At a glance
| NRW | Germany | |
|---|---|---|
| Applications | 254 | 916 |
| Licences | 144 | 494 |
| refused | 2 | 94 |
| withdrawn | 47 | 143 |
| still pending (calculated) | 61 |
As of 1 October 2026; figures reported by the authorities to the Federal Association of Cannabis Cultivation Associations (BCAv). This means North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has almost a third of all licences in Germany. The pending applications are calculated: applications minus licences, refusals and withdrawals.
Development since 2025
The first licences in NRW were granted in autumn 2024. Since then, new applications have kept coming in, but more slowly than in the first year. About one in five applications has been withdrawn; only two have been refused in NRW so far.
Applications and licences in NRW
- Licences
- Applications
| As of | Applications | Licences |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 127 | 37 |
| Apr 2025 | 152 | 66 |
| Jul 2025 | 177 | 81 |
| Oct 2025 | 184 | 93 |
| Dec 2025 | 203 | 105 |
| Mar 2026 | 211 | 117 |
| May 2026 | 234 | 126 |
| Oct 2026 | 254 | 144 |
The state health ministry last reported to the state parliament (Landtag) with figures as of 6 March 2026: 219 applications, 118 licences, 2 refusals, 34 withdrawn or otherwise settled, 65 pending.
By district government
Licences are granted by the five district governments. In March 2026, all five released their lists in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act:
| District government | Licences (March 2026) |
|---|---|
| Düsseldorf | 32 |
| Köln | 31 |
| Arnsberg | 25 |
| Münster | 16 |
| Detmold | 13 |
| NRW | 117 |
The authorities do not publish newer figures per district of their own accord.
The Ruhr
Counted from the district governments’ lists of March 2026. The maximum number results from the limit of one cultivation association per 6,000 inhabitants.
| City or district | Licences | maximum permitted |
|---|---|---|
| Dortmund | 4 | 99 |
| Kreis Recklinghausen | 4 | 102 |
| Kreis Wesel | 4 | 76 |
| Bochum | 3 | 59 |
| Duisburg | 3 | 83 |
| Essen | 2 | 94 |
| Herne | 2 | 26 |
| Oberhausen | 2 | 35 |
| Gelsenkirchen | 1 | 44 |
| Hagen | 1 | 31 |
| Hamm | 1 | 29 |
| Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis | 1 | 52 |
| Bottrop | 0 | 19 |
| Kreis Unna | 0 | 65 |
| Mülheim an der Ruhr | 0 | 28 |
| The Ruhr | 28 | 842 |
Since March, 27 licences have been added in NRW; how they are distributed among the cities has not been published. The Cannabis Social Club Dortmund was the first association in Dortmund to receive its licence, in November 2024. What else applies to cannabis in the Ruhr is explained under Cannabis in the Ruhr.
How many are permitted at most
In every district and independent city, NRW permits at most one cultivation association per 6,000 inhabitants. Across the state, that would be just under 3,000. 144 have been licensed, around five per cent. So far, the limit has not mattered anywhere.
The maximum numbers are calculated using population figures as of 30 June 2026. The ordinance uses the figures as of 1 July 2024; in cities just at a threshold, the value may differ by one.
How many members?
There is no official figure, neither for NRW nor nationwide. The Federal Government has stated that it has no information on this. The only fixed figure is the upper limit of 500 members per cultivation association. Since it was founded, the Cannabis Social Club Dortmund has admitted almost 300 people.
Where the figures come from
- BCAv: application and licence figures (monthly survey of the authorities), data since January 2025
- NRW state parliament, documents 18/3794 (as of 1 April 2025) and 18/4919 (as of 6 March 2026)
- Arnsberg, Detmold, Düsseldorf, Köln and Münster District Governments, information under the NRW Freedom of Information Act (IFG NRW) from 12 to 16 March 2026, published on FragDenStaat
- § 4 NRW ordinance on responsibilities under the Consumer Cannabis Act, § 30 KCanG
- IT.NRW: population as of June 2026
We update the figures as soon as new data are published. Last updated: 23 October 2026.