Who Is Exporting Cannabis to Germany?

Germany’s Import Curve Didn't Climb, It Leapt

BfArM-tracked imports show a market that went from growing gradually to increasing dramatically after CanG was passed. ²

The jump from 2024 to 2025 matters. Imports hit roughly 142 tonnes in the first nine months alone, including 56.9 tonnes in Q3. The 2026 estimate assumes growth slows from the 2.6x jump (2024 to 2025) down to something closer to 1.3–1.5x as the market matures and regulatory pacing acts as a brake. ²

That shift changes the bottleneck for exporters and processors. The limiting factor stops being "can you grow it?" and becomes "can you clear EU-GMP processing, meet microbial regulatory compliance, and provide repeatable quality at scale?”

Most operators underestimate this until they stumble and miss a step.

What the Export Market Looks Like in 2026

By late 2025, the supply chain consolidated: Canada anchors supply at nearly half of total imports, Portugal functions as the main European processing and export hub, and a widening set of smaller origins fills in behind them. ⁴

2026 Germany Market Share Increase/Decrease

Key:
▲▲ Strong increase
▲ Modest increase
⚪ Stable/unclear
▼ Modest decline
▼▼ Significant decline

Germany’s Cannabis Supply Chain in Practice

The clean version: cultivate to GACP standards, process to EU GMP standards, clear quality specs, import efficiently under BfArM regulatory controls through pharmaceutical wholesalers, and dispense through pharmacies. ⁵

The real version? Potential friction points happen along the way, and they are tedious and expensive.

• Microbial failures trigger rework
• Irradiation approvals for ionizing treatments (AMRadV) take months and cost thousands
• Batch documentation gaps delay release

What Germany's 2025 Import Approvals Tell You About 2026 Planning

In September 2025, Germany reached its narcotics import ceiling of 122 tonnes as determined under UN treaty guidelines, set annually. BfArM confirmed that while this did not constitute an outright import ban, new applications faced significant processing delays. Imports for cannabis, still recognized as a narcotic by the UN treaty, could not be licensed until the quota was adjusted. After a 2-month delay, the ceiling was increased to 192.5 tonnes and import licenses again started to flow. ⁶

The read for 2026 planning isn't "Germany will shut the door." It's that the system is capacity-managed, and import planning needs to factor in this constraint.

Why Selecting the Right Microbial Decontamination Technology Matters Even More When Exporting to Germany

As volumes increase, operational efficiency and inventory turnover drive profitability for all stakeholders in the supply chain.  Any misstep that slows down product along the supply chain is sand in the gears.

Firstly, Germany has a bias against ionizing radiation - gamma and X-Ray.  BfArM requires any strain treated with ionizing radiation to be registered.  The AMRadV registration process costs time (6-12 months) and money (€5,000 per strain).

Secondly, decontamination with ionizing radiation is expensive, whether performed on-site (X-Ray) or off-site (gamma).  X-Ray is slow, and sending product off-site is not only expensive, but adds another layer of administrative complexity.

Ziel’s decontamination solution uses radio frequency, a non-ionizing radiation that avoids the AMRadV registration requirement. It also has the highest throughput, resulting in the lowest processing cost per gram: less than one fourth the cost of the ionizing alternatives.

Smart operators exporting to Germany are incorporating Ziel’s non-ionizing kill step into their SOPs, streamlining import processes, getting their product on the shelves faster, and positioning their business operations with a scalable technology.

Ziel’s radio frequency solution is rapidly becoming the technology of choice for exporters targeting Germany, with customers in Canada, Portugal, Denmark - the leading suppliers to Europe’s largest market.

What Exporters Planning for Increased 2026 Germany Volumes Need to Know

If your goal is to supply Germany's medical channel in 2026, treat these as non-negotiable:

EU GMP facilities need to have scalability to meet increasing demand

Successfully coming through your EU GMP audit doesn't mean you can handle 3x the throughput six months later. This is where scalability matters. Invest in a high-throughput, EU GMP-compliant decontamination technology to integrate into your SOPs so you can keep up with increased demand. 

A decontamination solution is part of your SOPs.

Using Ziel's Business Case Calculator, cultivators can determine how much revenue RF can recover by increasing harvest yields, avoiding compliance failure, and eliminating the need to send contaminated product off to extraction. This also eliminates subsequent costs for retesting.

Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Make equipment purchase decisions based on planned volumes, CAPEX and OPEX over the life of the equipment.  Your CFO will thank you.

What's Changing Heading Into the Rest of 2026

Germany's medical market mechanics shifted following CanG, with the law removing cannabis from narcotics classification, eliminating the burdensome administrative requirements for prescribing doctors, wholesalers, and pharmacies. Telemedicine increased ease of access for patients, removing the initial in-person doctor visit.  And mail order resolved distribution gaps. Taken all together, it supercharged demand in 2025. ³

In 2026, legislation is under review to rein in telemedicine, require in-person doctor visits, and restrict mail delivery—any or all of which could slow the pace of growth