Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V.

What Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V. does

Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V. (BDCan) is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Essen, Germany, that advocates for chronically and seriously ill patients who may benefit from medical cannabis therapy. Founded around 2019 from a grassroots patient self-help community, the organization supports members and the wider public through telephone hotline, email counseling, online self-help groups (Cannabis als Medizin; ADHS und Cannabinoide), and local chapters (Essen, Oberhausen), while engaging with politicians, the G-BA, statutory health insurance funds, the MDK, physicians, and pharmacies to defend and improve patient access to medical cannabis covered under § 31 Abs. 6 SGB V.

BDCan's product surface consists primarily of informational and community assets rather than technology products: the BDCan-Blütenliste reference database of medical cannabis flowers, the BDCan-Extraktliste database of extracts and finished pharmaceutical products, the hosted Cannabis-Arzneimittel Bewertungs-App (a third-party AppSheet app by Marko Blisse integrated with permission), cost-coverage advisory services, and monthly self-help group meetings. It also co-signed the Verbändepapier with peer associations (DMCG, SCM, WCM) and operates within the Verbändebündnis coalition with ACM, VCA, BvCW, and BPC to coordinate industry-wide political advocacy on reimbursement and regulatory issues.

The organization is funded through annual membership dues — a minimum of €50 for employed members and €25 for non-employed members, with honorary members exempt — and donations. Leadership is provided by an unpaid volunteer board: Daniela Joachim as Vorstandsvorsitzende (since 2023), Minyi Lü as stellvertretende Vorstandsvorsitzende, and Marc Ziemann as Kassenwart. BDCan operates with 11–50 employees and has no parent company, holding structure, or institutional investors, consistent with its e.V. status under German association law.

Name

Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V.

Legal name

Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V.

Website

https://bdcan.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V. is a German non-profit association that advocates for chronically ill patients using medical cannabis, providing counseling, self-help groups, reference databases, and policy advocacy to protect statutory health insurance reimbursement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: The organization operates on membership fees. According to the fee schedule: employed members pay a minimum of €50 annually, non-employed members pay a minimum of €25 annually, and honorary members pay no fees. Members can choose to pay above the minimum. Revenue supports the association's advocacy activities and member services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V. is a registered nonprofit association (e.V.) that advocates for and supports chronically ill patients using medical cannabis in Germany. It sells association memberships to patients and provides them with legal advice, health insurance reimbursement counseling, online self-help groups, and access to proprietary cannabis-product databases such as the Blütenliste and Extraktliste. The association also operates a Cannabis-Arzneimittel Bewertungs-App and acts as a unified patient voice toward policy makers, physicians, and partner organizations.

Product overview

Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V. (BDCan) is a non-profit patient advocacy organization, not a product company. It operates informational databases including the BDCan-Blütenliste (cannabis flower database) and BDCan-Extraktliste (extract and finished medicine database), offers a cannabis medication rating app, and provides support services through online self-help groups and advisory services for cost coverage applications. The organization focuses on advocacy for patient rights and improving access to medical cannabis in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Association Membership Annual membership in the BDCan patient association, available to patients and supporters; tiered fees (employed vs. non-employed) granting access to advice, databases, and self-help groups.
• Cannabis-Arzneimittel Bewertungs-App Rating app for cannabis-based medications that lets patients evaluate and share experiences with cannabis therapies for guiding other patients' choices.
• BDCan-Blütenliste Member-accessible reference list of cannabis flower products used to help patients choose between available medical cannabis flowers.
• BDCan-Extraktliste Member-accessible reference list of cannabis extracts used to help patients select among available cannabis extract medications.
• Online-SHG ADHS und Cannabinoide Online self-help group for patients interested in the intersection of ADHD and cannabinoid therapy, providing moderated peer exchange.
• Online-SHG Cannabis als Medizin Online self-help group on cannabis as medicine, giving patients a moderated peer setting to discuss therapy experiences and questions.
• Kostenübernahme-Beratung (Reimbursement Counseling) Counseling service for BDCan members on obtaining statutory health insurance reimbursement for medical cannabis, including help with applications and denials.
• Legal Advice (Mitgliederberatung Recht) Legal advisory service for BDCan members covering questions around medical cannabis use, prescriptions, and patient rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Active participation of patients in self-help groups nationwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Cannabis als Medizin e.V. (ACM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026ACM is a founding member of the Verbändebündnis (coalition of associations) with BDCan. Founded in 1997 by healthcare professionals and patients, ACM has been instrumental in improving medical cannabis regulations in Germany. Joint advocacy work on medical cannabis policy and patient rights.
• Verband der Cannabis versorgenden Apotheken e.V. (VCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026VCA represents pharmacies specializing in medical cannabis supply. BDCan collaborates with VCA on patient advocacy and access issues. VCA provides patient flyer for informing patients about proposed changes to reimbursement.
• Branchenverband Cannabiswirtschaft e.V. (BvCW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026BvCW is the voice of the cannabis industry in Germany. Member of the Verbändebündnis coalition working jointly on medical cannabis policy advocacy and protecting patient access to medication.
• Bundesverband pharmazeutischer Cannabinoidunternehmen e.V. (BPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026BPC represents pharmaceutical cannabinoid companies in Germany. Joint member of the Verbändebündnis coalition advocating for patient access to medical cannabis and working on regulatory framework improvements.
• Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Selbsthilfegruppen e.V. (DAG SHG)minorOthersBDCan is affiliated with DAG SHG, the German working group for self-help groups. DAG SHG logo appears on the BDCan website indicating membership or partnership.
• Deutsche Medizinal-Cannabis Gesellschaft e.V. (DMCG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMCG is listed as a co-signatory on the joint position paper (Verbändepapier) advocating for patient protection in medical cannabis regulations.
• Patientenverband Selbsthilfenetzwerk Cannabis-Medizin (SCM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCM is listed as a co-signatory on the joint position paper (Verbändepapier) for protecting medical cannabis patient supply.
• Wissenschaftsnetzwerk Cannabinoide in der Medizin (WCM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCM is listed as a co-signatory on the joint position paper advocating for medical cannabis research and education improvements.
• Apotheken (Pharmacies)coreOthersBDCan collaborates with pharmacies and pharmacists who dispense medical cannabis. This ensures patients receive the best possible care in the medical cannabis sector. Work includes addressing bureaucratic obstacles and supporting pharmacies in their dispensing role.
• Ärzte (Physicians)coreOthersBDCan works with physicians who prescribe medical cannabis, helping to connect patients with qualified doctors and supporting the medical community in navigating cannabis therapy regulations.
• Krankenkassen (Health Insurance Funds)coreOthersBDCan engages with statutory health insurance funds regarding cost coverage for medical cannabis, advocating for patients' rights to reimbursement under § 31 Abs. 6 SGB V.
• Marko BlisseminorOthersMarko Blisse created the cannabis medication rating app and tutorial video, which BDCan hosts on their website with his permission. This is an external link hosted on appsheet.com.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Cannabis als Medizin e.V. (ACM): Long-standing German association promoting medical cannabis use since 1997 and a Verbändebündnis partner of BDCan. Directly comparable as a non-profit advocating patient and physician access to medical cannabis in Germany.
• Selbsthilfenetzwerk Cannabis-Medizin (SCM): German patient self-help network focused on cannabis medicine and listed as a BDCan coalition co-signatory. Comparable as a peer patient advocacy and self-help organization operating in the same medical cannabis patient space.
• Deutsche Medizinal-Cannabis Gesellschaft e.V. (DMCG): German medical cannabis society and Verbändepapier co-signatory with BDCan. Comparable as an industry-aligned association working on the same regulatory framework for medical cannabis.
• Verband der Cannabis versorgenden Apotheken e.V. (VCA): German pharmacy association representing cannabis-dispensing pharmacies; BDCan's chair is also employed at VCA. Highly comparable as a stakeholder association engaged in advocacy, education and policy on medical cannabis access in Germany.
• Wissenschaftsnetzwerk Cannabinoide in der Medizin (WCM): German science network for cannabinoids in medicine and a Verbändepapier co-signatory with BDCan. Comparable as a stakeholder network working on research, education and policy for medical cannabis in Germany.
• Branchenverband Cannabiswirtschaft e.V. (BvCW): Industry voice of the German cannabis economy and a Verbändebündnis partner. Comparable as a sector association working on medical cannabis policy, though it represents industry rather than patient interests.
• Bundesverband pharmazeutischer Cannabinoidunternehmen e.V. (BPC): German association of pharmaceutical cannabinoid companies and Verbändebündnis partner of BDCan. Comparable as a coalition stakeholder working on the same regulatory framework, with a pharma-industry perspective rather than patient perspective.

Emerging players

• NORML Deutschland: German affiliate of the international NORML network advocating for cannabis policy reform. Comparable as a German non-profit advocacy organization operating in the broader cannabis policy space, though its remit spans adult-use as well as medical.
• Deutscher Hanfverband e.V. (DHV): Leading German cannabis legalization advocacy organization, primarily focused on adult-use legalization rather than medical cannabis. Comparable as a non-profit cannabis advocacy association operating in Germany with policy and media influence.

Others

• Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Selbsthilfegruppen e.V. (DAG SHG): Umbrella German self-help organization with which BDCan is affiliated. Comparable as the broader self-help infrastructure BDCan participates in, providing adjacency rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BDCan_eV
• Facebookfacebook.com/BDCanPat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bdcan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bund Deutscher Cannabis-Patienten e.V.