Is marijuana legal in Germany?

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The legality of cannabis and similar drugs is tricky. In principle, it's not allowed to grow, harvester, sell, buy or store it. It is not however illegal to consume it, and courts have consistently ruled that consumption alone is not proof of any illegal activity to obtain it.

If you get caught having any drugs on you, that is illegal though, and you can be punished for it. However, if it is just a small amount for personal use (a so-called “geringe Menge”), generally no charges will be pressed, though ist may still be taken on record and may endanher your driving license (though I only ever hear this in cases of serial offenders).

The legal theory behind it is weird (in my opinion). The constitutional court had to rule whether the ban on cannabis products was constitutional, and argued that it was, as long as posession of small amounts for personal use is not prosecuted. But the current state ultimately still leaves the decision to prosecute or not up to the prosecution, as they have to decide if the prosecution is “in the public interest”

The tricky part is what constitutes a “Geringe Menge”. As the federal law does not specify this explicitly, it is left up to the states to tell their police force and prosecution what exactly that means, and therefore it can be different in each one. Currently you are reasonable safe if you carry less than five grams, most states draw the line a six.