Post-legalization rise in German medical cannabis interest: evidence from Google trends as surrogate marker

Key Points

• Interest in medical cannabis surged significantly after legalization, demonstrating a clear societal change.
• Google Trends data highlighted a 150% increase in searches related to medical cannabis within the first year of legalization.
• The analysis examines search behavior trends using Google as a surrogate marker for public interest.
• These findings call for further research on the implications of legalization on health behaviors and access to treatment.