Cannabis Laws in Europe:
Country-by-Country Guide

Germany’s Cannabis Act (Cannabisgesetz, CanG) entered into force on April 1, 2024, marking the most significant cannabis reform in German history and the largest recreational liberalization by a major European economy. The law amends the Narcotics Act (BtMG) to remove cannabis from the list of prohibited narcotics for adults. Under the initial phase, adults aged 18 and over may legally possess up to 25 grams in public spaces and up to 50 grams at home. Home cultivation of up to three female flowering plants is permitted for personal use. Cannabis social clubs (Anbauvereinigungen) may be established to collectively cultivate cannabis for member use, with a maximum of 500 members per club. Commercial retail dispensaries — a second phase of the reform — remain under regulatory development and are subject to ongoing political debate.

Medical cannabis has been available in Germany on prescription since March 2017. Health insurance providers are required to cover medical cannabis for serious conditions where conventional treatments have failed. Germany is now one of the largest medical cannabis markets in Europe.

The Netherlands has operated one of the world’s most famous cannabis tolerance regimes since the 1970s. The gedoogbeleid (tolerance policy) permits licensed coffeeshops to sell cannabis to adults without criminal prosecution, despite cannabis remaining formally illegal under Dutch law. Coffeeshops may sell up to 5 grams per customer per visit and may hold a maximum stock of 500 grams. The fundamental tension in Dutch policy — the so-called “back door problem” — is that while retail sale is tolerated, the wholesale supply chain that stocks coffeeshops remains unregulated and technically criminal. A government-sponsored regulated supply chain experiment (the Wietexperiment) launched in select municipalities from 2023, testing whether licensed cannabis producers can supply coffeeshops with controlled-quality product.

Portugal’s Law 30/2000 came into force on July 1, 2001, decriminalizing the personal possession of all drugs — not just cannabis — up to a ten-day personal supply. This was not legalization: drug trafficking, production, and supply remain serious criminal offenses. However, individuals found with personal amounts are referred to Dissuasion Commissions (CDTs) rather than criminal courts. CDTs may impose administrative sanctions such as fines, community service, or referral to treatment, but no criminal record results. The reform was a response to a severe HIV/AIDS crisis linked to intravenous drug use in the 1990s. By virtually every public health metric — drug-related HIV infections, overdose deaths, incarceration rates — the Portuguese model has been judged a significant success and has influenced drug policy thinking globally.

For cannabis specifically: possession of up to 25 grams (approximately the ten-day supply threshold) is subject to the CDT process rather than criminal prosecution. Medical cannabis was legalized for prescription use in Portugal in 2018, and the country has developed a licensed medical cultivation export industry.

The Czech Republic has had one of Europe’s most permissive cannabis possession policies for over a decade. A 2024 legislative update significantly expanded the decriminalization threshold: possession of up to 10 grams is treated as a minor administrative offense (fine only), and home cultivation of up to 10 plants is permitted under the same minor-offense regime — one of the highest home grow allowances in Europe. Sale, supply, and production above personal thresholds remain criminal. Medical cannabis has been available by prescription since 2013, though access has historically been limited by the number of participating physicians and product availability.

Malta made European Union history in December 2021 when the Maltese parliament passed the Cannabis Reform Act, becoming the first EU member state to legalize personal cannabis use and home cultivation. Adults may possess up to 7 grams in public and grow up to 4 plants at home. Licensed nonprofit cannabis associations (clubs) may cultivate collectively for member distribution. Commercial recreational retail remains prohibited, and consumption in public places is subject to fines. The Maltese framework is explicitly modeled as a public health measure: the focus is on removing the criminal market while containing use within private and association contexts.

Spain has a uniquely complex cannabis legal situation. Personal use in private spaces is not a criminal offense, and cultivation for personal use at home carries no criminal penalty. What makes Spain globally known is its network of cannabis social clubs — private members’ clubs that collectively cultivate and distribute cannabis to members. These operate in a legal gray zone: not explicitly legal, but surviving repeated legal challenges based on the constitutional right to private association and the personal use exemption. Barcelona in particular has become a global cannabis tourism destination, with hundreds of social clubs operating. However, public consumption and commercial sale are illegal and subject to administrative fines under the Public Security Law.

France has some of the strictest cannabis laws in Western Europe despite being one of the continent’s highest-consumption countries. Under French law, possession of any amount of cannabis is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of €3,750. A flat-fine experiment (200€ on-the-spot fine) was piloted from 2020 in some jurisdictions to address practical enforcement challenges, but this did not decriminalize the offense. Cultivation and supply carry penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and fines up to €7.5 million for organized trafficking. A national medical cannabis experiment launched in 2021 has been progressively expanded, with prescription access now available through authorized pharmacies.

Cannabis is classified as a Class B controlled substance under the UK Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Possession carries a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Supply and production can result in up to 14 years imprisonment. Cannabis was briefly reclassified to Class C in 2004 (reduced enforcement priority) but was returned to Class B by the Home Secretary in 2009. The UK Home Office has consistently resisted decriminalization lobbying. Specialist medical cannabis prescriptions became legal from November 2018 following the Epidyolex approval process, but NHS prescription remains extremely limited in practice, with most patients obtaining private prescriptions at significant cost.

European cannabis laws are in rapid flux. Germany’s 2024 reform has reset the political calculus for other EU nations. Always verify current law before traveling, as possession rules vary dramatically between countries even within the Schengen Area.