“With the revised cornerstones for the planned cannabis legalization presented today, the government falls far short of expectations and the goal set out in the coalition agreement. The new plans for a two-pillar model contain too little detail; instead of a draft law, only adjusted cornerstones were presented.

We welcome the efforts to decriminalize cannabis for possession and self-cultivation and to implement pilot projects – Germany is thus setting a first trend-setting signal in drug policy. Social equity is and remains an issue close to our hearts at Sanity Group; we therefore welcome the exemption from punishment for the purchase and possession of cannabis for personal use in private and public spaces, as well as the possibility for private individuals to grow their own cannabis, the discontinuation of ongoing investigations and criminal proceedings, and the introduction of cannabis social clubs.

However, valuable time is lost by staggering the two pillars. When introducing pilot projects, we believe it is essential that they are introduced on full national scale in order to create a comparable data basis for reviewing the effects of legal sales under different conditions. Individual, regional model regions, moreover with an opt-in approach, create a “patchwork” that does not sufficiently support the federal government’s declared overriding goal of promoting youth and health protection nationwide and combating the illegal market. Pilot projects need to be implemented in parallel with, rather than downstream of, decriminalization so that, especially with a possible EU notification, no further valuable time is lost in building supply chains,” says Finn Hänsel, founder and CEO of Berlin-based cannabis company Sanity Group, one of the industry’s leading players.

In the view of Sanity Group, it should also be ensured that patients who are dependent on medical cannabis do not treat themselves with cannabis for adult-use without medical advice.

Sanity Group is the only German company familiar with the processes of cannabis pilot projects and is currently planning to implement a pilot project in Switzerland in collaboration with the Swiss Institute for Addiction and Health Research, ISGF.

About Sanity Group
German cannabis company Sanity Group aims to improve people’s quality of life through the use of cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system. In addition to pharmaceuticals, the focus is also on wellbeing and cosmetic products that utilize cannabinoids. Sanity Group, founded in Berlin in 2018 by Finn Age Hänsel and Fabian Friede, includes Vayamed and AVAAY Medical (medicinal cannabis), Endosane Pharmaceuticals (finished pharmaceuticals), Belfry Medical (medical products and digital applications), VAAY (wellbeing) and This Place (natural cosmetics). Near Frankfurt am Main, Sanity Group also operates a production and processing facility for cannabis extracts. More information can be found on sanitygroup.com/press.