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Medical cannabis is in a package at Cansativa GmbH in Hesse, M\u00f6rfelden-Walldorf. Locator apps can guide consumers to medical cannabis businesses, CBD shops, and social clubs. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow\/dpa (Photo by Sebastian Gollnow\/picture alliance via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
dpa\/picture alliance via Getty Images<\/p>\n
The same technology that powers dispensary locator apps in the U.S. is taking shape in Germany, paving the way for a network of cannabis social clubs and services.<\/p>\n
Justin Hartfield is founder of Weed.de<\/a> and co-founder of Weedmaps. Weed.de was recently unveiled as Germany\u2019s latest digital platform that aims to connect patients, doctors, pharmacies, and CBD shops. On Monday, the platform announced its plans to expand into the country, with new leadership roles.<\/p>\n Weed.de founder and Weedmaps co-founder Justin Hartfield, who is expanding operations into Germany.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy Weed.de.<\/p>\n \u201cThe market in Germany<\/a> is different in terms of how it\u2019s designed from a regulatory standpoint, it’s also different in terms of the consumer, and it’s also different in terms of the stage of capitalism,\u201d Hartfield says in a video call.<\/p>\n Germany legalized adult-use cannabis on April 1, 2024, with a law known as the Cannabis Act\u2014a bill that\u2019s been hailed as a catalyst for drug reform in Europe<\/a>. It allows adults 18 and over to possess small amounts of cannabis, cultivate a limited number of plants for personal use, and join non-profit cannabis social clubs. <\/p>\n So far, Weed.de has attracted more than 50,000 monthly users, providing real-time product listings, a data hub, and partnerships for patients and businesses. <\/p>\n \u201cIn Germany, they\u2019ve got a robust legal medical system, while the recreational side is still kind of forming with the social clubs that they\u2019ve created as non-profit,” Hartfield says. “So they\u2019ve really taken the platform and put it into their highly regulated medical market, which was a very German move\u2014a very great move\u2014because it allows for a huge amount of legal white market enterprise. And now you see huge German manufacturers and distributors, and they\u2019re importing from countries all across the world, so it\u2019s become a really healthy industry, unlike United States, where everything is inside the country.\u201d<\/p>\n Adjusting to the Cannabis Market in Germany<\/p>\n Consumers in Germany<\/a> have slightly different preferences in terms of cannabis due to the variety of products, or lack thereof.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to think in the downside of the German market\u2014and I think this is going to change in 2026\u2014is that there\u2019s a lack of variety,” Hartfield says. “Unlike the U.S. market, where say, only 20% of the market is flower. In Germany, it\u2019s maybe 80% of the market, or more, because there\u2019s not very many product types available. There\u2019s an undue loss in product from them, and [a plan] just got released. They expect it to be some more product innovation within the type of controls that the German parts of the framework within the coming months and next year, but as of now, it hasn\u2019t materialized.\u201d<\/p>\n As Germany is quickly becoming the proving ground<\/a> for regulated cannabis in Europe, apps are providing slightly different purposes. Apps like CanNah and 420cloud find social clubs, while others like Bubatzkarte show legal consumption areas. <\/p>\n \u201cThere are key differences,\u201d Hartfield says, between Weedmaps in the U.S. and Weed.de. \u201cIn Germany, we have the system\u2019s navigational layer where, as in America, Weedmaps exists more as a transaction layer. So there\u2019s just some things that are just regulatory that we can\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n Weedmaps has been a leader in tech and dispensary locator apps for years in the U.S., with offices spread through Denver, Tucson, New York, Barcelona, and Toronto. But few apps compare to the services Weedmaps provides.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are varying degrees of other websites out there, but I think nobody captures what we\u2019re only doing, after talking to all the various consumers of at the end of this. We\u2019re not just a telemedicine clinic, like how many other people are operating,” he says. “We try to provide it with a lot of educational resource to our patients.\u201d<\/p>\n Weed.de Announces New Leadership in Germany<\/p>\n On Monday, the company announced the appointment of Dr. Sebasti\u00e1n Marincolo as Director of Strategic Content & Editorial to lead Weed.de\u2019s knowledge base education and media division.<\/p>\n Author Dr. Sebastian Marincolo will serve as Director of Strategic Content & Editorial at Weed.de.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy Weed.de.<\/p>\n Dr. Marincolo holds over 20 years of international experience as a cannabis researcher, author, and communications strategist. He\u2019s written five books on cannabis psychoactivity, including Elevated: Cannabis as a Tool for Mind Enhancement<\/a> published in 2023. Marincolo also serves on the European Scientific Advisory Board of the Women\u2019s Cannabis Project and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Cannabis Initiative for Transdisciplinary Analysis (CINTA).<\/p>\n Previously, he served as director of communications and marketing at Canopy Growth Germany GmbH.<\/p>\n “Dr. Marincolo\u2019s expertise in cannabis, communications, and philosophy is unmatched in Europe,” stated Richard Cowan, CEO of Weed.de. \u201cAs Weed.de continues to grow as an established cannabis information and access platform, Sebasti\u00e1n’s thought leadership will strengthen our brand, deepen user engagement, and elevate our voice in the cannabis ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n Workers promote the launch of Weed.de at Cannafair D\u00fcsseldorf, Germany. It’s the latest dispensary locator app.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy Weed.de.<\/p>\n Dr. Marincolo said, “I’m honored to join Weed.de at such a transformative time for Germany’s cannabis market. Weed.de is improving access and conversation around cannabis culture in Europe. I look forward to supporting users, providers, and the wider community.”<\/p>\n