Red Tape and High Costs Stall Cannabis Clubs in Hesse

Hesse reviews licenses for cannabis social clubs more slowly than other federal states. This can be quite expensive for some clubs. Many clubs fail due to bureaucracy and eventually give up.

The Bundestag’s decision to legalize cannabis in February of last year raised expectations – particularly regarding easier access to the drug. More than a year and a change of government later, consumers are generally left with three options: grow their own, buy online from suspect pharmacies, or continue to purchase on the black market. The search for a licensed cannabis club in the area usually leads nowhere.

Despite legalization, slow licensing, bureaucratic hurdles, and high startup costs are causing many cannabis clubs in Hesse to fail before they begin

“In Hesse, eleven of the 38 cultivation associations applied for have been approved,” says Matthias Schaider, head of the press office of the Darmstadt Regional Council. With this number, Hesse ranks mid-table nationwide in terms of approved cannabis clubs, as reported by the German Press Agency (dpa). Three of the licensed associations belong to the “Mariana Cannabis” association and are located in Giessen, Kassel, and Marburg.

Like many others, they are still under development and do not currently provide any premises for distributing cannabis to members. A few associations, such as “Broccoli Buddies” in Fulda, are already at this stage and can distribute cannabis. There are countless reasons for the small number of licensed cultivation associations. To date, the success of these associations has depended on a completed license, the authorization to cultivate cannabis communally under the Consumer Cannabis Act. Only this enables the legal distribution of the harvest to members.

“This makes the clubs an alternative for people who don’t have the opportunity or the know-how to grow at home,” explains Keno Mennenga, press spokesperson for the “Mariana Cannabis” association. The association has 180 locations in Germany, including Frankfurt. The Frankfurt branch is already eligible for a license and has therefore met all the requirements. However, licensing is still pending.

This licensing is a matter for the individual states

Frankfurt-based attorney Johannes Nelkenstock explains: “Other states work closer to the law. Hesse examines beyond the prescribed list of examinations.” This makes Hesse slow compared to other states – on average, it takes nine months to obtain a license, half a year longer than stipulated by the Consumer Cannabis Act. The cannabis social club “Grow Social Darmstadt” received its license on June 17, 2025, after a waiting period of almost nine months, according to chairman Sebastian Weissgerber. A success that he says he is the only club in Darmstadt to celebrate.

Before an association receives the desired license, legal requirements must be met. What Weissgerber calls a “considerable bureaucratic effort,” Keno Mennenga describes as “different priorities among authorities,” which leads to differing interpretations. According to Mennenga, the associated hurdles are the main reason why many associations give up halfway through.

“When you first start planning, there are a few surprises,” explains Sebastian Weissgerber. The law demands “quite a lot,” and there is no planning security given the delays at authorities and institutes.

According to Weissgerber, the list of required documents includes: certificates of good conduct and information from the Central Commercial Register for all board members, detailed information on the cultivation area and planned cultivation volume, comprehensive security and protection plans, a participation plan for members’ communal cultivation, and a destruction plan for excess cannabis.

This is a major obstacle, especially for local clubs without much prior experience. “What breaks the back of many clubs is the property for cultivation, which is tied to the permit,” says Weissgerber. Before a license can be applied for, several months pass during which the rent must continue to be paid. “The club founders have to raise 100,000 to 150,000 euros to be able to set up a cannabis club.”

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(Featured image by Erik Mclean via Unsplash)

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First published in Frankfurter Rundschau.A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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