Is Weed Legal in Denmark? Copenhagen Fines and Limits

2,000 kroner. That is the number the Danish prosecution service puts on a first-time possession case of up to 9.9 grams of hash, and it is the figure most foreign visitors never see, because the search results are dominated by stories about Christiania.

Denmark is neither the Netherlands nor a country that jails people for a joint. It fines them, sometimes warns them, and comes down hard on anyone selling.

The numbers below come from the prosecutors' instructions in force on 29 September 2026 (CIR1H no. 9741 of 6 August 2026) and other official pages. Their fine bands were set with Law no. 724 of 20 June 2025, in force since 1 July 2025, and are the same as in the September 2024 edition. General information, not legal advice.

What a small amount costs

Fines are reduced for under-18s and people on very low incomes. The drugs and any pipe or scale are confiscated. From 100 grams of hash the guidance says a case starts from a prison sentence even without proof of supply, and it treats about 10 grams of hash or 50 grams of marijuana as the ceiling for "own use" when nothing else points to sale.

A warning instead of a fine, and who gets one

The prosecution service allows police to give a warning, not a fine, to someone with no earlier drug conviction where that is the sensible outcome.

Its own example is a foreign tourist who is only in Denmark on a visit, for whom a fine would create administrative trouble out of proportion to the case and who could be expelled anyway. That is discretion, not a right.

A warning can also be given in a repeat hash case, but a more serious repeat is meant to end in a fine.

Plants, oil and gummies are on the same scale

The fine table is not only about resin. Cannabis plants sit on it too: up to 99.9 grams of plant material is 2,000 kroner for a first offense, 100 to 249.9 grams is 3,000, and 250 to 999.9 grams is 5,000. Cannabis oil and other products above 0.2% THC are priced as hash, and semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as HHC follow the hash scale as well (see the HHC ban explainer). Nothing in the table treats a balcony grow as legal.

Selling, sharing and the 10 kilogram line

The instructions say handing over or selling drugs is punished with imprisonment as a rule. A first sale of less than 50 grams of hash can end in a fine at double the possession rate, but not when it is part of organised trade (known selling spots, a sales phone) and not at a nightclub or other venue where young people gather: a single transfer of hash to a friend at a discotheque is jail, not a fine.

Since 1 July 2025 selling through social media counts as a significant aggravating factor. Above roughly 10 kilograms of hash, or 10 to 15 kilograms of marijuana, prosecutors normally charge under section 191 of the Criminal Code, which carries up to 10 years, or 16 for the most dangerous substances. Cannabis oil above 0.2% THC is treated like hash: 1 ml counts as 1 gram.

The driving rule that catches tourists after they have left the bar

Denmark sets the THC limit for drivers at 0.001 milligrams per kilogram of blood, about the detection floor. The penalty steps up with the blood level, according to Rådet for Sikker Trafik.

Regaining a licence after a disqualification or driving ban means a 12-hour Alcohol, Narcotics and Traffic course costing 3,200 kroner and new theory and driving tests, according to the traffic safety council. Only blood THC counts as evidence, not the inactive THC acid in urine. The council says it can be a long time before THC is gone from the blood, depending on strength, amount and how often you use, so "I smoked last night" is not a safe answer.

The legal routes that exist

Medicine is the only lawful source of THC cannabis: our guide to the scheme covers prescription, pharmacy and subsidy, and the CBD oil guide explains why a bottle from a web shop may still be an illegal medicine. Country overview: Denmark.