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No, weed is not legal in France, for recreational use or as a general medicine. Using cannabis is a criminal offence, often punished on the spot with a fixed fine, which the RIPOST law of 18 August 2026 raised to €500.
Medical cannabis is limited to patients who joined a national trial, and CBD products face strict rules. This guide explains whether marijuana is legal in France and Paris, the penalties, medical access, CBD and what tourists should know.
Is weed legal in France for recreational use?
Recreational weed is illegal in France. Using a narcotic, including cannabis, is an offence under the Public Health Code, with a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a €3,750 fine.
France has not decriminalised cannabis. What it has done is give police a faster way to punish use. Officers can issue a fixed criminal fine, called an amende forfaitaire délictuelle, instead of sending the case to court.
The RIPOST law, promulgated on 18 August 2026, raised that fine from €200 to €500. Paying it counts as accepting guilt, and the offence is recorded on your criminal record.
What are the penalties under France weed laws?
Penalties under France weed laws rise sharply from use to supply. Simple use can end with a fixed fine, while possession linked to trafficking is a serious crime.
The Penal Code punishes transporting, possessing, offering or acquiring drugs for trafficking with up to 10 years in prison and a €7.5 million fine. Producing drugs carries up to 20 years. Supplying drugs to someone for their personal use carries up to five years and a €75,000 fine, rising to 10 years where minors are involved.
Penalties at a glance
| Conduct | Governing law | General outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Using cannabis | Public Health Code, Art. L3421-1 | Up to 1 year in prison and €3,750, often dealt with by a €500 fixed fine |
| Possessing, transporting or acquiring for trafficking | Penal Code, Art. 222-37 | Up to 10 years in prison and €7.5 million |
| Supplying cannabis for someone’s personal use | Penal Code, Art. 222-39 | Up to 5 years and €75,000, or 10 years where minors are involved |
| Producing cannabis | Penal Code, Art. 222-35 | Up to 20 years in prison |
| Driving after using cannabis, at any detectable level | Highway Code | Up to 3 years in prison, a €9,000 fine and a 6-point loss |
Is weed legal in Paris?
No. Paris follows the same national law as the rest of France, and no special rules apply to the capital. There are no legal cannabis shops or coffee shops in Paris.
Shops selling CBD products are common in Paris, which can be confusing for visitors. They sell low-THC hemp products, not cannabis for getting high. Lighting up in a park or on a café terrace can still lead to a fixed fine and a criminal record entry.
Is medical marijuana legal in France?
Only for a limited group of patients. France ran a national trial of medical cannabis from March 2021, coordinated by the medicines regulator, ANSM. The trial ended on 31 December 2024, and no new patients have been admitted since 27 March 2024.
Patients already being treated can continue under a transitional arrangement. The health ministry extended their care beyond 31 March 2026, until three months after the national health authority publishes its opinion. The ANSM guidance on medical cannabis sets out the details.
A permanent framework has been legislated but is not yet running. The 2024 social security budget law created a five-year authorisation scheme, but the decrees needed to start it had not been published at ANSM’s last update. Sativex was authorised in 2014 but has never been marketed in France.
Is CBD legal in France?
Partly. Selling hemp flowers and leaves with no more than 0.3% THC is legal. The Conseil d’État, France’s highest administrative court, struck down a government ban on their sale on 29 December 2022.
CBD food is a different story. On 20 May 2026, the agriculture ministry said CBD in food and food supplements is illegal under EU novel food rules and must be withdrawn. Hemp seeds, hemp seed oil with no added CBD and leaves used only for infusions remain allowed.
There is also a driving risk. France’s highest criminal court ruled in 2023 that the drug driving offence applies whatever the dose, even after using CBD products with 0.3% THC or less.
Can you smoke weed in France as a tourist?
No. Visitors are subject to the same law as French residents, and the fixed fine can be issued to anyone. The UK Foreign Office advice on France’s drug laws warns that illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties including imprisonment and heavy fines. That applies in transit too, including at airports, ports and Eurostar stations.
The US State Department adds that convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
Do not drive after using cannabis. Any detectable amount is an offence, punishable by up to three years in prison and a €9,000 fine. If you take prescribed cannabis medicine, check the rules with the French authorities before you travel.
The bottom line on cannabis in France
Weed is illegal in France, including in Paris. Using it can bring a €500 fixed fine and a criminal record, while trafficking carries up to 10 years in prison.
Medical cannabis is limited to patients from the national trial while a permanent scheme waits to start. Hemp flowers with 0.3% THC or less can be sold, but CBD food is banned and driving after using any amount is a crime.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026. Cannabis laws change frequently, always verify current rules with official sources before you travel.
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