Medical cannabis in Germany. How to get it legally.
In Germany you can legally get a prescription for medical cannabis after a doctor has reviewed your case, including online through telemedicine. This guide explains what the law says, who decides, how a request at 420doc works, what it costs in principle and how you can do all of it in English.
Last updated 23 Oct 2026
Photograph, black and white420doc
2026
Chapter The law
In short
- Since 1 April 2024, medical cannabis in Germany has been governed by the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG) and no longer counts as a narcotic. It is still a prescription-only medicine.
- Only a doctor can prescribe it, and only a pharmacy can dispense it on prescription (§ 3 MedCanG).
- You can also get a cannabis prescription online: a doctor reviews your request via telemedicine. There is no right to a prescription; the doctor decides in each individual case.
- Confidential: no billing to health insurance, no automatic notifications to your insurer or employer, and medical confidentiality applies.
- You collect your medicine from a pharmacy near you or have it delivered to your home.
- Everything at 420doc works in English. An optional consultation with the doctor is possible in German, English or Turkish.
Is medical cannabis legal in Germany?
Yes. Since 1 April 2024, medical cannabis has been regulated by its own law, the Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz (MedCanG). Since that date it is no longer classed as a narcotic (Betäubungsmittel) in Germany, but it remains a medicine that is only dispensed on prescription.
The law sets out clear roles: only a doctor may prescribe medical cannabis (dentists and vets may not), and only a pharmacy may dispense it to a patient on prescription (§ 3 MedCanG). There is no legal way to buy medical cannabis without a prescription.
A cannabis prescription in Germany can also be issued online. As of 23 October 2026, doctors may prescribe medical cannabis after a telemedical review if this is medically justified in the individual case, and pharmacies may ship flowers. The government proposed restricting online prescriptions and the shipping of flowers (draft law, Bundestag Drucksache 21/3061), but this law has not been passed. You'll find more on the page about the legal situation.
Medical cannabis and recreational cannabis: two different laws
On the same day, 1 April 2024, the Consumer Cannabis Act (KCanG) also came into force. It governs use by adults outside of medicine, a separate topic with its own rules.
Medical cannabis
Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz (MedCanG)
- Only on a doctor's prescription.
- Only from a pharmacy, in pharmaceutical quality.
- The doctor checks whether the therapy is suitable for you and sets the dosage.
Recreational cannabis
Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG)
- No doctor and no prescription.
- Not from a pharmacy.
- Separate rules, nothing to do with treatment.
Medicine from the pharmacy is prescribed to you personally and is only for your own treatment. You don't pass it on to anyone else.
Who decides: the doctor, not the platform
420doc is a digital platform. It passes your request on to a doctor and provides the technical support. Diagnoses, treatment decisions and prescriptions are solely a matter for independent doctors licensed in Germany (Approbation).
The doctor reviews your information, weighs up benefits and risks and asks follow-up questions if needed. There is no right to a prescription; the doctor decides. The doctor can decline if medical, legal or safety reasons speak against it.
What the doctor looks at, for example:
- your symptoms and how long you've had them;
- whether a doctor has made a diagnosis (this is a requirement);
- which treatments you've already had and why they weren't enough;
- medicines you take, previous and other conditions, allergies;
- reasons that speak against it, such as a past psychosis, pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Medical records (doctor's letters, reports) are not mandatory but help with the assessment. The guide Medical records from abroad explains how to prepare documents from your home country.
How to get a cannabis prescription online at 420doc
How a request works
Step 1
Online questionnaire
You choose a pharmacy and a product from the live stock and answer medical questions: symptoms, medical history, treatments, medicines. The whole questionnaire is available in English.
Step 2
Documents and ID
You upload a photo of an official document (passport, national ID card, driving licence or residence permit). You must be of legal age (18+). You can add medical records if you wish.
Step 3
Review by a doctor
A doctor based in Germany reviews your information individually. If there are questions, you'll find them in your patient area. A consultation isn't required, but you can book a video consultation or an in-person appointment in Düsseldorf if you'd like to talk to the doctor.
Step 4
Prescription or decline
If treatment is medically justified, the prescription is signed electronically and sent to the pharmacy you chose. You get an answer either way. If your request is declined, the prescription fee is refunded in full.
Step 5
Pharmacy
A pharmacy in Germany advises you and dispenses the medicine: collection in person or delivery in neutral packaging.
How online consultations work in general, and what you need for one, is explained in the guide Online doctor in Germany. Each step is also described on the page How it works.
Confidential: who finds out about your treatment
Many people don't know that medical cannabis can be obtained confidentially. At 420doc:
- No health insurance billing: 420doc doesn't bill your health insurer and doesn't read your electronic health card.
- No automatic notifications: neither your insurer nor your employer nor anyone else is automatically told about your request.
- Medical confidentiality: doctors are bound by medical confidentiality (ärztliche Schweigepflicht).
- Only what's needed: access is limited to those needed for the request, the doctor's review, the prescription and the pharmacy. The pharmacy you choose receives the prescription; without it, it can't dispense the medicine.
- Neutral: the pharmacy ships your order in neutral packaging, with the pharmacy as sender. Your bank statement shows a neutral name, without the word cannabis.
Collect from a pharmacy near you or get it delivered
Medical cannabis is only dispensed by a pharmacy in Germany. The 420doc network includes more than 450 pharmacies. You choose how to receive your medicine:
- Collection from a pharmacy near you: always possible as soon as the pharmacy has processed the prescription.
- Home delivery in neutral packaging, usually within 1 to 3 working days, depending on the pharmacy and shipping method.
- Courier or the pharmacy's own delivery service: in some cities, depending on your postcode, on the same day.
The pharmacy also advises you on how to use the medicine. Prices for the medicine are set by the pharmacy and are shown before you make a request; you can browse them in the live stock.
Costs: private prescription and health insurance
At 420doc you pay yourself. The costs have two parts: the doctor's fee for the review and prescription (billed privately under the German scale of medical fees, GOÄ) and the pharmacy's price for the medicine and delivery. You see all amounts before you make a request; details are on the page Prices and reimbursement.
Health insurance doesn't pay anything through 420doc. Coverage by statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) is only possible with a statutory prescription, for example from your GP or a specialist, and only under the conditions of § 31(6) SGB V:
- Since 30 July 2026, statutory health insurers no longer cover dried cannabis flowers.
- Standardised extracts and medicines containing dronabinol or nabilone can only be covered for a serious illness and under certain conditions.
- As a rule, the insurer has to approve the first prescription in advance (Genehmigung).
If you have private health insurance, including many international or expat health plans, you can submit the invoices to your insurer yourself. Whether you are reimbursed depends on your policy and is not guaranteed.
Medical cannabis in English: an English-speaking doctor
Frequently asked questions about medical cannabis in Germany
Is medical cannabis legal in Germany?
Yes. Since 1 April 2024 it has been regulated by the Medical Cannabis Act (MedCanG). It is prescribed by a doctor and only dispensed by a pharmacy on prescription.
Can I get a cannabis prescription in Germany online?
Yes, as of 23 October 2026 this is legal: a doctor can issue a prescription after a telemedical review if it is justified in the individual case. There is no guarantee of a prescription; the doctor decides.
Will my health insurer or employer find out?
420doc doesn't bill your health insurer, and neither your insurer nor your employer nor anyone else receives automatic notifications. Medical confidentiality applies. Only the pharmacy you choose receives the prescription.
Does health insurance cover medical marijuana?
Not through 420doc; you pay yourself. Since 30 July 2026, statutory insurers don't cover flowers; other cannabis medicines only with a statutory prescription under § 31(6) SGB V, usually with prior approval. With private or international insurance, it depends on your policy.
Where do I get the medicine?
Only from a pharmacy in Germany: collection from a pharmacy near you or home delivery in neutral packaging, in some cities by same-day courier.
Can I do everything in English?
Yes. The questionnaire, payment, patient area and emails are all in English. An optional consultation with the doctor, by video or in person in Düsseldorf, is possible in German, English or Turkish.
Read more
Medical cannabis. Reviewed by doctors.
An online questionnaire in English, a review by doctors based in Germany and, if the therapy is suitable for you, an e-prescription to the pharmacy of your choice.