Government
With Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Imminent, Germany Gears Up To Capitalize On Global Weed Wanderlust
With Germany located in the heart of Europe, there is strong potential for tourism growth and expansion to an audience of EU travelers and other international visitors.
Tourism has become a profitable and ever-growing asset of the licensed cannabis industries within the U.S. and Canada, as well as the Netherlands, despite the country’s lack of formal adult-use cannabis legalization. With Germany on the cusp of legalizing adult-use cannabis amid a profitable medical-only market, businesses, investors and travelers alike are gearing up to embrace new cannabis tourism opportunities on the horizon.
Since 2013, Amsterdam has welcomed residents and tourists to its coffee shops. These social cannabis consumption lounges were even declared “essential businesses” as part of the Dutch lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over in the States, adult-use markets have attracted both in-state and out-of-state cannabis connoisseurs. Forbes recently cited data from a 2022 Harris Poll survey which found that half of Millennial respondents said that access to legal cannabis is a factor in planning a vacation. In addition, 43% said that they’ve specifically chosen a destination with a legalized adult-use market. Colorado, which has legalized adult use since 2020, has noted that dispensary visits are common amongst travelers to the Centennial State.
According to research released from the Colorado Tourism Office, 16% of those who traveled to Colorado in winter and 15% who traveled to the state in summer visited a cannabis dispensary or retail store while they were there. Also, according to the report, visitors who participated in cannabis-related activities were more likely to stay longer in the state versus those who did not partake.
Germany is set to legalize adult-use cannabis by 2024 and will be the world’s largest recreational cannabis market due to the country’s population size. In June 2022, the German government held five hearings to discuss the framework of adult-use cannabis legalization. Representatives from the German government and more than 200 people from medical, legal and business verticals as well as international experts participated in these critical discussions.
Adult-use legalization in Germany will induce a “tourist demand,” particularly from its nine neighboring countries. The criteria of what adult-use legalization will entail, including whether visitors from other European Union (EU) countries and other parts of the world would be able to purchase and use cannabis within the country, has yet to be determined. In addition, the EU’s non-discrimination laws would make it difficult to forbid EU residents from purchasing cannabis even if they are not German citizens. However, if tourists can purchase and use cannabis while visiting Germany, it would open up more opportunities for growth and expansion within the new market.
While the guidelines have yet to be declared, overall cannabis demand in Germany will still inevitably increase. For example, even if tourists do not have permission to purchase cannabis in Germany once adult-use cannabis comes into focus, economists must take into account that they would be able to purchase legal cannabis through local friends and acquaintances. Considering this factor, the total market demand would be increased by a flat-rate tourism demand of 10%, according to renowned economist Justus Haucap. This 10% corresponds roughly to the magnitude of tourism demand in Colorado (source: Leeds School of Business and MPG Consulting, 2020).
According to the 2022 “European Cannabis Market Survey” conducted by Bloomwell Group, more than 66 percent of American cannabis users surveyed said they “would visit a cannabis dispensary or social consumption lounge” in Germany. In addition, 44 percent said that they would travel to Germany specifically for cannabis tourism. Fun fact, nearly 75 percent polled said Pretzels, a Deutschland specialty, are a “satisfying ‘munchies’ food.” There’s a bonus for those who make the trek!
Other countries with adult-use markets have shown that the attractiveness of these industries for tourists also depends on the sales infrastructure. For example, here are a few options that may be considered as part of Germany’s future adult-use cannabis legalization policies:
Dispensaries
Cannabis dispensaries are the norm in adult-use markets like Colorado and California. These are local government-regulated retail storefronts in which people can purchase cannabis flower and other types of cannabis products. Most of these dispensaries have budtenders – a person who can suggest recommendations to customers based on their functional needs and desires – answer questions, handle products and showcase the products that are being sold. Although consumers can purchase cannabis and cannabis products within dispensaries, it is yet to be determined whether German law will allow personal consumption or smoking on site.
Coffee Shops / Social Consumption Lounges
Amsterdam’s social consumption lounges known as “coffee shops” have already gained international interest and popularity among travelers. In the Netherlands, although cannabis production is illegal, there is a “backdoor policy” that allows coffee shops to sell cannabis for personal consumption. Although the sale of cannabis is a criminal offense, individual sales of small amounts of cannabis within these establishments are tolerated by local authorities.
While it has yet to be determined if adult-use cannabis legalization in Germany will include policies for public consumption of cannabis, it would be unlikely these establishments will resemble Dutch coffee shops. Instead, they are more likely to follow the model of social consumption lounges that have started to populate within the U.S.
Similar to a bar that serves alcohol, social consumption lounges allow consumers at least 21 years of age to purchase cannabis flower, edibles and other products and consume them in a social gathering place. Social consumption lounges are gaining popularity in mature adult-use markets like California and Alaska. A total of seven states have policies in place for social consumption lounges, and New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois are forging ahead with their plans to allow for consumption lounges this year. Similar to dispensaries, these consumption lounges often have budtenders that help consumers through the purchase process.
Pharmacies
The current German medical marijuana market operates using pharmacies to distribute cannabis to patients. Through this process, medical cannabis of pharmaceutical quality is distributed to pharmacies on behalf of the German Cannabis Agency. Under the law, it is mandated that a special relationship is maintained between patient and pharmacist who serve as the front-line of patient care, ultimately allowing the free flow of information, education and one-on-one medical patient care.
With adult-use legalization likely to come into fruition for Germany sooner rather than later, the prospect of expanded cannabis and related product distribution, whether in the form of dispensaries, consumption lounges or pharmacies, have resident consumers, business operators and investors salivating and eager to take a bite into the potential of its expanding market. Business owners within the current medical-only market spectate that Germany will likely implement a dispensary model with educated salespersons or budtenders, as well as the potential to also offer e-commerce. However, the government has not yet determined if public and social consumption will be allowed.
With Germany located in the heart of Europe, there is strong potential for tourism growth and expansion to an audience of EU travelers and other international visitors. Making cannabis accessible for both local adult users and tourists alike is key to driving the profitability of a burgeoning market. For this reason, now is the time for German legislators to start mapping out what adult-use cannabis legalization would look like, taking into account the overall foals to protect minors and product security, while determining how best to capitalize on the tourism aspects of the future market.
Business
A Tipping Point for Cannabis: President Trump Champions CBD & Cannabis Science on Truth Social
When the President of the United States shares a video about the life changing potential of hemp derived CBD on his personal social media platform, it is more than news, it is a cultural shift.
For decades our government lied to us about cannabis. It demonized the plant, waged war on its users, and filled prisons while allowing pharmaceutical companies to flood the nation with addictive and deadly drugs. For over a century we have been fighting uphill, not just for legalization, but for truth, for science, and for the right to heal ourselves naturally.
Now in 2025, the most powerful political figure on Earth is using his own voice and platform to talk about the endocannabinoid system and the science backed benefits of CBD. That is monumental. It is validation for everyone who has fought, been arrested, been silenced, and been dismissed for telling this truth. The President’s video post is already being described as a pivotal moment in cannabis history, and President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social is trending across platforms as advocates celebrate the breakthrough.
The Science Behind the Endocannabinoid System
The video begins by introducing something most people, including many doctors, still know little about, the endocannabinoid system. Discovered in the 1990s, the ECS is a network of receptors and signaling molecules that works as the body’s master regulator, coordinating communication between major systems like the nervous, immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.
The roots of this discovery go back much further. CBD was first isolated in 1940 by American chemist Roger Adams, but it was Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli organic chemist, who fully elucidated the chemical structure of CBD and identified its stereochemistry in the 1960s. His pioneering work not only opened the door to modern cannabinoid science but also earned him the title “Godfather of Cannabis Research.” It was this foundation that led to the identification of the endocannabinoid system itself decades later, revealing how cannabinoids interact with our physiology on a fundamental level.
The ECS is now widely recognized as a vital part of human biology, with extensive research supported by the National Institutes of Health. When functioning properly, the ECS acts like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring every section plays in harmony. As we age, the system weakens. That imbalance is linked to inflammation, chronic pain, cognitive decline, sleep problems, and many other conditions associated with aging.
Mainstream medicine often addresses these issues with pharmaceutical band aids, dangerous and addictive drugs that treat symptoms rather than root causes. Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise help, but they only partially support the ECS and do so slowly over time.
Hemp Derived CBD: A Game Changer for Aging
Here is where the science gets exciting. As the video explains, the ECS can be restored much more quickly with hemp derived CBD. Strengthening this system naturally helps the body regain balance, reducing pain, improving sleep, lowering stress, slowing disease progression, and even extending healthy lifespan.
It is not theoretical. One in five seniors is already using CBD to manage pain, arthritis, cancer symptoms, sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s, and more. Despite decades of research and acknowledgment from institutions like the National Institutes of Health, most physicians receive no training on the ECS. There are still no FDA standards for CBD products on the market. If that were the case for any other class of medicine, it would be considered malpractice.
The World Health Organization has confirmed CBD’s excellent safety profile and non addictive nature in its critical review report. The result is that millions of older Americans are suffering unnecessarily when a safe and natural solution exists.
Hemp derived CBD is a powerful first step in restoring balance to the endocannabinoid system, but it is only part of the picture. Research shows that full spectrum cannabis extracts, which include a broader range of cannabinoids and terpenes, can work even more effectively. Complete concentrated cannabis oil, containing the full spectrum of natural endocannabinoids, may deliver the most profound results for certain patients. Expanding access to these therapies will be essential if we want to unlock the full healing potential of this plant.
The Economic and Social Impact
The video cites a powerful figure. A PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis estimates that fully integrating cannabis into the healthcare system could save the United States nearly 64 billion dollars annually. These savings reflect reduced pharmaceutical dependency, fewer hospitalizations, improved chronic disease outcomes, and enhanced quality of life for aging Americans. You can read more about PwC’s research on healthcare innovation here.
It is a financial argument, but it is also a moral one. Why should our elders endure pain, anxiety, and cognitive decline when nature has given us tools to help them live longer, happier, and healthier lives?
A Call to Action: Finish What the Farm Bill Started
The message concludes by crediting the 2018 Farm Bill, championed by President Trump, for legalizing hemp and laying the groundwork for today’s CBD market. The Farm Bill was just the first step.
Now the call is for bold next moves.
- Educate doctors about the endocannabinoid system
- Include CBD under Medicare coverage
- Provide clear federal standards for CBD quality and dosing
These steps would constitute the most significant senior health reform in modern history, one that would transform aging and cement a powerful legacy for any administration that makes it happen.
What This Means for Future Cannabis Medicine
For those of us who have been in the cannabis community for decades, this is not just another news story. It is a signal that our movement is winning. A conversation that was once criminalized and censored is now being amplified by the President of the United States on his own platform.
It means the science is undeniable. It means the truth can no longer be buried. It means the wall of prohibition is cracking, not just legally, but culturally, scientifically, and politically.
It also means that everything we have been fighting for at 420 Magazine since 1993, education, access, healing, and justice, is finally moving full steam ahead. The President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social moment is proof that science and policy are finally converging.
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Four marijuana companies, including a multistate operator, have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in which they allege the federal MJ prohibition under the Controlled Substances Act is no longer constitutional.
According to the complaint, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, retailer Canna Provisions, Treevit delivery service CEO Gyasi Sellers, cultivator Wiseacre Farm and MSO Verano Holdings Corp. are all harmed by “the federal government’s unconstitutional ban on cultivating, manufacturing, distributing, or possessing intrastate marijuana.”
Verano is headquartered in Chicago but has operations in Massachusetts; the other three operators are based in Massachusetts.
The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the “Controlled Substances Act is unconstitutional as applied to the intrastate cultivation, manufacture, possession, and distribution of marijuana pursuant to state law.”
The companies want the case to go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
They hired prominent law firm Boies Schiller Flexner to represent them.
The New York-based firm’s principal is David Boies, whose former clients include Microsoft, former presidential candidate Al Gore and Elizabeth Holmes’ disgraced startup Theranos.
Similar challenges to the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) have failed.
One such challenge led to a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2005.
In Gonzalez vs. Raich, the highest court in the United States ruled in a 6-3 decision that the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution gave Congress the power to outlaw marijuana federally, even though state laws allow the cultivation and sale of cannabis.
In the 18 years since that ruling, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult-use marijuana and the federal government has allowed a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry to thrive.
Since both Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice, currently headed by Garland, have declined to intervene in state-licensed marijuana markets, the key facts that led to the Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling “no longer apply,” Boies said in a statement Thursday.
“The Supreme Court has since made clear that the federal government lacks the authority to regulate purely intrastate commerce,” Boies said.
“Moreover, the facts on which those precedents are based are no longer true.”
Verano President Darren Weiss said in a statement the company is “prepared to bring this case all the way to the Supreme Court in order to align federal law with how Congress has acted for years.”
While the Biden administration’s push to reschedule marijuana would help solve marijuana operators’ federal tax woes, neither rescheduling nor modest Congressional reforms such as the SAFER Banking Act “solve the fundamental issue,” Weiss added.
“The application of the CSA to lawful state-run cannabis business is an unconstitutional overreach on state sovereignty that has led to decades of harm, failed businesses, lost jobs, and unsafe working conditions.”
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