Germany has become the largest cannabis market in Europe, following several significant changes to its laws covering both medical and non-medical cannabis. These reforms have prompted widespread public discussion and a surge in information-seeking online.
A new study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research has analysed Google search trends for “medical cannabis” in Germany over a decade (2015–2025). The findings offer valuable insights into how changes in the law can shape public awareness and information-seeking behaviour around medical cannabis.
This blog post summarises the key findings from this research and considers what they might mean for patients, clinicians, and policymakers.
What changes has Germany made to its cannabis laws?
Germany’s approach to cannabis has evolved significantly over recent years, with two landmark pieces of legislation reshaping the landscape.
The 2017 Medical Cannabis Act
On 10 March 2017, the German parliament enacted legislative changes permitting access to medical cannabis products for certain patients. This legislation, commonly referred to as the Medical Cannabis Act, empowered doctors to prescribe medical cannabis for seriously ill patients when conventional treatments had not worked well enough or were not tolerated.
Before this reform, access was highly restricted. In 2016, only around 776 patients across the whole country held special permissions for therapeutic cannabis use. The 2017 Act marked a major shift, integrating medical cannabis into mainstream healthcare and establishing a pathway for prescriptions to be covered under Germany’s statutory health insurance system.
The 2024 Cannabis Act
In 2024, Germany took a further step by partially legalising cannabis for non-medical adult use. From April 2024, adults were permitted to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis and cultivate up to three plants at home. From July 2024, non-profit cannabis social clubs were introduced, allowing members to collectively cultivate cannabis for personal consumption.
This made Germany among the first countries in Europe to legalise adult-use, non-medical cannabis. However, each German state has responsibility for implementing the law, which has led to varying approaches across the country.
How was the study conducted?
The researchers collected weekly Google Trends data for the German-language search term “medizinisches Cannabis” (medical cannabis) from January 2015 to December 2025. Google Trends measures search interest on a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 represents the peak search volume during the selected time period.
The study period was divided into three distinct phases, based on the timing of the two major legislative changes:
Pre-legalisation period: January 2015 – March 2017
Medical-only era: March 2017 – March 2024
Post-Cannabis Act period: April 2024 – December 2025
The researchers used a statistical method called interrupted time series (ITS) analysis, which is designed to detect whether a specific event (in this case, a change in the law) led to a meaningful shift in search behaviour. They also examined regional differences across all 16 German federal states.
What did the study find?
National trends in search interest
The analysis revealed clear shifts in public search interest that coincided with each legislative change:
Before medical cannabis was legalised, the average weekly search interest was 7.85 on the Google Trends scale. After the 2017 Medical Cannabis Act came into effect, this rose to 23.79. This is an increase of approximately 203%. Following the 2024 Cannabis Act, the average weekly search index rose further to 75.29, representing an additional increase of approximately 216%.
The statistical analysis confirmed that both increases were highly significant. Importantly, while there was a slight decrease in search interest after the initial spike following the 2024 Act, overall interest remained at a substantially higher level than before, suggesting a new baseline of heightened public engagement with the topic.
Were there differences between regions?
One of the study’s most notable findings was the significant variation in search interest across Germany’s 16 federal states. Using a statistical grouping method, the researchers identified four distinct regional patterns:
States such as Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and North Rhine-Westphalia showed consistently high search interest throughout the study period. Bavaria was particularly notable, maintaining the highest relative search interest from 2019 to 2024.
Several eastern German states, including Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, initially showed lower interest levels but experienced a gradual increase over time. Bremen recorded minimal search interest until 2024, when it saw a sharp rise coinciding with the new legislation. Saarland displayed a more volatile pattern, with peaks in 2017, 2018, and again in 2025.
A general trend of broadening interest was observed in the later years. While many smaller states showed no measurable search activity in 2015 and 2016, by 2024 and 2025 all 16 states demonstrated some level of search interest, reflecting the nationwide impact of the legislative changes.
What do these findings suggest?
The researchers suggest that the German public’s information-seeking behaviour regarding medical cannabis is highly responsive to changes in the law. Each legislative milestone triggered a substantial and statistically significant increase in online searches.
The sustained interest in medical cannabis search terms could reflect a number of factors: more patients enquiring about medical cannabis, more clinicians seeking information about the products, and broader public dialogue on cannabis in healthcare.
The regional differences are also revealing. In Bavaria, despite the local government’s vocal opposition to the 2024 Cannabis Act and its efforts to delay implementation, public search interest remained consistently high. The researchers suggest this may have been driven by public uncertainty, with residents turning to the internet to understand what the federal law meant for them locally when official guidance was less forthcoming.
How does this compare with other countries?
The findings from Germany are consistent with patterns observed internationally. Studies from the United States have shown that Google searches for cannabis-related terms typically increase during state-level legalisation votes. Similar trends have been documented in New Zealand around its 2020 cannabis referendum, and a systematic review confirmed that legislative reforms in Europe, North America, and Australia have generally corresponded with increased online information-seeking.
Why is this relevant for UK patients?
While this study focused on Germany, the findings may be of interest to patients and clinicians in the United Kingdom for several reasons.
The research highlights that when cannabis-related laws change, there is a significant and measurable increase in public interest and information-seeking. This pattern appears consistent across multiple countries and contexts, suggesting a universal link between policy changes and public awareness.
The study also underscores the importance of providing accurate, accessible information during periods of policy change. The researchers noted that governments and healthcare providers have a critical role to play in meeting the public’s information needs during such times, and that failure to provide clear guidance may drive people to seek information from less reliable sources.
For anyone in the UK who is interested in learning about medical cannabis and whether it might be an option for their condition, it is always important to speak with a qualified healthcare professional who can provide personalised advice based on your individual circumstances.
What are the limitations of this study?
As with all research, it is important to consider the limitations of this study when interpreting the findings:
The study analysed aggregate search data, meaning it looked at overall trends rather than individual people’s behaviour. It is not possible to determine who was searching, why they were searching, or what they did with the information they found.
An increase in online searches does not directly indicate changes in knowledge, access to treatment, or health outcomes. The study can tell us about public interest, but not about what happened as a result of that interest.
The regional data had certain technical limitations relating to how Google Trends normalises its data, meaning that absolute search volumes could not be directly compared across different years.
Media coverage of the legislative changes likely played a concurrent role alongside the policy changes themselves, and it is difficult to fully separate the effects of the two.
Important information
This blog post is for informational and educational purposes only. It summarises published research and does not constitute medical advice or a recommendation for any specific treatment.
Medical cannabis is a prescription-only medicine in the United Kingdom. It is typically only considered when other licensed treatments have not provided adequate relief. The decision to prescribe any medicine is made by a qualified healthcare professional following an individual assessment.
