Cabinet decision on the Medical Cannabis Act meets broad criticism / Cantourage expects changes and prepares to expand its “Telecan” platform

EQS-News: Cantourage Group SE / Key word(s): Market Report Cabinet decision on the Medical Cannabis Act meets broad criticism / Cantourage expects changes and prepares to expand its “Telecan” platform 15.10.2025 / 15:49 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America, Australia, Canada or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which such release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. The important notes at the end of this announcement must be observed.

Berlin, 15 October 2025 – The Cabinet draft to amend the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) triggered widespread media coverage last week—predominantly critical. The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) plans to prohibit initial prescriptions of medical cannabis flowers via telemedicine and to introduce a ban on mail‑order dispensing of cannabis by pharmacies.

General‑interest and trade media have in some cases reacted sharply to the proposals. DIE ZEIT argues the measures target “the wrong people” and could significantly impede patient care.^[1] In Pharmazeutische Zeitung, the German Association of Mail‑Order Pharmacies calls the planned shipping ban “overshooting the mark” and is counting on corrections during the parliamentary process.^[2] DER SPIEGEL describes the BMG’s proposal as “nonsensical,” assuming that criminals would be the main beneficiaries of the planned changes.^[3] Dissent is also emerging within the governing coalition: Carmen Wegge, legal policy spokesperson of the SPD parliamentary group, and Dr. Christos Pantazis, the group’s health policy spokesperson, labelled the draft on Instagram as “not acceptable”—among other reasons because it discriminates against patient groups and violates European law. ^[4]

Medical cannabis is displacing the black market

“We welcome—and share—the widespread criticism from the media and policymakers of the planned legislative changes. As we set out in our statement this summer, the MedCanG in its current form undoubtedly has room for improvement,” says Philip Schetter, CEO of Cantourage. “And yet, over the past 18 months it has enabled hundreds of thousands of patients to begin cannabis therapy. Most of these people previously obtained cannabis on the black market—exactly where they would be pushed back if the BMG’s proposal were implemented, because otherwise there still is no functioning legal supply routes for cannabis. Criminals across Germany would be delighted. We are confident, however, that the upcoming parliamentary process will bring substantial changes to the BMG’s proposal.”