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.
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