What Can You Buy Under Germany's Cannabis Act (KCanG)?

Germany changed what you may grow, not what shops may sell. Here's the no-weed-shop guide to what the KCanG actually allows, and where seeds, CBD and hardware fit in.

You read the headline: "Germany legalises cannabis." You opened your laptop, typed something hopeful into a search bar, and expected a tidy online shop with a basket icon and next-day delivery.

Instead, the internet handed you club statutes, plant counts, a lot of capital letters and at least one forum thread that started politely and ended in a feud about balconies.

Here's the slightly less exciting truth: the law changed what adults may have and grow, not what shops may sell (apart from seeds, which we'll get to). There is still no licensed retail sale of recreational cannabis (medical cannabis on prescription is a separate track). That one distinction answers most of the questions people ask us.

This guide walks through what Germany's Cannabis Act actually allows, what it still bans, and which neighbouring categories (seeds, CBD, THC alternatives and hardware) sit under different rules. If you'd rather see what we make while you read, our THC alternatives range is right there. Everything here is for adults 18+.

The ten-second version

What you want	What the KCanG says	Can a shop sell it to you?
Cannabis flower or hash	Adults may possess limited amounts (25 g in public, 50 g at home); trading is banned	Not for recreational use. Grow your own or join a club
Club cannabis	Members only, handed over in person	No. Clubs may not ship or deliver
Cannabis seeds	Allowed unless meant for unauthorised growing; imports only from EU states	Yes, from within the EU, for home growing in Germany
CBD	Excluded from the law's definition of cannabis	Not a KCanG question; food/cosmetics rules apply. CBD flower is a grey area
THC alternatives	Semi-synthetic ones are not covered by the KCanG	Depends on the molecule; HHC and many derivatives are banned under the NpSG
Grinders, trays, batteries	Not covered by the KCanG	Not a KCanG question; general product-safety and battery rules apply

First, which law are we talking about?

"Cannabisgesetz" (CanG) is the umbrella act that came into force on 1 April 2024. It is a package: the part that matters for everyday adults is the Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG, the consumer cannabis act), and the part for patients is the Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz (MedCanG).

When people say "what does the Cannabis Act allow?" they nearly always mean the KCanG. You can read the full text on the federal gesetze-im-internet.de portal. Bring coffee; it's not a beach read.

One more thing before the numbers. As of October 2026, the consumer cannabis act's core rules (age 18+, possession limits, home growing, cannabis clubs) are unchanged. The law is being evaluated as § 43 KCanG requires, and the comprehensive report is due by April 2028. Politicians have said they may adjust it, so check the current text before relying on it.

What the KCanG lets adults do

The law is built around three routes, and all three are deliberately personal or members-only:

Possession: adults may carry up to 25 g of cannabis for their own use in public, and keep up to 50 g at their home or habitual place of residence (§ 3).
Home growing: adults may grow up to three plants at once at their home or habitual place of residence (§ 9).
Cultivation clubs (Anbauvereinigungen): licensed, non-commercial registered associations or cooperatives (§§ 1, 11), open to adults who have lived in Germany for at least six months. They may grow cannabis together and pass it to their own adult members: at most 25 g a day and 50 g per calendar month for members aged 21 and over. Members aged 18 to 20 are capped at 30 g a month (still at most 25 g a day), with a THC content of no more than 10% (§ 19).

There are also places where you may not consume at all (§ 5):

in the immediate presence of minors;
in and within sight of schools, playgrounds, youth facilities, public sports grounds and club premises;
in pedestrian zones between 7am and 8pm.

The law sets an outer limit: more than 100 metres from the entrance no longer counts as "within sight". So pack a tape measure, or simply pick somewhere obviously away from schools and playgrounds.

The bit nobody puts on a billboard: there is no shop

This is where most hopeful searches go wrong. § 2 of the KCanG still bans trading in cannabis and otherwise putting it on the market. Apart from home growing and non-commercial clubs, the law (as of October 2026) has no commercial retail licence, no dispensary model and no online sales route for recreational cannabis; only narrowly permitted scientific projects are exempt.

Clubs do not fill that gap either. They are non-commercial associations, not shops. Cannabis may only be handed by the club to its own members, in person, on the club's premises, and the law explicitly bans shipping and delivery (§ 19 KCanG). The Federal Health Ministry FAQ puts it plainly: only club members may receive cannabis from the club.

A website that offers to post you German "club weed" or THC flower for recreational use, without a prescription, is not offering a clever shortcut. It's a warning sign: trading in cannabis is a criminal offence under the KCanG. It is also why serious shops do not list it at all.

Medical cannabis runs on a separate track and law, the MedCanG: a doctor's prescription, dispensed by a pharmacy. That's a medical route, not a shopping one: if it's your situation, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

Seeds: the one cannabis item you can order

Now the twist that surprises people. Seeds are treated differently from the plant. Under § 4 of the KCanG, handling cannabis seeds is allowed as long as they are not intended for unauthorised cultivation, and importing seeds for private home growing or for a club is allowed only from other EU member states.

The Health Ministry's FAQ adds the practical part: buying seeds online or by mail order and having them shipped to Germany is permitted. In other words, the law that gives you three plants also lets you order the start of them, provided they come from inside the EU, which is the closest thing to a shop this law has. Not quite the basket icon you were hoping for, but it is a start.

That rule is German. Other EU countries regulate cannabis seeds in their own ways, and some are stricter, so the rules where you live are the ones that count.

CBD and hemp: outside the definition, with fine print

The KCanG's definition of "cannabis" explicitly excludes CBD. That is why CBD oils and similar products are generally discussed under other rules, such as food, cosmetics or product safety law, rather than the cannabis act. Yes, the same plant can land in three legal drawers depending on which bit of it you are holding. Nobody promised tidy.

Hemp flower is the fiddly bit. The law also carves out industrial hemp (Nutzhanf), but only under conditions: a THC content of no more than 0.3% or certified EU varieties, and use for commercial or scientific purposes that rule out misuse for intoxication. How that applies to CBD flower sold to consumers is still argued about, so treat the status of CBD flower in Germany as something to check, not assume.

CBD flower rules also differ a lot between EU countries; our CBD flower rulebook (in More reading below) goes through them.

THC alternatives: a different law entirely

Semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as HHC are not cannabis as the KCanG defines it (§ 1 covers the plant, its parts, resin and plant-derived constituents), so the Cannabis Act does not regulate them. In Germany they fall under the Neue-psychoaktive-Stoffe-Gesetz (NpSG), which bans whole groups of substances and is updated by regulation. Which law applies depends on the molecule.

That list moves. HHC and several of its derivatives were added to the NpSG with effect from 27 June 2024, according to the Federal Health Ministry, and other compounds have followed since: a further amendment has been in force since 2 December 2025, so check the current list. Our guide to the NpSG list (in More reading below) walks through how the list works.

Hardware: the boring, easy category

The KCanG regulates cannabis itself (the plant, flowers, plant parts and resin), not accessories. Grinders, rolling trays, papers, vape batteries and vaporisers are therefore not covered by it, and the most dramatic legal question about a grinder is usually whether it fits in the drawer.

They do remain subject to general EU and German product rules, such as product-safety and battery law for electronic devices, which is why a vape battery deserves a little more attention than a rolling tray.

A quick checklist before you order anything

Five questions, about a minute, and considerably less reading than the KCanG.

Know the category. Cannabis flower, seeds, CBD, THC alternatives and hardware all sit under different rules. A shop that blurs them together is not doing you any favours.
Look for a clear product page. It should tell you what you are getting, and the shop should answer your questions. A page with no details and no way to ask is a red flag.
Expect an age check. We sell only to adults 18+, and so do reputable shops in this space; expect to be asked to confirm you are 18 or over.
Check your own country. The KCanG is German law. Ordering into Austria, Italy or anywhere else means their rules apply.
Check the date. Laws and substance lists change. If an article (including this one) is a few months old, look at the current text.

The sensible-shopper shelf

If you got this far, you now know more about § 19 than most people at the party. Three things from our shop that fit what this guide covers:

Rolling Tray: 25 x 15 cm with raised edges and a smooth, easy-to-clean surface. Squarely in the boring, easy category above.
White Fire OG Seeds: the seeds rule is the one door this law opens to a shop, so here is a second strain for those three plants, feminised like Super Boof.
Try Everything Bundle: seven products in one box, from broad spectrum to accessories, if you'd rather sample than commit.

Prefer to browse? The whole CBD range is that way. Each product page has the product details; we strive to offer only products that are 100% legal throughout the EU, but rules differ between countries, so please check yours before ordering.

The Cannabis Act, answered

Can I buy cannabis online in Germany under the Cannabis Act?

Not for recreational use. The KCanG bans trading in cannabis and has no licensed shops for recreational use, and clubs may not ship or deliver. Adults can grow up to three plants at home, and those who have lived in Germany for at least six months can join a licensed cultivation club; patients can still get medical cannabis on prescription.

Can I order cannabis seeds online?

According to the KCanG and the Federal Health Ministry, adults in Germany may order cannabis seeds online from other EU member states for private home growing, as long as they are not meant for unauthorised cultivation. Other countries have their own rules.

Is CBD covered by the KCanG?

CBD itself is excluded from the KCanG's definition of cannabis. Hemp flower is a different question, because the law's hemp exemption has conditions, so check the current rules before buying CBD flower.

Are THC alternatives covered by the Cannabis Act?

No. Semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as HHC are not cannabis as the KCanG defines it. They are dealt with under other laws, mainly the NpSG, whose list Germany extends from time to time; which law applies depends on the molecule. HHC was added to the NpSG in 2024, so always check the current list.

Do I need a club membership to buy a grinder or a vape battery?

No. The KCanG regulates cannabis itself (the plant, its parts and resin) and seeds, not hardware such as grinders, rolling trays or batteries, so no club is involved when you buy them.

What Can You Buy Under Germany's Cannabis Act? Spoiler: There's No Weed Shop