Wiesbaden Seeks to Join Cannabis Sales Pilot in Pharmacies

GERMANY- Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, Germany, has officially applied to participate in a pilot project for cannabis sales through pharmacies. The initiative aims to study the impact of a regulated cannabis market on reducing illegal trade and improving public health protections.

Milena Löbcke, Wiesbaden’s health advisor, signed the declaration of intent to join the initiative earlier this month. The project will focus on maintaining high pharmaceutical standards in the distribution of cannabis.

In the city’s press release, Löbcke emphasized the importance of this measure for a realistic drug policy:

“Establishing a second pillar, alongside home cultivation and cannabis clubs, is essential to marginalize the black market and achieve effective child, youth, and public health protection. For pharmacy sales, we will ensure that the high pharmaceutical standards are applied to cannabis distribution. Many pharmacies already have substantial experience with medical cannabis distribution. Wiesbaden’s participation ensures our city’s interests and close cooperation with addiction prevention institutions are maintained. This is coupled with one of Germany’s most renowned research institutes and an association with expertise from Swiss experiments, providing excellent conditions for a successful trial in our city.”

The city will work with the association “Cannabis Forschung Deutschland,” which plans to submit a national trial request to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, backed by the Hamburg Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research.

Pharmacy Interest in Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden is one of up to 25 German cities participating in this pilot, which will focus on adult cannabis sales in pharmacies. The program, expected to start next year, has already attracted interest from several large pharmacies in the city. The health department of Wiesbaden has announced the creation of a “Cannabis Coordination Foundation” to manage the project.

However, strict conditions will apply to cannabis buyers. According to Wiesbaden health advisor Thomas Völker, only registered residents of Wiesbaden will be eligible to purchase cannabis from pharmacies. Buyers must also be of legal age and register with an authorized body before making a purchase, preventing residents from neighboring regions like Rheingau-Taunus from accessing the city’s dispensaries.

Although cannabis consumption, home cultivation, and possession have been legal in limited quantities in Germany since April, the practical implementation of these laws has proven more complex than initially anticipated. This applies not only to retail sales, which remain unavailable for now, but also to the already approved cannabis clubs.

These clubs face significant delays due to numerous licensing requirements before they can begin cultivating cannabis. Currently, only eight cultivation clubs have been approved, all in Lower Saxony.