Growing three cannabis plants per person is now also possible in Germany. However, there are a few things to consider, from theft protection to odor nuisance.
The Cannabis Act has been in force since April 1, 2024. Home cultivation and possession of certain amounts of cannabis are therefore legal for adults in Germany under certain requirements. However, there are a few things you should definitely keep in mind.
Who can now grow cannabis and how much?
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, adults in Germany have been allowed to privately grow up to three cannabis plants at the same time for personal consumption since April 1, 2024. Each adult person is allowed to own three cannabis plants per household. From this point on, you are also allowed to keep a maximum of 50 grams of dried cannabis in your own home for your own consumption.
In addition, club members in cultivation associations, so-called cannabis clubs, should be allowed to grow the drug together. They are then allowed to give their members a maximum of 50 grams per month. For 18 to 21 year olds, it can be up to 30 grams per month, with a maximum content of ten percent of the intoxicating tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Info: Why is cannabis legalized?
The aim is to make consumption and access safer for informed adults by preventing the distribution of contaminated substances and curbing the black market. This can be achieved by creating legal alternatives. Education, prevention, and child and youth protection are “the common thread in the law,” said Green Party health expert Janosch Dahmen.
Growing cannabis at home: pay attention to the maximum quantity
However, the rule about home cultivation and the maximum amount of cannabis you can store at home can lead to misunderstandings. Because per cannabis plant you can expect a yield of 35 to 50 grams when grown indoors and up to 100 grams when grown outdoors, explains Simon Kraushaar from the Hemp Association. If you grow three plants at once, you may end up with up to 300 grams of dried flowers. However, only 50 grams are permitted in private households.
Anything beyond these 50 grams must be destroyed immediately, writes the legislator. Simon Kraushaar from the Hemp Association cannot say at this point how this can be made legally secure so that it cannot be stolen. The law does not yet regulate whether you can simply throw it in the trash.
What is certain, however, is that you cannot simply pass on excess cannabis to friends or acquaintances. Cannabis from private cultivation only serves the purpose of personal consumption, writes the Ministry of Health.
What happens if violations occur?
Anyone who has more than 50 grams and up to 60 grams of dried cannabis at their place of residence is committing an administrative offense, according to the Ministry of Health. If you exceed the limit of 60 grams, you are still committing a criminal offense.
According to the Ministry of Health, passing cannabis on to minors is still a criminal offense. If you grow cannabis plants for your own consumption, you must therefore consistently protect them, as well as the dried cannabis and cannabis seeds, from access by children and young people.
Home cultivation: Where can the plants be grown?
Where exactly you can and cannot grow plants in your place of residence has not yet been described in detail. The only thing that is certain is that you must protect the cannabis you are growing from being accessed by children, young people and third parties. The Ministry of Health writes that you can achieve this, for example, by storing cannabis plants and harvested marijuana in lockable cupboards or rooms.
According to expert Simon Kraushaar, you can also grow the plants in your own garden. However, you should also make sure to protect them from children and thieves. As a precaution, he advises planting the plants in a greenhouse that can be locked.
Overall, he says, the situation is still very confusing and consumers should therefore proceed with caution if they want to grow cannabis at home. When asked whether the law will become more specific in the future, he says: “The law will only come to life from April 1st.” For example, he can well imagine that courts will determine the details at some point. For example, if someone complains because the fence isn't high enough for them.
What should you consider when growing cannabis yourself?
In addition to protecting you from children and thieves, the law stipulates that you must not “unreasonably” bother neighbors with the addition. The expert from the hemp association therefore recommends an air filter system for indoor cultivation. Activated carbon filters, for example, clean the air that comes from the growing room, closet or tent. “This allows you to filter out the very intense smells that arise during cultivation so that the whole house doesn't smell like it.”
