THE “green rush” in Europe has commenced, and Americans are ready to invest their time, travel plans and money into the cannabis market across the pond, according to a new study.
Today, Bloomwell Group, a Germany-based holding company for medical cannabis companies, released the results of its ‘European Cannabis Market Survey,’ which examined American cannabis consumers’ expectations for, and opinions of, this burgeoning sector abroad, including the demand for cannabis tourism, investment opportunities, trade and more.
Survey Highlights
The vast majority of respondents – 80 percent – agreed that “cannabis companies are attractive investment options,” while 61 percent shared that they “would invest in European cannabis stocks.”
Respondents also reported positive sentiments regarding cannabis tourism, an evolving issue in Germany, which only recently legalized adult-use cannabis after several years of expanding its medical market. Experts predict adult-use cannabis to come online by 2024, but regulators have not yet determined tourism policies. However, more than 66 percent of the Americans surveyed said they “would visit a cannabis dispensary or social consumption lounge” in Germany.
The State of European Cannabis
The European cannabis industry has made unprecedented strides in the past year: Luxembourg decriminalized cannabis ownership and is hoping to legalize the market; Malta has decriminalized possession; the Netherlands launched Europe’s first-ever commercial cannabis cultivation pilot program; and Switzerland is also running a pilot project.
But the crown jewel of European cannabis is Germany, whichis celebrating its medical market’s 5-year anniversary while paving the way to becoming the adult-use capital of Europe. According to a BDSA report from this month, international sales will exceed ~$10 billion in 2026. The bulk of that new legal spending will be driven by Germany (contributing ~$3 billion by 2026).
“Germany has 82 million inhabitants – that’s more than Canada and California, two of the current biggest cannabis markets on the globe. Therefore, when Germany opens up for adult-use cannabis, it will become the biggest market in the world,” said Bloomwell Group CEO and Co-founder Niklas Kouparanis. “The future language for cannabis will be German.”
The American Connection
The survey also addressed how the U.S. can potentially benefit economically from licensed cannabis markets in Europe. According to renowned economist Justus Haucap, Germany will have a demand of 400 tons of cannabis annually after legalization. To help meet that dramatic demand, 80 percent of Americans polled say that the “U.S. should export cannabis to Europe,” a practice that would potentially increase domestic revenue.
Additional key survey findings include:
Awareness: More than half of respondents (52 percent) said they are “aware that Germany will most likely become the largest legal cannabis market within the next three years.”
Travel: 65 percent of Americans surveyed said they “would travel to a city or country to experience its licensed cannabis market,” while 44 percent said that they would travel to Germany specifically for cannabis tourism. As a bonus, nearly 75 percent polled said Pretzels, a Deutschland specialty, are a “satisfying ‘munchies’ food.”
Global Legalization: An overwhelming majority – 87 percent – said that cannabis should be legalized worldwide.
The promising survey results coincide with recent Bloomwell Group milestones that also illustrate global confidence in the European and German cannabis markets: the company closed a seed funding round of over $10 million USD; Curaleaf’s Boris Jordan is a lead investor and board member.
Methodology
This survey was conducted online using Survey Monkey among a national sample of 845 people spanning across U.S. geographic regions and income levels. All of the respondents identified as cannabis consumers. The survey sample was weighted to reflect the gender distribution and the age distribution across the 18-60+ age brackets in the U.S.
