Is Cannabis / THC legal in Germany?

Also known as: weed, marijuana

Legal status

Controlled, and not as a narcotic. Since 1 April 2024 cannabis is governed by the Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG) and medical cannabis by the Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz (MedCanG), not by the Betaeubungsmittelgesetz. [Certain] Re-derived in this pass: KCanG SS 1, 3 and 34 were read at gesetze-im-internet.de on 21 September 2026. S 1 Nr. 8 defines Cannabis as „Pflanzen, Blueten und sonstige Pflanzenteile sowie Harz der zur Gattung Cannabis gehoerenden Pflanzen einschliesslich den pflanzlichen Inhaltsstoffen nach Nummer 1 und Zubereitungen aller vorgenannten Stoffe mit Ausnahme von“, and it then runs through five exceptions the earlier entry did not reproduce: (a) medical and medico-scientific cannabis under the MedCanG, (b) Cannabidiol, (c) Vermehrungsmaterial, (d) Nutzhanf, and (e) plants in protective strips in beet breeding destroyed before flowering. [Certain] The BtMG Anlagen were read the same day: Anlage I lists the tetrahydrocannabinol isomers Δ6a(10a), Δ6a, Δ7, Δ8, Δ10 and Δ9(11) and NOT Δ9; Anlage II carries a medical-cannabis exception naming the MedCanG; and Dronabinol appears in neither Anlage II nor Anlage III. So the BtMG Anlage I cannabis entry named by the earlier source no longer exists, and any cell still citing it is out of date. Cannabidiol is expressly outside the KCanG definition by S 1 Nr. 8 Buchstabe b, so the CBD row does not inherit this one.

Consequences if caught

Capital exposure: none. Germany has no death penalty and the KCanG carries no life term, so nothing on this row can reach either. [Certain] Re-derived in this pass from KCanG S 34, read at gesetze-im-internet.de on 21 September 2026. S 34 Absatz 1 punishes the listed conduct, which includes possessing more than the permitted amount, cultivating more than three plants, manufacturing, trafficking, importing and exporting, with Freiheitsstrafe bis zu drei Jahren oder Geldstrafe. Absatz 2 makes the attempt punishable for numbers 3 to 16. Absatz 3 sets besonders schwere Faelle at drei Monate bis zu fuenf Jahre, the aggravating factors being gewerbsmaessiges Handeln, endangering the health of several people, an adult supplying a minor, and conduct involving a nicht geringe Menge. Absatz 4 sets the highest tier at Freiheitsstrafe nicht unter zwei Jahren, in minder schweren Faellen drei Monate bis zu fuenf Jahre, for commercial supply to a minor, recruiting a minor for trafficking, organised conduct involving a nicht geringe Menge, and trafficking while armed. Absatz 5 punishes the negligent form with Freiheitsstrafe bis zu einem Jahr oder Geldstrafe. [Certain] The permitted amounts are in S 3: Absatz 1 allows a person over 18 bis zu 25 Gramm Cannabis zum Eigenkonsum in public, Absatz 2 allows bis zu 50 Gramm and bis zu drei lebende Cannabispflanzen in the dwelling, and the combined total may not exceed 50 Gramm. No nicht geringe Menge figure is quoted here, because S 34 does not state one as a number and the threshold is set by case law that was not read in this pass.

If prescribed or medical

Recreational personal use by adults is permitted under CanG; for any medical-cannabis import, carry the narcotics travel certificate (see documentation).

Documentation

EU/Schengen travel: carry prescribed narcotics for up to 30 days with an Article 75 Schengen certificate, completed by your doctor and authenticated by the competent Land health authority (one certificate per drug). From outside Schengen: carry a multilingual doctor's certificate authenticated by your home-country health authority. Ordinary (non-narcotic) medicines: up to a 3-month personal supply.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Germany’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.