Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Trend report finds broad support for cannabis therapy, but stigma persists

A new data analysis by MedCanOneStop highlights a gap in the provision of medical cannabis in Germany. According to the report, the wider population largely views the therapy in the same way as other prescription medicines. Many patients, however, still keep their treatment private in everyday settings, particularly in relation to general practitioners and the workplace.

For the Medical Cannabis Trend Report 2026, MedCanOneStop surveyed 7,033 patients online. The company also compared the findings with a representative YouGov survey of 2,084 adults in Germany. The patient survey was conducted from 15 July to 10 August 2026, while the YouGov survey took place from 27 to 29 July 2026.

Patients report benefits in daily life

Sleep disorders were the most common condition among the surveyed patients, cited by 47 percent. Seventy percent said that medically supervised treatment had significantly improved their sleep and mental recovery. Forty-nine percent reported being able to manage daily life and work more productively and with less pain.

The responses also point to changes in the use of other medicines. Among respondents who had previously taken prescription painkillers, opioids or sleeping pills, 71 percent said they had stopped using them completely. A further 20 percent reported cutting their dose by more than half. Only 0.8 percent said they had noticed no change.

Most adults accept medical cannabis

The YouGov data indicate strong public acceptance. According to the survey, 75.1 percent of adults in Germany believe that medical cannabis should be treated socially like other prescription medicines. Many respondents also considered use in private or professional settings to be unproblematic: 65 percent in the family, 69 percent among friends and 67 percent among colleagues.

Stigma remains a care issue

Despite this level of acceptance, 74 percent of patients surveyed said they still feel stigmatised because of their therapy. Sixty-four percent do not inform their regular general practice about the treatment. For 33 percent, fear of being judged is the decisive reason. Twenty-nine percent reported experiencing rejection by medical staff outside MedCanOneStop during the previous 12 months.

The therapy also often remains private at work. Seventy-one percent do not discuss their cannabis treatment in the workplace, or do so only with a very small circle of trusted people. One quarter of respondents said they had experienced specific disadvantages at work.

MedCanOneStop founder and CEO Cedric Lehmann described this as a risk for patient care. If general practitioners are unaware of an ongoing cannabis therapy, potential interactions with other medicines may go unnoticed, according to his assessment.

Interpreting the findings

The patient results are based on self-reported responses in an online survey. MedCanOneStop also names a tendency toward a digitally oriented sample as a possible limitation. The YouGov survey was quota-sampled and weighted by age, gender and region. According to the methodology, it is representative of the resident population in Germany aged 18 and over.

For pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners and medical professionals, the data point to two parallel developments: medical cannabis is becoming more normalised in society, while stigma and communication gaps in care remain practical barriers.