After Allowing Marijuana... In Less Than a Year and a Half, 250,000 Addicts in This Country 'Shock'

[Financial News] It has been reported that the number of addiction patients has surged in Germany, which legalized recreational marijuana last year, causing shock.

The German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) reported on the 17th (local time), citing the insurance company KKH, that the number of patients treated for marijuana-related symptoms such as acute intoxication, withdrawal symptoms, and mental disorders increased by 14.5％ to 250,500 compared to 2023.

This figure amounts to 30 people per 10,000 population, with the age groups 25∼29 (95 per 10,000) and 45∼49 (45 per 10,000) receiving the most treatment. KKH stated, "The number of diagnoses was the highest in the last 10 years, and the annual growth rate also jumped significantly for the first time in a long time."

The German Addiction Prevention Center (DHS) also pointed out that the number of patients hospitalized for marijuana problems has increased sevenfold compared to 2000, and that marijuana produces the second most addiction patients after alcohol.

The German government allowed recreational marijuana in April last year to eradicate the black market and protect youth, given that marijuana was already widely spread within the country. However, as the number of addicts surged, the new government launched last May is reportedly considering whether to regulate recreational marijuana again.

Initially, the Ministry of Health is promoting a plan to ban online prescriptions for medical marijuana. Because marijuana sales remain prohibited and only direct or joint cultivation is allowed, the demand to obtain medical marijuana with a prescription has increased significantly.

In fact, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices explained that the import volume of medical marijuana in the first quarter of this year was 37 tons, more than tripling compared to the first quarter of last year. However, there are concerns that online prescription regulations will further expand the black market.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter