Who we are
Cannabis Social Club Dortmund e. V. is an association of adults who grow cannabis together, exclusively for the members’ own use. We founded the club on 5 September 2023, before the Consumer Cannabis Act (KCanG) came into force. We are registered with Dortmund Local Court under VR 7945.
Our members are 45 years old on average. A little over one in five is older than 55, and only 3 per cent are younger than 25. Just under four in five live in Dortmund.
The club is represented by an elected board. Two prevention officers are responsible for prevention and youth protection. They give confidential advice, anonymously if you wish.
The club at a glance
- Founded: 2023 in Dortmund, entered in the register of associations at Dortmund Local Court (VR 7945).
- Licence: On 25 November 2024, the Arnsberg District Government granted us a licence as the first cultivation association in Dortmund (§ 11 KCanG).
- Cultivation: We have been growing on 360 m² since 1 January 2025. The first harvest was in April 2025, and cannabis was first passed on to members in May 2025.
- Passing on: Cannabis is only ever passed on in person and within the maximum amounts set by law, and every instance is documented.
- Lab: Our cannabis is tested regularly by an independent laboratory. All results are listed under Lab resultsDE.
We publish figures on admissions, passing on and lab testing in our announcements under NewsDE.
How we work
We do not work for profit (§ 1 no. 13 KCanG). Our fees are set in the statutes and fee regulations, and we use them for cultivation, lab testing, prevention and administration. The Costs page explains what this means for you.
Cultivation is a joint effort, by members for members. We only pass on cannabis to members, in person and after checking their membership card and photo ID. There is no shop, no sale and no delivery.
- Prevention: A knowledge section, an anonymous self-test and training, open to everyone. More under Prevention.
- Youth protection: Minors are not allowed on our premises. The Youth protection page explains what we do to ensure this.
- Lab: We publish the results of all analyses under Lab resultsDE.
- Community: Our code of conductDE sets out how we treat one another.
Our legal obligations
- Licence and supervision: We may only grow and pass on cannabis with a licence under § 11 KCanG. The authority checks that we comply with the requirements.
- Youth and health protection: We have a health and youth protection plan and appoint prevention officers (§ 23 KCanG).
- Records: We record cultivation, stocks and every instance of passing on, and keep these records for five years (§ 26 KCanG).
- No advertising: Advertising for cannabis and for cultivation associations is prohibited (§ 6 KCanG). That is why we provide factual information here.
What we stand for
We campaign for a health-oriented, evidence-based drug policy. With a view to the evaluation of the KCanG, we are in favour of developing the legal framework further rather than rolling it back.