Niklas Kouparanis, CEO and Co-Founder of Bloomwell Group – Interview Series

While the American cannabis industry has become an estimated $30-$32 billion industry and has become a destination for international cannabis consumers, several other countries across the world are now implementing their own cannabis reforms and legalization measures. One such notable country that passed a monumental cannabis reform in 2024 is Germany. As of April 2024, German citizens can legally possess just under an ounce of flower and up to two ounces in their private residences. However, fully licensed retail stores are virtually non-existent. For a better understanding of cannabis laws and the legalization efforts, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Niklas Kouparanis, CEO and Co-Founder of Bloomwell Group.

So, what subjects did you study in university, and how did those courses prepare you to work in the German cannabis industry?

I earned my Master’s degree in Management and in 2017, I wrote my thesis on the potential of upcoming cannabis legalization, focusing on medical cannabis as the catalyst. Around this time, I also started working in the medical cannabis industry, and it was full steam ahead from there. To date, I have been building cannabis companies in Germany for over eight years. I’m one of the few 100% cannabis entrepreneurs in Germany – starting with my MBA.

Since Germany legalized medical cannabis in 2017, how would you describe the overall medical cannabis program in Germany? Is it easy for patients to receive products, or is it more difficult? How many qualifying conditions are there that patients may receive cannabis for?

While it was extremely progressive for Germany to legalize medical cannabis in 2017, there were hurdles that remained, limiting patient access because cannabis was still classified as a narcotic drug and as a result, few physicians were willing to prescribe medical cannabis as a treatment option. But a first major step towards improved access to medical cannabis was the launch of Bloomwell’s own telemedicine platform in 2020 – it was the first of its kind in our country.

And we also saw tremendous progress following the passage of our country’s landmark Cannabis Act, which reclassified cannabis as a non-narcotic, empowering doctors to prescribe the plant like they would any other Rx prescription. Once this reclassification went into effect on April 1, 2024, access to prescription medical cannabis has become much easier, and the number of patients has multiplied. Imports have increased too, as the latest figures from Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) show the country imported a record amount of cannabis in the final quarter of 2024, with imports doubling in 2024 and these quantities are expected to continue growing to fulfill the rise in demand and subsequent prescriptions. In 2025, imports could exceed 150 tons, and the number of patients could rise to more than two million.

The medical cannabis industry is booming, and we’ve yet to even see it reach its full potential. A representative online survey conducted by Bloomwell showed that the majority of perceived cannabis users — who often obtain cannabis illegally — do so for health or medical reasons. A remarkable 94.4 percent of users cited at least one health-related motivation. Fortunately, people are able to get medical cannabis prescribed with common, but certainly aggravating, conditions and get the help they need. That means that people with issues like migraines, sleep disorders, and chronic pain can access medical cannabis online.

Before 2024, what was the law on cannabis in Germany? If a German citizen was caught with a small amount of cannabis, what would the penalties usually be?

Before 2024, cannabis was considered illegal in Germany, meaning possession of any amount, even small quantities, was technically punishable by law. Fortunately, we’ve decriminalized cannabis use, but CanG’s impact on the medical industry also should not be overlooked. Before April 2024, cannabis was still seen as this illicit, almost taboo substance. However, once it was reclassified, it could be prescribed just like any other medication, making it much easier for patients to access. This legal shift was a huge moment, as it’s helping to destigmatize the plant and enable access to healthcare that has the potential to help millions of people.

So, while cannabis is still illegal on the federal level here in the US, there are several states (provinces) that have legalized the possession and sale of the plant within its borders. Did Germany have similar policies of states passing their own cannabis laws before the federal government passed their law? If so, what were some of those reforms?

In Germany, the maximum adults can carry is 25 grams of cannabis, and adults can keep a maximum amount of 50 grams in their homes. However, we see discrepancies when it comes to permissions for licensed cannabis clubs. For example, all clubs proposed in Bavaria have been rejected by the region, despite their legalization by CanG. It is important to note that no single state or city in Germany has legalized the value chain for adult use cannabis. The only country-wide policy is that adults can access medical cannabis as a non-narcotic, similar to another Rx prescription, no matter where you live.

Is cannabis usage more prevalent in certain states/regions of Germany over others? Within Frankfurt, in particular, how popular is cannabis usage/culture overall?

We’re seeing some hubs where medical cannabis seems to be the preferred treatment option. Though in general we’re seeing that cannabis is very popular across all of Germany. Interestingly, many of our patients come from the south of Germany, where the politicians currently in power stigmatize cannabis the most and are typically in favor of prohibition. This illustrates the democratic potential of pro-cannabis policies. Today more than half of the German population would like to legalize the whole value chain for adult-use cannabis, similar to Canada’s policy. The more present cannabis is in everyday’s life, the more everyone understands that it is not as dangerous as many people wanted us to believe. The real risk is that, according to a survey conducted by Bloomwell, too many consumers still resort to acquiring cannabis on the illicit market. And according to an analysis of Sanity Group this cannabis is very often contaminated. The majority of these users have reported health or medical related motives and could instead easily access medical therapy via cannabis telehealth. We need better education for patients and physicians alike on the medical cannabis options and services available.

Before you joined the Bloomwell Group, what roles did you hold in the German cannabis industry, and what were the most impactful and/or important lessons you learned in those first roles?

I first joined Germany’s medical cannabis industry in 2017 as sales and marketing director of one of the very first German wholesaler before founding a Frankfurt-based wholesaler in 2018, and then exiting the company in 2019. I went on to found Bloomwell Group in 2020 with 3 other co-founders among others Dr. med. Julian Wichmann and my sister Anna-Sophia Kouparanis, who is also an accomplished cannabis entrepreneur in her own right. In my earlier roles, I certainly learned the ins and outs of the industry, including fundraising. I always had an entrepreneurial mindset and I knew I wanted to start my own companies.

What inspired you to found the Bloomwell Group, and what were some defining moments that led to its founding? What were the certain needs of the German industry that weren’t being met without Bloomwell Group?

Getting involved in the cannabis industry in Germany from the ground up was a once-in-a-lifetime, defining opportunity, and we founded Bloomwell Group with the goal of becoming the central point of contact in a new cannabis ecosystem that covers the entire value chain, outside of cultivation. And we’ve achieved this goal through innovation and the digitization of the entire medical cannabis therapy process. Our team pioneered the development of telemedicine services, digital payment integrations and individual e-prescription solutions for medical cannabis in Europe. In the early days of medical cannabis, the plant was still stigmatized and the majority of potential patients weren’t able to find a physician with the expertise, or even willingness, to consider medical cannabis as a treatment. But that’s changing. Today, under our consolidated Bloomwell digital platform and app, we offer tens of thousands of cannabis patients, pharmacies, doctors and wholesalers a central digital infrastructure. On request, patients can receive an individual e-prescription with a qualified remote signature from D-Trust, a Bundesdruckerei company, via the Bloomwell platform.

How does the Bloomwell Group’s technology assist both patients and medical providers/doctors?

For several years, Bloomwell Group had been operating the pioneering subsidiary brands Grüne Brise, the first and largest marketplace for cannabis pharmacies, and Algea Care, Europe’s largest cannabis telemedicine platform. In June 2024, we announced that we were uniting and further developing these operations, all under the Bloomwell brand name. By combining these well-respected businesses with a doctors-operated system enabling the scaling of treatment and a data-backed pharmaceutical logistics system that connects with leading wholesalers, Bloomwell now serves as the centralized digital infrastructure for medical cannabis distribution, therapy and dispensing, including speedy delivery services that are the first of its kind in Germany and bring prescriptions to patients’ homes within 24-48 hours. This integration also includes a user-friendly app, and it provides full access to the medical cannabis journey all in one place. The platform also offers more transparency, reliability, and effectiveness in patient care.

What have been some reviews you’ve received from patients and providers? Does it quicken the process of connecting patients with providers in the way that you wanted?

Every day patients share promising, excellent feedback. Some of them tell us that they are able to sleep well for the first time in years. Others report an impressive improvement in the quality of their daily life. For pharmacists, the automation of logistical processes via our IT infrastructure is a game changer. Additionally, thanks to our partnerships with D-Trust, a company of Bundesdruckerei, our e-prescriptions are 100% secure. Doctors also benefit by the e-prescription service, which enables them to sign prescriptions easily online, 100% securely and safely.

What are some future plans you have for Bloomwell Group? Do you plan on expanding the software into other countries’ medical cannabis industries?

We plan to continue to scale, as we forecast that Germany will soon have at least a few million medical cannabis patients. Despite the election outcome in favor of conservatives, medical cannabis is here to stay and grow. Additionally, we always take into consideration the perspective of our partners and patients. We’ll continue to work towards making the whole therapy process as efficient, secure and impactful as possible. We have achieved a lot, and there’s even more to come.

Thank you for joining us, Niklas! For more information on Bloomwell Group, please visit its website.