Since 1 April 2024 it has been legal for adults to possess, grow and use cannabis in Germany, within clear limits. The law is called the Konsumcannabisgesetz, KCanG for short, and it made Germany the largest country in the EU to legalise cannabis for adults. Here we explain what the law allows, what is still prohibited, how medical cannabis is regulated and what has happened since the law came into force.
At a glance
- Adults over 18 may carry up to 25 grams of cannabis and keep up to 50 grams at home.
- People who live in Germany may grow up to three plants for personal use.
- Non-profit cultivation associations with up to 500 members may distribute cannabis to their members.
- There are no legal cannabis shops, and tourists cannot join the associations.
- Industrial hemp with no more than 0.3 per cent THC is not covered by the cannabis act.
From proposal to law
The German government presented its plans in 2023. The proposal had two pillars: the first covering home growing and non-profit cultivation associations, and the second covering regional pilot projects for commercial sales. The Bundestag passed the first pillar on 23 February 2024, and the law came into force on 1 April that year. The second pillar, with commercial sales, has not yet been introduced.
At the same time, medical cannabis got its own law, the Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz (MedCanG). Cannabis is therefore no longer classed as a narcotic under German law, which makes it easier for doctors to prescribe.
What does the German cannabis act allow?
- Possession. Adults may carry up to 25 grams of dried cannabis and keep up to 50 grams at home.
- Home growing. Adults who live in Germany may grow up to three plants at a time for personal use. Plants and harvest must be protected from children and third parties.
- Age limit. Everything the law allows applies only to people over 18.
There are also clear restrictions. Smoking cannabis is prohibited near children and young people, within sight of schools, playgrounds, youth centres and sports facilities, and in pedestrian zones in town centres between 7 am and 8 pm. Selling cannabis remains illegal, and any sale outside the associations is a criminal offence.
Cultivation associations: Germany’s cannabis social clubs
Since 1 July 2024 adults have been able to join a cultivation association, in German an Anbauvereinigung. The associations are non-profit, may have up to 500 members and grow cannabis that is distributed to their members. Advertising is prohibited, and the associations must be at least 200 metres from schools and playgrounds.
- Members over 21 may receive up to 25 grams a day and 50 grams a month.
- Members aged 18 to 21 may receive up to 30 grams a month, with a maximum THC content of 10 per cent.
- You must have lived in Germany for at least six months to become a member, so tourists cannot join.
Cannabis and driving
Since August 2024 drivers have been subject to a limit of 3.5 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood serum. Zero tolerance applies to new drivers on probation, and combining cannabis and alcohol behind the wheel is prohibited.
Medical cannabis in Germany
Since medical cannabis was taken out of the narcotics law, prescriptions have risen sharply, partly through online medical services. According to the government, imports of cannabis flowers for medical use rose from 19 to 80 tonnes between the first half of 2024 and the first half of 2025. The government has therefore proposed requiring an in-person doctor’s visit before cannabis is prescribed and banning mail-order sales of cannabis flowers. The proposal was debated in the Bundestag in December 2025 and January 2026, but as of September 2026 it had not yet been passed.
What has happened since the law came into force?
The law is being evaluated by an independent research project called EKOCAN. The reports published so far show that the effects are modest in both directions. Cannabis use among young people appears stable or slightly lower, while the fears raised by critics have largely not materialised. The cultivation associations have been slow to get going, and in 2025 only around 3.5 per cent of users’ cannabis came from them. Home growing, on the other hand, has increased sharply. We go through the figures in Germany’s cannabis law two years on.
Politically, the issue is still heated. Since 2025 Germany has been governed by a coalition of the CDU/CSU and the SPD, and the CDU/CSU has long wanted to repeal the law. In the coalition agreement, the parties agreed on an open-ended evaluation before any decisions are taken.
What does the law mean for CBD?
CBD products made from industrial hemp are not covered by the cannabis act. German law defines industrial hemp as hemp with no more than 0.3 per cent THC, the same limit that applies to cultivation in the EU, and such hemp may be used for commercial purposes that do not aim at intoxication. CBD oils, hemp flowers and other hemp products are therefore sold as before. You can read more about how the rules differ between countries in CBD in Europe.
How Germany compares with the rest of Europe
Germany was not the first EU country to legalise cannabis for adults. Malta allowed home growing and non-profit cannabis associations in 2021, and Luxembourg has allowed adults to grow up to four plants at home since 2023. Since 1 January 2026, adults over 21 in the Czech Republic may grow up to three plants, keep up to 100 grams at home and carry up to 25 grams in public. Sales are still not allowed in any of these countries.
Other countries are testing regulated sales instead. In the Netherlands, coffeeshops have long been tolerated, and since April 2025 coffeeshops in ten municipalities may only sell cannabis from licensed growers as part of a government experiment. Switzerland has allowed scientific pilot trials with regulated cannabis sales since May 2021. In most European countries, however, cannabis is still illegal for adults.
Travelling with cannabis in Europe
It is illegal to take cannabis across borders, even between countries that have legalised it. Patients with a prescription for medical cannabis can travel within the Schengen area with a certificate under Article 75 of the Schengen Convention, issued by the authorities in their home country and valid for up to 30 days. You can find a country-by-country overview of CBD in Is CBD oil legal in Europe?
Frequently asked questions about cannabis in Germany
Is cannabis legal in Germany?
Yes. Since 1 April 2024, adults over 18 may possess up to 25 grams of cannabis in public and 50 grams at home and grow up to three plants. Sales in shops are still not allowed.
Can you buy cannabis in Germany?
No, there are no legal cannabis shops. Cannabis can only be obtained legally by growing it yourself, through a cultivation association or on prescription as medical cannabis.
Can tourists join a cannabis club in Germany?
No. To become a member of a cultivation association, you must have lived in Germany for at least six months.
Can you smoke cannabis in public in Germany?
Yes, but not near children and young people, within sight of schools, playgrounds and sports facilities, or in pedestrian zones between 7 am and 8 pm.
What is the THC limit for drivers in Germany?
The limit is 3.5 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood serum. Zero tolerance applies to new drivers.
Does the cannabis act affect CBD products?
No. Industrial hemp with no more than 0.3 per cent THC is not covered by the cannabis act, and CBD products are sold as before.
Sources
- Bundesgesetzblatt (2024). Gesetz zum kontrollierten Umgang mit Cannabis und zur Änderung weiterer Vorschriften (Cannabisgesetz, CanG). BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 109.
- Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (2026). FAQ zum Cannabisgesetz.
- Deutscher Bundestag (2026). Experten für Nachbesserungen am Medizinalcannabis-Gesetzentwurf. Text archive, 14 January 2026.
- Haufe (2026). KCanG-Evaluation: Was die Cannabis-Legalisierung brachte.
- Medicanova (2026). Cannabis-Rezept online verboten? Stand 2026.
- European Union Drugs Agency (2021). Malta and Luxembourg announce plans for limited cultivation and use of cannabis.
- Expats.cz (2026). Inside Czechia’s new cannabis law: How much can you legally grow and possess?
- Federal Office of Public Health FOPH (2026). Pilot trials with cannabis.
- Rijksoverheid (2025). Start van de experimenteerfase Experiment gesloten coffeeshopketen (wietexperiment) op 7 april.
