Background: One year after the partial legalisation of cannabis, the effects on cannabis use among young people in Germany were investigated.

Methods: Based on twelve representative studies from 2008 to 2025, changes in the 12-month prevalence of cannabis use among 12- to 17-year-old adolescents and 18- to 25-year-old young adults were presented, and trends over time were estimated.

Results: Among female and male adolescents as well as young women, there was no statistically significant change in the 12-month prevalence of cannabis use between 2023 and 2025. In contrast, a statistically significant increase in consumption was observed among young men. However, this does not represent a new development but rather continues a trend that has been observed in this group since 2008.

Conclusions: One year after partial legalisation, there was no evidence of an immediate effect on the prevalence of cannabis use among young people in Germany. Further studies should monitor future developments.

Link:

https://www.rki.de/EN/News/Publications/Journal-of-Health-Monitoring/GBEDownloadsJ/FactSheets_en/johm_11_11.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=3