Germany. Its proponents argued it would reduce the black market, improve public health through quality control, and free up law enforcement resources. the interim report’s findings are expected to fuel ongoing debate about the law’s effectiveness and potential long-term consequences as the government prepares for a complete review in 2026.
Voigt, speaking in Bavarian newspapers, characterized the law as “the absolutely wrong way” to address Germany’s needs, criticizing its approach as “from behind to the front.” He argued that efforts should focus on questioning the law’s overall merit rather than attempting minor adjustments.
“We are not doing well to make the law better in micro-management,” Voigt stated. “Rather, the question should be asked ‘whether this cannabis law makes sense for Germany.'” The CDU and CSU, as a bloc, previously signaled their intent to reverse legalization should they gain power in federal elections.
