76 cultivation associations in NRW: This is how cannabis legalization works!

76 cultivation associations in NRW: This is how cannabis legalization works!

There's been a lot going on in cannabis cultivation in North Rhine-Westphalia since July 2024. The official launch of the law legalizing community cultivation for non-commercial purposes is something to be truly amazed at. As of today, June 18, 2025, the state government has already approved 76 grower associations and 85 more applications are still awaiting processing. This is quite an increase considering that the first permit was granted in Bielefeld at the end of September 2024. Many residents have asked themselves whether these new regulations will improve social conditions in the long term.

How does the whole thing work exactly? In the Cologne region, where the district government accepted a total of 53 applications, 22 growing associations are on the list of approvals. The special thing about it: A total of 28 applications have not yet been approved and three have been withdrawn. It is remarkable that no application was rejected - the authority seems to have a good hand in the selection.

Regulations and requirements for growing associations

But what should you take into account? Growing associations may have a maximum of 500 members, who must be at least 18 years old and have lived in Germany for six months. The distance to schools, playgrounds or youth facilities must also be at least 200 meters. These rules are intended to ensure that cultivation does not fall into the hands of unauthorized persons. Safety precautions are the be-all and end-all here, because cannabis must be adequately protected against access by children and young people.

In addition, authorized representatives must have unlimited legal capacity and demonstrate reliability in dealing with cannabis. The goal? Commercial “plantations” are a no-go. The initiators of these regulations ensure that the focus is on non-commercial home cultivation.

Outlook for the future

The Cannabis Act was passed in February 2024 and came into force on April 1, 2024. According to this, adults are allowed to grow up to three cannabis plants in their own garden or apartment and possess up to 25 grams in public spaces. However, road safety remains a serious issue: the THC limit for drivers is 3.5 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Lawmakers appear intent on promoting responsible use while reducing illegal cannabis markets.

So it will be exciting to see how the situation surrounding the growing associations in North Rhine-Westphalia will develop. The application numbers show that many are ready to officially start growing and the groundwork has been laid.

For more information about the general conditions, those interested can take a look at the official pages: n-tv reported, [mags.nrw].