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Yes, weed is legal in Germany for adults within limits. Since 1 April 2024, the Cannabis Act has allowed adults aged 18 and over to carry up to 25 grams in public. They may also keep up to 50 grams at home and grow three plants.
There are still no cannabis shops: legal supply comes only from home growing or non-commercial cultivation associations. This guide explains Germany’s cannabis laws, where you can and cannot smoke, how to get cannabis legally, medical rules and what tourists should know.
Is weed legal in Germany for recreational use?
Yes. Recreational cannabis, or marijuana, has been legal for adults in Germany since 1 April 2024, under the Cannabis Act, known in German as the CanG. It contains two laws: one for consumer cannabis and one for medical cannabis.
Adults may carry up to 25 grams of dried cannabis in public. At their home or habitual residence, they may keep up to 50 grams in total. Purchase, possession and cultivation all remain banned for anyone under 18.
Legal does not mean unrestricted. There is still no commercial market, and the Federal Health Ministry sets out where and how cannabis may be used. The current government has criticised the law and an official evaluation is under way, but no rollback had been passed by the review date.
Can you grow weed at home in Germany?
Yes. Adults may grow up to three cannabis plants at home for their own use. The Federal Health Ministry links home growing to having a residence or habitual abode in Germany for at least six months.
The 50-gram limit on cannabis kept at home still applies.
Where can you buy weed in Germany?
You cannot buy weed in a shop in Germany. The Cannabis Act did not create a retail market, and no pilot projects for commercial sales had been approved as of September 2026.
The only legal source besides home growing is a cultivation association, or Anbauvereinigung. Since 1 July 2024, these non-profit clubs have been allowed to grow cannabis and pass it on to their members for personal use. Membership is limited to adults who have lived in Germany for at least six months.
Buying cannabis from a dealer remains illegal, and so does selling it. The legal limits cover possession, not the street market.
What are the rules and penalties under Germany weed laws?
The main rules under Germany weed laws cover how much you carry, where you use it and who is around. Breaking them can lead to fines or, for more serious breaches, prosecution.
Consumption is banned in the immediate presence of anyone under 18. It is also banned in pedestrian zones between 7:00 and 20:00. It is also banned within sight of schools, playgrounds, cultivation associations and other facilities listed in the law, which means within 100 metres of their entrance.
Possession above the legal limits remains an offence. So does supplying cannabis to anyone under 18.
Penalties at a glance
| Conduct | Governing law | General outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Carrying up to 25 g, or keeping up to 50 g at home | Cannabis Act | Legal for adults |
| Growing up to three plants at home | Cannabis Act | Legal for adults resident in Germany |
| Using cannabis near minors, in daytime pedestrian zones or near schools | Cannabis Act | Prohibited; breaches can be fined |
| Possession above the legal limits | Cannabis Act | An offence |
| Selling cannabis, or supplying it to minors | Cannabis Act | A criminal offence |
Can you drive after smoking weed in Germany?
Only below a strict limit. Since 22 August 2024, the legal limit for drivers has been 3.5 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood serum. Novice drivers and anyone under 21 face a total ban, and combining cannabis with alcohol behind the wheel is prohibited.
Is medical marijuana legal in Germany?
Yes. Medical cannabis has been available on prescription in Germany for years, and the 2024 reform moved it out of the narcotics law into its own Medical Cannabis Act.
The rules have tightened in 2026. Since late July 2026, statutory health insurers no longer pay for cannabis flowers, under a cost-control law. A separate bill to require in-person doctor visits and ban mail-order of cannabis flowers was still before the Bundestag in mid-September 2026.
If you rely on medical cannabis in Germany, check the current insurance and prescription rules with your doctor, because they are changing quickly.
Is CBD legal in Germany?
CBD is not handled by the Cannabis Act’s possession rules in the same way as recreational cannabis. Whether a given CBD product is legal depends on how it is classified.
Buy CBD only from established retailers, and keep the product information in case you are asked about it.
Can you smoke weed in Germany as a tourist?
Visitors should be careful. The two legal sources of cannabis are both closed to tourists. Cultivation associations admit only people resident in Germany for at least six months, and the Federal Health Ministry links home growing to the same residence rule.
That leaves no legal way for a visitor to obtain cannabis, because buying from a dealer is illegal. Consumption bans near children, schools and in daytime pedestrian zones apply to everyone.
Some official travel advice has not been updated to reflect the 2024 law, so rely on the German government’s own guidance.
The bottom line on cannabis in Germany
Weed is legal in Germany for adults, who may carry 25 grams, keep 50 grams at home and grow three plants. There are no shops, and the only legal supply comes from home growing or non-profit clubs open to residents.
Consumption bans protect minors, schools and daytime pedestrian zones, and drivers face a strict THC limit. Tourists have no legal way to buy cannabis, so the safest course is to abstain.
Last reviewed: October 5, 2026. Cannabis laws change frequently, always verify current rules with official sources before you travel.
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