Can I now legally buy cannabis in Germany? The most important answers

The cannabis law came into effect in Germany on April 1, 2024. The federal government has therefore removed cannabis from the list of prohibited substances in the Narcotics Act. From now on, everyone in Germany aged 18 or older can smoke weed. In addition, you can take 25 grams of weed with you and keep 50 grams at home.

Germans are allowed to grow a maximum of three cannabis plants for their own use. However, you should not plant them in allotments, but should keep them in your home or in gardens with high fences. The Cannabis Act obliges owners of seeds, plants and harvested cannabis to protect their cannabis products against theft and to ensure that children and young people cannot come into their possession.

No. If there are young people or children nearby, smoking weed is prohibited. There is also a general ban on consumption on playing and sports fields, at schools, daycare centers and near other facilities for young people and children. The rule applies to schools, daycare centers and the like: Anyone who wants to smoke weed must stay at least 100 meters (as the crow flies) from the entrance area. Grass may not be consumed in broad daylight, between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., even in pedestrian areas. Otherwise, smoking weed is allowed everywhere in public and private. Smoking establishments can therefore decide for themselves whether they are allowed to consume cannabis.

No. The distribution and sale of cannabis remains prohibited. Legal cannabis can only be obtained from those who are members of a non-profit, strictly regulated cultivation club, i.e. in so-called “Cannabis Social Clubs”. The members of a social club must all be of legal age and live in Germany. So the Swiss cannot travel to Germany and legally buy cannabis.

Fines and even jail time depending on the severity of the offense. If you smoke weed in prohibited zones – for example during the day in the pedestrian area – you can receive a fine of up to 30,000 euros. Ignoring the minimum distance of 100 meters, for example from schools, is not a criminal offense, but only an administrative offense. The police can punish the violation, but that is not necessary.

If you have slightly more cannabis than the 25 grams allowed in public, you can receive a fine of up to 30,000 euros. The same applies if you easily store more than 50 grams of cannabis in your home. Germany sets the limit at 30 grams of cannabis outdoors and 60 grams at home. If you exceed this value, you may even be sentenced to prison.

According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the current drug policy regarding cannabis consumption has reached its limits. Despite the ban on possessing and purchasing cannabis, the drug was widely consumed in Germany. The Germans got the grass on the black market. The result: there was no check to determine whether the grass contained toxins, impurities or synthetic cannabinoids.

The THC content, i.e. the amount of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol in cannabis, was also unknown to consumers. As a result, they could never estimate with certainty how strong the cannabis was. The German government has therefore decided on the cannabis law to protect consumers. It is intended to control the quality of cannabis and prevent the spread of contaminated to poisonous cannabis.