Cannabis in Berlin: what visitors are allowed to do in 2026

Yes, an adult may carry up to 25 grams of cannabis in the street in Berlin and use it, but a tourist cannot buy it legally: there are no coffee shops or licensed shops, and cultivation clubs are reserved for people who have lived in Germany for at least six months. The 2024 law (Konsumcannabisgesetz) allows possession and use, not sale. This guide explains the permitted amounts, where smoking is banned (schools, playgrounds, pedestrian zones from 7am to 8pm), the rules on BVG transport and behind the wheel, and what you must not take across a border. For other street pitfalls, see our advice on scams to avoid in Berlin. Rules checked in October 2026.

The rule in brief

Since 1 April 2024, German law has legalised possession and use of cannabis for adults aged 18 and over, within strict limits. It creates no retail trade: sale remains prohibited, and cannabis offered in the street is illegal and of unknown quality. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the law's rules have not been changed to date; an evaluation of the law is under way, with a final report expected in 2028.

How much you may carry

In public: 25 grams of dried cannabis at most. Between 25 and 30 grams it is an administrative offence; above 30 grams, criminal prosecution is possible.
At home: 50 grams at most, which concerns few visitors.
Minors: everything is prohibited under 18, including possession.

Where smoking is banned

Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin's huge open park

Use in public is prohibited:

in the presence of minors;
in schools, playgrounds, children's and youth facilities and publicly accessible sports facilities, and within 100 metres of their entrance, in line of sight;
in pedestrian zones, between 7am and 8pm;
on the premises of cultivation clubs and within 100 metres of their entrance.

In practice, a large park such as Tempelhofer Feld or the Tiergarten contains playgrounds and sports pitches: look at where you settle, and keep away from those facilities. Smoking is also banned in pedestrian shopping streets during the day. Residents do not appreciate the smell: be discreet.

Buying: impossible for a tourist

There are no coffee shops in Germany, unlike in the Netherlands. The only legal sources are home cultivation and cultivation associations (Anbauvereinigungen), which have 500 members at most. To join, you must live or habitually stay in Germany for at least six months, and the minimum membership period is three months: a visitor cannot get in. Delivery by post is prohibited too.

Transport, driving and borders

Transport: smoking, including e-cigarettes, is banned on buses, trams and U-Bahn trains and across all platforms and stations, except in marked smoking areas; this applies to cannabis as much as to tobacco. The full rules are in our guide to getting around Berlin.
Behind the wheel: the legal limit is 3.5 ng of THC per millilitre of blood serum since August 2024. A driver must never mix cannabis and alcohol, and novice drivers may not use any cannabis.
Borders: importing and exporting cannabis is prohibited, including to a neighbouring country where it is tolerated. Do not take anything home.

Summary table

Situation	Rule
Possession in the street	25 g at most, 18 or over
Use near a school, playground or sports facility (100 m)	Prohibited
Use in a pedestrian zone	Prohibited from 7am to 8pm
Use in the presence of minors	Prohibited
Buying as a tourist	Impossible (no sale, clubs reserved for six-month residents)
Smoking on transport and in stations	Prohibited
Driving	3.5 ng/ml of THC at most, no cannabis for novice drivers
Crossing a border with cannabis	Prohibited

Rules checked in October 2026 on the Federal Ministry of Health website (bundesgesundheitsministerium.de), the VBB transport conditions and BVG guidelines.