German Court forces government to give out first license to grow medical cannabis

PRESS RELEASE – German Cannabis Association (DHV) 12.04.2016

With it’s decision on April 6th the German Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) has set a new milestone for cannabis patients. The right of patients to ensure their medical care through self-cultivation, was strengthened with this ruling. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte – BfArM) will now be forced to give out the first license for home growing of cannabis in Germany, although they can still apply some additional rules for safety.

The right of patients to ensure their medical care through self-cultivation, was strengthened with this ruling. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices must grant the right to grow cannabis to the plaintiff and will not be able to globally deny this right to other patients anymore, if they have no medical alternative to cannabis and their medical insurance won’t cover the cost for the therapy.

“With this decision, the court increased the pressure on the federal government to pass their medical cannabis bill soon and to establish a system that takes the real needs of the patients into account,” says Georg Wurth from the German Hemp Association.

Since 2000, all advances in medicinal cannabis law have been achieved by court rulings after lawsuits by patients. “Members of Government have always slowed down the issue and only taken the steps that they were forced to take by court rulings. Now the federal government is in a tight spot and has to make a move, I hope they take the step to the benefit of patients” says Georg Wurth concluding.