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Is cannabis legal in Germany? What is really allowed since 2024
Since April 2024, adults in Germany may carry up to 25 grams, keep up to 50 grams at home and grow three plants. Selling, passing cannabis on and using it near schools or playgrounds remain prohibited. The key rules at a glance.
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Since 1 April 2024, the Consumer Cannabis Act (Konsumcannabisgesetz, KCanG) sets out what adults in Germany are allowed to do. Legalisation does not mean that everything is allowed, though. Here are the key points, as of October 2026. This overview is not legal advice.
If you have moved to Germany from a country with different rules, three points are especially important: there are no licensed cannabis shops, you may not pass cannabis on to others, and the rules for driving are strict.
How much cannabis can you carry and keep at home?
Adults may carry up to 25 grams of cannabis in public. At their place of residence or habitual abode they may keep up to 50 grams of dried cannabis and up to three live plants. In total, the amount held may not exceed 50 grams.
Cannabis and plants must be stored so that children and young people cannot get at them.
Legal does not mean without rules. Knowing the rules means less stress and less risk.
Where can you get cannabis legally?
There are only two legal sources for cannabis for personal use: growing it yourself at home and a cultivation association (Anbauvereinigung), often called a cannabis club. Buying from a shop or from other people is not legal, because selling and passing on cannabis remain prohibited.
Since July 2024, non-profit cultivation associations with up to 500 members may grow cannabis together and pass it on to their members: no more than 25 grams a day and 50 grams a month, and for 18- to 20-year-olds no more than 30 grams a month with a maximum of 10 percent THC.
Only adults with a place of residence or habitual abode in Germany can become members, and each person may belong to only one association. Visitors without residence in Germany therefore cannot join a club.
Where is using cannabis banned?
Using cannabis is prohibited in the immediate presence of minors. In public, it is banned in schools, children's and youth facilities, on playgrounds and in public sports facilities, and within sight of them. Beyond 100 metres from the entrance, a place no longer counts as being within sight. In pedestrian zones, use is banned between 7 am and 8 pm.
Selling and passing cannabis on to others, and any supply to minors, remain prohibited.
- Not near schools, playgrounds, youth facilities or public sports facilities (within about 100 metres of the entrance).
- Not in pedestrian zones between 7 am and 8 pm.
- Not in the immediate presence of children and young people.
- No selling, no passing on, no supply to minors.
Cannabis and driving in Germany
At the wheel, the limit is 3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum. For novice drivers in their probationary period and for drivers under 21, there is an absolute ban. Patients have an exception if the THC comes from the intended use of a prescribed medicine, but they must still be fit to drive.
How long THC stays measurable is explained in the article How long does THC stay in your system?, and everything about driving during therapy is in the guide Driving with a cannabis prescription.
What applies to medical cannabis?
The amount limits of the KCanG do not apply to cannabis on prescription. What counts is the medical prescription under the Medical Cannabis Act (Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz, MedCanG). Keep your prescription or medication plan and the original packaging. Which documents help in a check is explained in the article Cannabis patient ID in Germany.
Whether medical cannabis can be prescribed via telemedicine and delivered by post is covered on our page Cannabis telemedicine: the legal situation.
Frequently asked questions
Is weed legal in Germany?
Partly. Adults may possess limited amounts and grow up to three plants at home. Selling and passing it on remain prohibited.
How much cannabis may I have?
Adults up to 25 grams in public and up to 50 grams of dried cannabis at home.
Can I buy cannabis in a shop in Germany?
No. There are no licensed shops. Legal sources are your own plants and a cultivation association for members living in Germany.
Can I smoke cannabis anywhere?
No. Use is banned within sight of schools, playgrounds, youth facilities and sports facilities, in the presence of minors and in pedestrian zones during the day.
Do the limits also apply to patients?
For prescribed medical cannabis, the medical prescription is what counts, not the limits of the KCanG.
Sources
- Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG), § 3 Erlaubter Besitz von Cannabis
- Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG), § 5 Konsumverbot
- Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG), § 16 Mitgliedschaft (Wohnsitz in Deutschland)
- Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG), § 19 Weitergabe in Anbauvereinigungen
- § 24a StVG: THC-Grenzwert im Straßenverkehr
- § 24c StVG: Alkohol- und Cannabisverbot für Fahranfänger
420doc editorial team · Published on 30 April 2026 · Updated on 26 October 2026
This article is for general information only and does not replace individual medical advice. How we review our content
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Cannabis patient ID in Germany: what it does and which proof really counts
There is no official cannabis patient ID in Germany. In a check, what counts is your prescription or medication plan and the medicine in its original packaging. A patient ID can help you show your prescription quickly, but it does not replace these documents.
How long does THC stay in your system? Blood, urine, saliva and hair
How long THC can be detected depends on the test and on how often someone uses cannabis: in blood usually hours, in urine days to weeks, in hair months. With tables on detection windows, limits and the difference between THC, 11-OH-THC and THC-COOH.
Does German health insurance cover medical cannabis? The rules since July 2026
Since 30 July 2026, statutory health insurance in Germany no longer pays for cannabis flowers. Standardised extracts and certain finished medicines can still be covered under conditions and with prior approval, and a private prescription remains possible.
Well informed. Factual, with sources.
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