🇩🇪 Germany Overview
On 1 April 2024, Germany adopted the Cannabis Control Bill (CanG), allowing adults to legally possess, consume, and cultivate cannabis at home under certain restrictions/conditions.
From 1 July 2024, cannabis cultivation associations have been able to apply for and receive permits to cultivate and distribute cannabis to their members, with the first associations in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia providing adult-use cannabis to their members.
The current status of the ‘quasi-legalisation’ of cannabis in Germany is part of the first pillar of the country’s Two Pillar model on cannabis reform, which aims to improve and protect public health, prevent addiction, tackle the illicit market, and protect young people and children. The law is set to undergo a review process in Q4 2025, assessing how legalisation has had an impact on the country based on its aims.
The second pillar aims to create model projects for commercial cannabis supply chains; however, these have not yet materialised. A recent change in government, which has seen the anti-legalisation Christian Democrats (CDU) come into power, means that there is a possibility that this initiative may not see progress. Nevertheless, authorities in several German cities have expressed interest in commencing scientific pilot projects to assess the effects of commercial cannabis supply chains.
🇩🇪 Regulations
The CanG law lays out the regulatory framework for Pillar One of Germany’s Two Pillar cannabis legalisation process. Pillar One regulates cannabis consumption, possession, home cultivation and the requirements and regulations on cannabis associations.
This law also provides a provisional list of fines and penalties for administrative cannabis offences, however federal states can determine the level of these charges, with the maximum fine set at €30,000 for worst-case scenarios. The variation in fines across federal states creates a patchwork system of cannabis regulation in Germany.
As the CanG is a retroactive law, persons who were previously convicted of cannabis crimes which would no longer be criminalised under the new framework can potentially get their past convictions reexamined, expunged, or reduced.
The Bundestag voted to amend the Road Traffic Act on 6 June 2024. The Federal Council then voted to approve the amendments, which raised the THC limit for drivers from 1 nanogram per millilitre (ng/ml) to 3.5 ng/ml of THC in the blood serum. Those who exceed the limit, or are found to be under the influence of both alcohol and THC, face the possibility of a fine and their licence being revoked, with harsher restrictions set for novice drivers.
🇩🇪 Possession & Home Cultivation Regulations
Adults may possess up to 25 grams of flower/hash in public and may possess up to 50 grams of flower/hash at home.
Adults are not permitted to distribute, share (even in a joint), provide, sell, or give cannabis.
Adults may cultivate no more than three plants (per person) at their places of residence.
Adults must ensure that their plants are safe from third parties, especially minors.
🇩🇪 Consumption Regulations
Adults are only permitted to consume cannabis in pedestrian zones between 20:00 and 07:00
Adults are not allowed to consume cannabis within the sight (100 metres) of children, schools, playgrounds, youth facilities, public sports facilities and cultivation associations
🇩🇪 Cannabis Association Regulations
Cannabis associations can distribute a maximum of 25 grams a day and 50 grams a month to their members aged over 21. For members aged between 18-21, there is a distribution limit of 25 grams a day and 30 grams a month.
Cannabis associations may only have 500 members, however, they can sell propagation material (from community cultivation) to non-members and other growing associations.
Cannabis associations may not provide cannabis over 10% THC to members aged between 18-21, or distribute solvent-based cannabis (edibles, oils etc.) or cannabis mixed, combined, or passed individually with tobacco, nicotine, food, feed, or any other additives.
Cannabis associations need to be at a distance of at least 200 metres from schools and youth facilities, have a Prevention Officer and a health and youth protection programme in place, prevent members consuming cannabis on their premises, exceed the monthly allowance for members, or be profit-making.
🇩🇪 Cannabis Cultivation Associations
Since 1 July 2024, cannabis associations in Germany have been able to apply for permits to commence operations. The roll-out of permits has been fragmented throughout Germany, as federal states control the roll-out process, giving state authorities responsibility for monitoring and licensing, and also placing requirements on cannabis associations. Thus, there is a disparity among federal states regarding the number of permits issued to date. As of December 2025, cannabis associations throughout Germany have submitted approximately 803 applications, with around 368 receiving permits.
The federal states that have issued the greatest number of permits are North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, accounting for over 50% of the permits issued in Germany. In Bavaria, the first permits were issued in April 2025, and, in August 2025, Saarland issued its first permit. The slow rollout is causing an outcry from cannabis associations, who argue that the political standing of the states, especially with a Christian Democratic/Social Union party stronghold, which is a vocal opponent of cannabis legalisation, is hindering the development of their operations.
It is at the discretion of cannabis associations to determine membership fees and prices/discounts of the cannabis they provide. The Cannabis Social Club, Ganderkesee, was the first cannabis association in Germany to distribute cannabis, on 2 November 2024. Membership is free of charge, however, members must make individual (€250 or €500) or monthly contributions (€50 to €500), which members can use as credit, combined with a percentage discount, depending on the level of contribution, with the maximum discount set at 30%. Members of the Ganderkesee Social Club can legally purchase flowers, cuttings, and seeds from six different cannabis strains with a THC content ranging from 9%-25%. Prices for flowers range from €8-€12 per gram, seeds from €6.70 – €9.80 per seed, and cuttings are €12 per piece.
🇩🇪 Pilot Projects
Under Germany’s two-pillar approach to cannabis legalisation, Pillar Two would establish a national framework for the commercial distribution of adult-use cannabis through regional pilot projects, while Pillar One would quasi-legalise/decriminalise adult-use cannabis consumption and possession and establish a framework for cannabis cultivation associations. Pillar One has already been established through the CanG.
To date, there has been no further legislation regarding Pillar Two from the Ministry of Health. Nevertheless, as the CanG allows for scientific research projects on adult-use cannabis under the Consumer Cannabis Science Competence Ordinance (KCanWV), there has been an initiative to start projects under this route, with several German cities and universities showing interest. However, as the newly elected ruling conservative party in Germany, CDU, holds an anti-legalisation stance, it is unlikely they will come to fruition.
As of March 2025, according to the German Cannabis Business Association (BvCW), 28 districts and municipalities in 10 federal states are pursuing, or are interested in, conducting scientific research projects regarding the commercial supply of adult-use cannabis. Under the KCanWV, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) is responsible for implementing regulations, issuing permits, and monitoring these projects.
The Bundestag hearing on October 17, 2025, revealed that the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) has received 65 applications for scientific research projects. These applications were submitted under the research clause outlined in Section 2, Paragraph 4 of the Act.
Of these 65 applications, none have been approved, and nine have been rejected. The remaining applications are awaiting a final decision, as the technical processing is still underway. The BLE justified the rejection of the nine applications by stating that, under the first pillar of cannabis legalisation previously considered, the legislature specifically excluded regionally and time-limited model projects designed to scientifically evaluate cannabis sales from the scope of the KCanG.
Most of the planned scientific pilot projects will examine how commercial sales affect the illicit market, health, consumption and the youth. One such example of a planned pilot project is in Hanover, which would be supported by the Clinic for Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Hanover Medical School, and plans to recruit 4,000 participants. It aims to study the effect of regulated cannabis sales on individual consumer purchasing behaviour of cannabis products, alongside the impact on health, youth protection and the illicit market.
