Cannabis in Germany in 2026: Clubs, Home Grow and Prescriptions

Germany's Cannabis Act (CanG), published on 27 March 2024, created two new statutes: the Consumer Cannabis Act (Konsumcannabisgesetz, KCanG) for adults, and the Medical Cannabis Act (Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz, MedCanG) for patients. Adults can now possess cannabis, grow a few plants and join a non-profit club. What Germany still does not have is a shop: selling cannabis outside a pharmacy remains a crime.

For patients, 2026 brought real change. Statutory health insurers stopped paying for cannabis flower at the end of July, and a bill that would curb online prescriptions and mail-order dispensing is waiting in the Bundestag. This guide sets out the rules in force in September 2026 and the dates they apply from.

German cannabis rules at a glance: 25 g, 50 g, three plants, no shops

Each rule below applies from a specific date; the right-hand column shows which.

The phased dates come from Article 15 of the Cannabis Act as published in the Federal Law Gazette: most of the law took effect on 1 April 2024, while the club chapter, the advertising ban and related provisions followed on 1 July 2024.

1. 2024-03-27

   The Cannabis Act is published in the Federal Law Gazette.

2. 2024-04-01

   Possession, home growing, consumption rules and the MedCanG take effect.

3. 2024-07-01

   Club licensing, the advertising ban and related provisions follow.

4. 2024-08-22

   The 3.5 ng/ml THC driving limit and the novice-driver ban take effect.

5. 2025-12-18

   First reading of the bill amending the Medical Cannabis Act (printed paper 21/3061).

6. 2026-01-14

   Bundestag Health Committee hearing on the bill.

7. 2026-07-29

   Statutory health insurance stops paying for cannabis flower.

Possession and home growing: how much can adults hold?

Adults aged 18 and over may carry up to 25 g of cannabis for their own use. At their residence or habitual place of stay they may hold up to 50 g of dried cannabis and up to three living plants, and the combined amount they hold in and out of the home may not exceed 50 g. Cannabis seeds are legal to handle unless they are meant for illegal growing; for home or club cultivation they may only be imported from other EU member states.

Visitors should note that the home allowance is tied to a residence as the law defines it, which requires at least six months of living in Germany. The Federal Ministry of Health's FAQ on the Cannabis Act (updated 4 September 2026) applies that six-month rule to home growing and club membership. Short-term visitors should therefore plan around the 25 g public limit.

Going over the limits is punished in steps, according to the ministry and KCanG §34:

Growing at home: three plants, locked away, never shared

Each adult may grow up to three plants at the same time at their residence. Plants and harvested cannabis must be protected against access by others, particularly children and teenagers, and anything grown at home may not be passed on to anyone else, not even for free. The ministry's FAQ adds the six-month residence requirement, so a tourist renting an apartment for a few weeks cannot legally start a grow.

Cannabis clubs (Anbauvereinigungen): 500 members, 25 g a day, 50 g a month

Since 1 July 2024, non-profit associations have been able to apply to state authorities for a license to grow cannabis together and hand it out to members. The licenses are limited to seven years. The core rules come from the KCanG and the ministry's FAQ:

• Membership — at most 500 members; members must be 18 or older and have lived in Germany for at least six months; nobody may belong to more than one club; bylaws must set a minimum membership of three months.
• Location — no club premises within 200 meters of the entrance to schools or children's and youth facilities.
• Hand-out limits — KCanG §19 allows up to 25 g per member per day and 50 g per calendar month.
• Under 21 — members aged 18 to 20 may receive up to 30 g a month, with a THC content of no more than 10%.
• In person only — cannabis is handed over on the club's premises with the member present; shipping is banned, and members may not pass it on to non-members.
• What clubs cannot offer — no consumption on club premises and no edibles such as THC gummies or cookies.

Clubs have been slower to spread than supporters hoped. The second interim report of EKOCAN, the federal evaluation of the law, found that only 366 clubs had been approved nationwide by 31 October 2025, that at most about 3.5% of consumers could have sourced cannabis from clubs in 2025, and that fewer than half of Germany's districts had a single club, Legal Tribune Online reported on 31 March 2026.

Where can't you smoke? Consumption-free zones and the 100-meter rule

KCanG §5 bans consumption in these places:

• in the immediate presence of anyone under 18;
• in schools, on playgrounds, in children's and youth facilities and at public sports facilities, and within sight of their entrances (more than 100 meters from the entrance no longer counts as "within sight");
• in pedestrian zones between 7:00 and 20:00;
• on club premises and within sight of them;
• in military areas of the Bundeswehr.

The advertising ban in §6 is just as broad: it covers any advertising and any form of sponsorship for cannabis and for cultivation associations. A club therefore cannot promote itself the way a sports club might.

Rules for 18- to 20-year-olds: 30 g a month and a 10% THC cap in clubs

Adults aged 18 to 20 have the same possession and home-grow allowances as older adults. The differences are in the club system and on the road.

Medical cannabis in 2026: prescriptions, insurance and telemedicine

Since 1 April 2024 medical cannabis has been governed by the MedCanG. The health ministry confirms that it can still be prescribed as a medicine and that a special narcotics prescription form is no longer required. Prescriptions are filled by pharmacies.

Insurance stopped paying for flower on 29 July 2026

According to the ministry's FAQ, since the Statutory Health Insurance Contribution Rate Stabilization Act (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz) took effect on 29 July 2026, cannabis flower, whether unprocessed or in preparations, can no longer be prescribed at the expense of statutory health insurance. The current text of §31(6) of Social Code Book V now covers only standardized cannabis extracts and medicines containing dronabinol or nabilone. Patients who use flower therefore have to pay for it themselves unless they have other cover.

Telemedicine is legal, for now: what bill 21/3061 would change

As of September 2026, a doctor may prescribe medical cannabis after a telemedicine consultation, and pharmacies may ship it. A government bill, the First Act Amending the Medical Cannabis Act (Bundestag printed paper 21/3061), would change that. According to the Bundestag's summary, it would:

• allow medical cannabis to be prescribed only after in-person contact in a practice or on a home visit, with a careful history and physical examination;
• require an in-person visit at least once every four quarters for repeat prescriptions;
• ban mail-order shipping while still allowing pharmacy couriers.

The bill had its first reading on 18 December 2025 and a Health Committee hearing on 14 January 2026. As of 14 September 2026, the patient information site Medicanova reported that no second or third reading had taken place and that no date for the changes could be named.

Watch how clinics advertise: the March 2026 Federal Court of Justice ruling

On 26 March 2026 the Federal Court of Justice ruled (case I ZR 74/25) that an online platform arranging medical cannabis treatment had broken the ban on advertising prescription medicines to the public by promoting cannabis with lists of treatable conditions. In the court's words, presenting the benefits of cannabis treatment in isolation went beyond appropriate, balanced information about therapies, according to its press release.

1. Start with a doctor
   Discuss your condition and previous treatments with a doctor, in person or by video; the prescription is an ordinary one.
2. Decide how you will pay
   Statutory insurance may still cover standardized extracts, dronabinol or nabilone under §31(6) SGB V, but not flower since 29 July 2026.
3. Vet any online provider
   Look for a real practice with named doctors, and be wary of platforms that promise cannabis for listed conditions.
4. Fill it at a pharmacy
   Local pharmacies and, for now, mail-order pharmacies can dispense medical cannabis.
5. Keep an eye on the MedCanG bill
   If it passes as drafted, first prescriptions will require an in-person visit and mail-order shipping will end.

Driving after cannabis: the 3.5 ng/ml limit and fines up to €5,000

Under §24a of the Road Traffic Act (StVG), driving with 3.5 ng/ml or more of THC in blood serum is an administrative offense.

THC limit

3.5 ng/ml in blood serum

Maximum fine

€3,000

Combined with alcohol

Up to €5,000

Novice drivers

Cannabis ban

In force since

22 August 2024

The limit does not apply if the THC comes from a medicine prescribed for a specific illness and taken as directed.

What is still illegal in Germany

Partial legalization leaves six common situations outside the law.

• Buying from a dealer or any commercial seller. There are no licensed shops; commercial trade is a crime under §34.
• Passing on homegrown cannabis to anyone, with or without payment.
• Exceeding the limits of 25 g in public, 50 g at home or three plants per adult.
• Using in consumption-free zones, near minors, or on club premises.
• Taking cannabis across borders. Import and export remain prohibited, and clubs may not ship.
• Edibles from clubs. Clubs may not hand out edibles such as THC gummies or cookies.

For licensed clubs and pharmacies listed by Verdex, see our Germany hub. Sellers that authorities have warned about appear on the Red List.