Cannabis telemedicine in Germany: status October 2026

As of 26 Oct 2026

The legal situation at a glance

Online prescription: Allowed. Doctors may prescribe medical cannabis after a careful telemedical assessment if this is medically justifiable in the individual case.
Shipping flowers: Allowed. Pharmacies may still deliver prescribed cannabis flowers by mail or by their own courier service.
Amendment: Not passed. The government bill (Bundestag printed paper 21/3061) has been with the Health Committee since December 2025. No date for a vote is known.
Health insurance: Since 30 July 2026, statutory health insurance no longer pays for dried cannabis flowers. Extracts and approved finished medicines remain reimbursable under certain conditions. Private prescriptions are not affected.

We update this page as soon as the legislative process changes. It explains the legal situation in general terms and is not legal advice for individual cases.

Current law

What applies today

Since 1 April 2024, medical cannabis in Germany has been regulated by the Medical Cannabis Act (Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz, MedCanG). It is no longer a narcotic but a prescription-only medicine that is prescribed on a regular prescription.

Under the German medical code of conduct, treatment exclusively at a distance is permitted in individual cases if it is medically justifiable and due care is maintained. The doctor reviews your information, previous findings, pre-existing conditions and risks and decides case by case. There is no entitlement to a prescription.

The pharmacy checks the prescription, advises you and dispenses the medicine. Cannabis flowers may currently be delivered by mail or by the pharmacy's courier service.

Government bill

What the planned amendment would change

On 8 October 2025, the Federal Cabinet adopted the draft of a First Act Amending the Medical Cannabis Act. The new rules only concern dried cannabis flowers:

A first prescription only after in-person contact at the doctor's practice or during a home visit. A video consultation alone would no longer be enough for flowers.
Follow-up prescriptions without a new practice visit only if the same practice prescribed flowers after in-person contact within the last four quarters (including the current one).
No shipping of flowers to patients. The pharmacy's own courier service would remain allowed.
Cannabis extracts and approved finished medicines are not covered by these rules.
The act would take effect on the day after its promulgation. The bill does not provide for a transition period.

Not law yet

This is a draft. It only applies once the Bundestag has passed it, the Bundesrat has dealt with it again and the act has been published in the Federal Law Gazette.

Timeline

Where the legislative process stands

8 Oct 2025: The Federal Cabinet adopts the government bill.
21 Nov 2025: The Bundesrat (Federal Council) issues its opinion.
3 Dec 2025: The bill is published as Bundestag printed paper 21/3061.
18 Dec 2025: First reading in the Bundestag, referral to the Health Committee.
14 Jan 2026: Public hearing in the Health Committee.
Since then: Committee deliberations. The SPD parliamentary group rejected the bill in its current form and asked for changes. As of 26 Oct 2026, the second and third readings have not taken place.
26 Oct 2026: The Bundestag's documentation system (DIP) still lists the bill as “referred” (Überwiesen). There is no committee recommendation.

Statutory health insurance

New health insurance rules since 30 July 2026

The Act to Stabilise Statutory Health Insurance Contributions (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz) amended Section 31 (6) of the Fifth Book of the Social Code (SGB V). Since 30 July 2026, people with statutory insurance are no longer entitled to dried cannabis flowers at the expense of their health insurer.

Standardised cannabis extracts and medicines containing dronabinol or nabilone remain reimbursable under the existing conditions. Before a first prescription, a treatment attempt with an approved cannabis-based finished medicine is required.

On 15 October 2026, the Bundestag passed a clarification as part of the emergency care reform: the priority of finished medicines only applies within the indication for which they are approved, and the fixed six-month period no longer applies. The change takes effect once it is published in the Federal Law Gazette. As of 26 Oct 2026, the Bundesrat has not yet concluded its review; its next plenary session is on 20 November 2026.

Private prescriptions unchanged

Cannabis flowers remain legally available and can still be prescribed on a private prescription. If you previously received flowers through your health insurer, ask your practice whether switching to an extract is an option and whether a new approval from your insurer is needed.

In practice

What this means for you

Today: You can submit a request online. A doctor licensed in Germany reviews it and decides in each individual case.
If the amendment is passed: A first prescription for flowers would require an in-person appointment at a practice. In addition to video consultations, 420doc already offers on-site appointments.
Ongoing treatment: How transitions are handled will only be clear once the final text of the act is known. We will keep you informed on this page and in our newsletter.
Extracts: They would not be covered by the planned rules for flowers.

Frequently asked questions about the legal situation

Yes. As of 26 Oct 2026, telemedical prescriptions are allowed if the doctor considers them justifiable in the individual case. The planned amendment has not been passed.

There is no date. The bill is with the Health Committee. It would only apply after a vote in the Bundestag, another review by the Bundesrat and promulgation, and then from the day after promulgation.

Yes. The planned shipping ban is not in force. Under the bill, the pharmacy's own courier service would remain allowed even later.

No. Since 30 July 2026, dried flowers are no longer covered. Extracts and certain finished medicines remain reimbursable under certain conditions. Private prescriptions are not affected.

No. The bill's rules on in-person contact and the shipping ban only apply to dried cannabis flowers. Pharmacies could continue to ship extracts and finished medicines.

Nothing changes today. Under the bill, follow-up prescriptions for flowers without a new practice visit would only be possible if the same practice prescribed flowers after in-person contact within the last four quarters.

Not today. If the act were passed as drafted, a first prescription for flowers would require an in-person appointment at the practice or a home visit. After that, one such contact within four quarters would be enough. This would not apply to extracts.

Not under the bill. It requires contact at the doctor's practice or during a home visit. Today, a prescription after a telemedical assessment is allowed if it is medically justifiable in the individual case.

The bill does not provide for a transition period. According to its wording, the shipping ban would apply from the day after promulgation to every dispensing of flowers, including older prescriptions. Collection at the pharmacy and the pharmacy's own courier service would remain possible.

With a courier service (Botendienst), the pharmacy delivers the medicine to you with its own staff. Under Section 17 (2) of the German Pharmacy Operating Regulations, this is allowed without a mail-order licence. The bill would only ban shipping flowers, not the courier service.

Evidence

Is telemedicine for medical cannabis still allowed in Germany?