Legal position, process and costs

Medical cannabis has been prescribable in Germany since 2017 and, since 1 April 2024, no longer falls under the Narcotics Act but under the Medical Cannabis Act. What that means in practice — for prescribing, costs and everyday life — is covered in the following articles.

Two points run through all of them: there is no entitlement to a prescription, and the decision rests solely with the treating doctor in the individual case. Being declined is part of the process, not an exception.