Cultivation association, cannabis shop or pharmacy: what is the difference?

Cultivation association: non-commercial and members only

A cultivation association is a registered, non-commercial association or registered cooperative. It requires a permit under section 11 KCanG to cultivate cannabis collectively and transfer it personally to members for their own consumption within the statutory framework.

Membership is not an ordinary retail transaction. Admission requirements, active participation, contributions, quantity limits and documentation form part of the regulated association. Transfer requires the simultaneous personal presence of the members involved; shipping and delivery are prohibited.

A cannabis shop is not a KCanG category

The German Consumer Cannabis Act did not create general public retail sales of recreational cannabis. A shop selling accessories or other legally permitted goods is therefore not automatically authorised to supply recreational cannabis to the public.

A cultivation association does not become a shop because it has a location, member hours or contributions. Access and transfer remain restricted to members and subject to statutory and internal requirements.

• no public sale by the cultivation association
• no walk-in retail or delivery
• personal age and membership checks
• a non-commercial association purpose rather than retail trade

Pharmacy: medical care on prescription

Medicinal cannabis follows a separate legal framework. It is prescribed by a physician and dispensed by pharmacies as part of medical care. Diagnosis, treatment decisions and pharmaceutical advice belong in that setting.

A cultivation association replaces neither medical treatment nor a pharmacy. Transfers to members are non-medical, and association information must not be understood as individual medical or treatment advice.

What this means for AVK Club

AVK Club is the short name of Anbauvereinigung für Kannabis e.V. and is not a public retail shop. Its operating location on Goerzallee in Berlin-Zehlendorf supports regulated member processes. AVK Club applies its own minimum admission age of 21.

This article explains organisational forms. It neither promotes cannabis nor replaces individual legal or medical advice.