+
+
Table of contents
- Germany cannabis act (KCanG): what changed in April 2024 ›
- How much weed can you have in Germany ›
- Is marijuana legal in Germany to buy or sell ›
- Is THC flower legal in Germany ›
- Cannabis social clubs in Germany ›
- Can tourists buy weed in Germany ›
- HHC and semi-synthetic cannabinoids follow a different law ›
- Where to buy legal cannabis in Germany ›
Cannabis is partly legal in Germany. Since April 2024 adults may carry up to 25 grams in public, keep up to 50 grams of dried cannabis at home and grow three plants for personal use. The reform did not legalise commercial retail sale of cannabis flower. Legal supply is possible only through non-commercial cultivation associations or, for patients, through pharmacies.
Possession and supply are governed differently. This is the main source of confusion for residents and visitors. A second legal framework is often mistaken for the first: the Cannabis Act covers cannabis, while HHC and similar semi-synthetic cannabinoids are subject to the New Psychoactive Substances Act.
Key facts
- The Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG) entered into force on 1 April 2024.
- Adults may possess up to 25 grams of cannabis in public.
- Up to 50 grams of dried cannabis per adult are permitted at a private residence.
- Private cultivation is limited to three flowering plants per adult.
- HHC and comparable semi-synthetic cannabinoids are covered by the New Psychoactive Substances Act since 14 June 2024.
Germany cannabis act (KCanG): what changed in April 2024
The Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG) removed cannabis from the Narcotics Act and replaced the blanket ban with a system of quantity limits. It forms one part of the Cannabis Act package; the second part, the Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz (MedCanG), governs medical cannabis and made prescriptions possible without a narcotics prescription form. The possession and cultivation rules applied from April 2024. Licensed cultivation associations followed at a later stage of the reform.
Commercial retail sale of cannabis is not part of the current law.
| Activity | Status under KCanG | Limit or condition |
|---|---|---|
| Possession in public | Permitted for adults | Up to 25 g of cannabis |
| Possession at a private residence | Permitted for adults | Up to 50 g of dried cannabis per adult |
| Home cultivation | Permitted for adults | Up to three flowering plants, secured against access by others |
| Passing cannabis to another person | Prohibited | Selling and giving away are both excluded |
| Commercial retail sale of flower | Prohibited | No licensed recreational shops exist |
| Consumption in public | Restricted | Not within 100 metres of schools, playgrounds and sports facilities; pedestrian zones only outside 07:00 to 20:00 |
The full text of the act is published by the Federal Ministry of Justice at gesetze-im-internet.de, and the Federal Ministry of Health maintains an English FAQ on the Cannabis Act.
How much weed can you have in Germany
Twenty-five grams in public and fifty grams at home are the two figures that matter. The public limit applies to everything carried outside the home, including a bag, a car or a hotel room that is not a private residence. The home limit applies per adult living in the household, so a shared flat with three adults is assessed per person, not per address.
Exceeding the numbers does not automatically result in criminal liability. The act separates administrative offences from criminal offences: a small overrun is handled as an administrative offence with a fine, while clearly larger quantities are covered by the criminal provisions of the Cannabis Act. Cultivation beyond three plants and any transfer to another person are treated more severely than a few grams too many.
Possession rules and road traffic rules are two different things. Driving under the influence of cannabis remains a separate offence under German road traffic law.
Is marijuana legal in Germany to buy or sell
Buying cannabis from a dealer remains illegal, and selling it without authorisation is a criminal offence. The reform legalised possession and private cultivation; it did not legalise trade. Giving a few grams to a friend is also excluded, even between two adults who each stay below their own limits.
That is the structural reason why the German market did not change immediately. Adults who want cannabis legally have three routes: grow it themselves, join a cultivation association, or obtain a prescription from a doctor and collect medical cannabis at a pharmacy. Everything outside those routes remains in the illegal market, with the risks that come with unlabelled products.
Separate from all of this, European online shops sell hemp products and products based on other cannabinoids, for example the THCA range. These are not cannabis flower in the sense of the KCanG, and their treatment depends on the substance and on the country of delivery. Check the rules that apply where you live before ordering anything.
Is THC flower legal in Germany
Cannabis flower with intoxicating THC content may be possessed within the legal limits, yet it may not be sold to consumers. The act excludes certified hemp from the EU variety catalogue with a THC content of up to 0.3 percent when it is handled for commercial or industrial purposes and intoxication is excluded. Whether hemp flower may legally be sold to private customers remains unresolved, and the rules differ between countries. Our overview of the cannabinoid rules in every European country describes the national positions in more detail.
Products based on other cannabinoids follow their own rules again. THCA, CBG, CBN and similar compounds are not covered by the same paragraph as cannabis flower, and their treatment differs from one European country to the next. Our overview of THC rules across Europe shows how far the national positions diverge.
Cannabis social clubs in Germany
Anbauvereinigungen are non-commercial associations that grow cannabis for their own members, and they have been licensable since a later stage of the 2024 reform. Each association has a maximum member limit, and all members must be adults with residence or habitual abode in Germany. The association may distribute cannabis only to members, never to guests.
- Daily and monthly quantity caps per member, stated in the text of the KCanG.
- Stricter monthly quantity and an additional THC ceiling for younger adult members.
- Seeds and cuttings may be passed to members in limited numbers per month.
- Consumption on the association premises and in the immediate surroundings is prohibited.
- Financing through membership fees; profit-oriented operation is excluded.
Licensing is handled by the federal states, and the pace differs widely between them.
Can tourists buy weed in Germany
No. Visitors cannot join a cultivation association because membership requires residence in Germany, and no shop may sell cannabis flower to them. The possession limits themselves apply to everyone on German territory, so a tourist carrying 20 grams is in the same position as a resident. The source of that cannabis is the problem: street purchase remains a criminal matter for the seller and an illegal act for the buyer.
Crossing a national border with cannabis is a separate offence. The same applies in the other direction. Anyone travelling onwards should read the national rules first; the differences are large, as our article on cannabis law in Poland shows for the eastern neighbour.
HHC and semi-synthetic cannabinoids follow a different law
HHC, HHC-P and comparable semi-synthetic cannabinoids are not covered by the Cannabis Act at all; Germany made them subject to the New Psychoactive Substances Act (NpSG) on 14 June 2024. The NpSG works with substance groups rather than single molecules, so a chemical variation does not automatically escape it. The text is published at gesetze-im-internet.de.
Treating these compounds as if they shared the 25 gram allowance of cannabis is a common and expensive mistake. The background to the German decision is explained in our article on the HHC ban in Germany, and a later case is documented in the piece on the 10-OH-HHC decision. Lists of controlled substances are updated regularly, so a cannabinoid that was unregulated last year may be controlled today.
Where to buy legal cannabis in Germany
Three legal sources exist: a pharmacy with a valid prescription, a licensed cultivation association for its own members, and a person's own three plants. Pharmacy supply is governed by the MedCanG and requires a doctor, not a web form. Association supply requires membership and a waiting period. Home cultivation requires space, time and storage that excludes the harvest from access by others in the household.
Online shops in Europe sell hemp and cannabinoid products that are not cannabis flower in the sense of the KCanG. Their legal treatment depends on the substance and on the country of delivery, which is why a short check before ordering is worth more than any marketing claim:
- Which cannabinoid is actually declared on the label, and in which concentration.
- Whether a certificate of analysis for the batch is available on request.
- Which national rules apply at your delivery address, including any substance lists.
- Whether the seller states a reachable customer-service contact.
- Whether the product description avoids health promises, which are not permitted for this category.
If you are unsure which format fits your situation at all, the Canapuff product finder narrows the options, and the THCA flower selection shows how cannabinoid content is declared in practice.
