Berlin in the cannabis frenzy: only 7 clubs are allowed to grow!

Berlin in the cannabis frenzy: only 7 clubs are allowed to grow!

Almost a year after the partialization of cannabis in Germany, it can be seen that so far only seven clubs have received an attachment in Berlin. This emerges from the new annual report 2024 of the State Office for Health and Social Affairs (Lageso), which was published on Thursday. From November 2024 to June 2025, a total of 29 applications for attachments were submitted to the authority. The approved cultivation areas are located in the districts of Lichtenberg, Pankow, Reinickendorf and Steglitz-Zehlendorf. In the meantime, the implementation of the new regulations remains a challenge for the responsible authorities, which led to a traffic jam in processing the applications. The health policy situation in Berlin therefore requires special attention.

The uncertainty about the responsibilities in the approval of cannabis clubs has led to delays in processing the applications. After partialization, there was confusion, since the district offices initially received the applications, but initially made them "in the lack of sufficient responsibility regulation". However, the responsibility is clearly due to the LAGESO, which has been responsible for the permits since the partialization of partialization came into force in November 2024. Health Senator Ina Czyborra admitted in spring that not yet "everything" was going on, which has initiated the discussion about the effective implementation of the new regulation.

challenges for the Lageso

The complexity of the new regulations requires the Lageso employees to find a balance between the right -wing compliant care and pragmatic administrative practice. Alexander Straßmeir, the President of the Lageso, emphasized that the authority had to take the tasks seriously to ensure the quality of the application processing. In 2024, the LAGESO not only had to process the applications for cannabis cultivation, but was also responsible for the state review of nursing professions. Here, 2,300 exams were organized and around 1,700 permits for leading job names were granted.

While reporting on cannabis cultivation continues, medical care also remains a central topic. It is noted that the LAGESO in Berlin employs around 1,030 employees at four locations who are not only responsible for cannabis matters, but also for nursing and public health service. The authority also observes the spread of the West Nil virus, with seven reported cases in 2024, the highest number since 2020. These challenges show how complex the tasks of the state office are and which resources are needed to enable efficient solutions.

The political decision on the legal framework for cannabis cultivation will be discussed in the Senate Chancellery in the future. On September 3, the Berlin Senate is expected to be advised on adapting the General Law Act. These fundamental legislative changes must then be decided by the House of Representatives, which will further influence the temporal framework for further developments in the area of ​​cannabis cultivation.