Germany and the “homegrow effect”: 10% have already grown cannabis at home

About the study: where the data comes from

The academic study in question, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, is the first piece of research to jointly examine social acceptance and the real-world practice of home cannabis cultivation in Germany following the 2024 legalization.

The research is based on an online survey conducted in December 2024 with a sample of 1,500 adults living in Germany. The sample was selected using quotas for age, gender, and income to approximate the population structure.

Unlike other polls, the questionnaire was part of a broader study on horticulture-related behaviors, and participants were not informed in advance that they would be asked about cannabis cultivation, which reduces potential self-selection bias.

The analysis combines descriptive comparisons and regression models to distinguish which factors explain social support for marijuana legalization and which are actually associated with having ever grown cannabis at home.

What does that "10%" of cannabis growers in Germany actually mean?

It is important to clarify that the study does not measure "how many users started growing cannabis since legalization," but rather lifetime cultivation (having grown at least once). The researchers asked a direct question: "Have you ever grown cannabis at home yourself?".

Highlighting this nuance matters because it may indicate there was already an existing base of home growers who can now "come out of the closet," protected by the law and legitimized by reduced social stigma. There is also a methodological detail that strengthens the finding: the survey was embedded in a broader questionnaire about horticulture-related products and behaviors, and participants were not told beforehand it would include cannabis items. This reduces the likelihood that the sample is "inflated" by people who took the survey specifically because they were interested in cannabis.

What Germany's cannabis law allows and why home cultivation is gaining prominence

Germany's reform allows adults to grow up to three plants in a private setting, as well as limited possession for personal use and cannabis clubs. What matters most about the German design is this: recreational retail sales remain prohibited, so home cultivation is not a minor detail-it is one of the most plausible channels for legal/personal supply within the current framework.

What does the typical German home grower look like?

What has surprised readers most about this study is that it breaks clichés about the profile of the average cannabis grower in Germany:

• Age: nearly 70% of growers are under 45. On this point, there is not much variation. 
• Gender: here comes the interesting twist: among those who have grown, 41.5% are women and 58.1% are men. The study notes that these figures point to a far less male-dominated audience than studies from a decade ago, which described ratios close to 9:1 in favor of men. The authors suggest legalization may be broadening the grower profile (something also observed in other countries).
• Setting: growers show a slightly stronger urban presence.

It seems Germany is not only normalizing home cultivation-it is expanding the type of person who considers it.

A shift in social perspective

If there is one idea that runs through the entire study and helps explain what may happen in the coming years, it is this: the reasons why people support legalizing home cultivation are not the same reasons that explain why someone actually decides to grow.

The authors start from a simple but crucial distinction: on the one hand, they analyze social support for legalizing home cultivation-that is, attitudes. On the other, they look at real behavior-having ever grown cannabis at home.

The data show that social stigma around home growing is fading. Among respondents, a large majority view positively the idea of allowing domestic cultivation, mainly because it could help reduce illegal activities within the country, improve control over product quality, or make access to cannabis more sustainable.

Alongside these arguments, one stands out particularly strongly: the perception that growing cannabis can simply be an interesting activity in itself-a hobby.

However, this support for home cultivation coexists with a concern that cuts across almost every group analyzed: the fear that legalizing home cultivation will ultimately lead to increased cannabis use in society.

The study notes that the more entrenched that expectation is, the lower support tends to be for legalization and for growing cannabis at home. Social support, therefore, sits in a balance between perceived benefits and a concern that never fully disappears.

According to the study, public narratives about the social benefits of legalization help build legitimacy and support-but they are not what makes someone put a plant in their garden. The leap into home growing is taken mainly by people who already have a prior relationship with cannabis and find motivation in cultivation: curiosity, enjoyment of the process, a sense of autonomy and control. Supporting the law is one thing; growing is something quite different.

What do these findings mean for the European market?

It is no secret that Germany acts as a pivotal country in Europe due to its scale and cultural spillover effects. For that reason, this study offers a strategic insight that many should pay attention to: it is not only that growers are increasing-home cultivation is also becoming a legitimate activity accepted by society.

Over time, this could suggest that the market may grow not only through "more consumption," but through greater normalization: users who previously would not have dared-or even considered-growing may start to explore this craft.

H3: The new grower is not a single archetype

As noted above, the rise in women growers (41.5%), together with the age profile (peaking around 40), points to a more cross-sectional home-growing culture-something that could impact the industry in:

• The types of genetics in demand (where stability and predictability of effects may take priority over sheer potency).
• More first-time growers who need to learn cultivation basics and value user education: less epic storytelling, more clarity.

Study limitations-and why it still matters

As with any research conducted in the early stages of a regulatory shift, the authors point out several limitations worth keeping in mind.

Both support for legalization and cultivation experience are measured through self-report, with the usual risk of recall bias or the desire to project a certain social image-especially on a topic that has historically been stigmatized.

The study relies on a population sample that uses quotas to approximate the country's demographic structure; this enables reasonable comparisons, but it does not guarantee perfect representation of the entire German population.

In addition, home cannabis cultivation for personal use remains a relatively minority activity, which partly limits the predictive power of statistical models-especially when analyzing concrete behaviors rather than general attitudes.

That said, the value of this research is not in offering definitive answers, but in something far more relevant right now: providing the first solid empirical evidence of how opinions and real-world practices around home cultivation intertwine in post-legalization Germany.

As a starting point, the study offers a baseline to observe trends, formulate hypotheses, and track how German society evolves in the coming years.

Germany as a laboratory, not a one-size-fits-all template

That around 10% of the German population has grown cannabis at home at least once is a sign that home cultivation already has enough cultural critical mass to influence public conversation, social perceptions of cannabis, and certain market dynamics.

At the same time, it is worth remembering that home cultivation is not included in every regulatory model across Europe. Each country is choosing its own path: some prioritize club systems, others controlled-sales pilot projects, and so on.

In that context, Germany functions less as an exportable model and more as a large-scale laboratory. What happens there helps us understand what role home cultivation can play within a broader regulated ecosystem-but it does not define a single possible future. What is undeniable is that a shift in perception is taking shape, and more than in headlines, it is happening-quite literally-at home.