Is Weed Legal in France? Paris, the €500 Fine and CBD Shops

On August 20, 2026, the price of a joint in France went up by €300. Law 2026-798 of August 18, 2026, known as the RIPOST law, lifted the fixed fine for drug use from €200 to €500 and gave judges a new penalty: suspending the driving license of someone caught using drugs, even when no car was involved.

France has no coffeeshops, no clubs, no legal home grow and, as of September 2026, no general medical cannabis program. What visitors see on shop fronts in Paris or Lyon is CBD. This guide explains the rules; it is general information, not legal advice.

How the €500 on-the-spot fine works

The amende forfaitaire délictuelle (AFD) is a criminal fine paid instead of going to court. Paying it ends the prosecution, but it is still a criminal penalty, not a parking ticket.

According to France's anti-drug agency MILDECA, the fixed fine is meant for adults caught with small quantities and no other offense. Police can still take the case to a prosecutor instead, for example when there are signs of dealing, a minor is involved or the person disputes the facts.

What a court can impose

If the case goes to court, Article L3421-1 of the Public Health Code allows up to one year in prison and a €3,750 fine for use. The penalty rises to five years and €75,000 for people with public authority or safety-sensitive transport jobs.

The RIPOST law added Article L3421-7, section I: a license suspension of up to three years, with no exception for professional driving. Paying the fixed fine ends the prosecution, so a court suspension applies only if the case goes to court. Lawyers note that a prefect can also order an administrative suspension of up to six months, but only for repeat offenders.

Is weed legal in Paris?

No. Paris follows national law, and there is no city tolerance zone. The capital has many CBD shops, and their flower can look exactly like cannabis, which is why police may seize and test it.

• Buy CBD, not "legal highs" — HHC was classed as a narcotic from June 13, 2023, and H4CBD, THCP and others from June 3, 2024, by the medicines agency ANSM.
• Keep the packaging and receipt — they show the product is under 0.3% THC if you are stopped.
• Do not light up in the street or a park — a CBD joint looks and smells like a cannabis joint.
• Do not bring cannabis from Amsterdam or Germany — legal purchase elsewhere is no defense in France.
• Street offers are illegal supply — buying from a dealer is the offense of use and acquisition.

CBD is the legal part

CBD flower and leaves with 0.3% THC or less from EU-registered hemp varieties can be sold and bought, after the Council of State annulled the flower ban on December 29, 2022. CBD food and health claims are not allowed. Our CBD in France guide covers labels and lab tests.

What about medical cannabis?

France ran a medical cannabis experiment from March 2021, closed it to new patients in March 2024 and is still finishing the framework to replace it. Visitors cannot join, and cannabis is not on sale in French pharmacies outside that closed program. We explain the status in medical cannabis in France, and the country overview is at France.