Is CBD Legal in Germany?
CBD is legal in Germany from EU-certified hemp with up to 0.3% THC. Ingestible CBD requires Novel Food authorization; cosmetics and topicals sold freely.
CBD is legal in Germany from EU-certified hemp with up to 0.3% THC. Ingestible CBD requires Novel Food authorization; cosmetics and topicals sold freely.
CBD is legal in Germany when derived from EU-certified industrial hemp varieties listed in the EU Common Catalogue and when the finished product contains no more than 0.3% total THC (raised from 0.2% to align with EU 2021/2115). Isolated CBD is not scheduled under the Betaubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG), but classification depends on use: cosmetics fall under cosmetics law, while ingestible CBD oils, capsules, gummies and beverages are treated as Novel Foods under EU Regulation 2015/2283 and require pre-market authorization before lawful sale. As of mid-2026, EFSA has not finalised any standalone CBD Novel Food authorization, so most ingestible CBD remains in a tolerated grey zone subject to state-level food-safety enforcement, with occasional seizures by Lander authorities. CBD marketed with health or therapeutic claims is treated as a medicinal product under the Arzneimittelgesetz and requires BfArM authorization; the prescription CBD Epidyolex is approved for specific paediatric epilepsies. Hemp-leaf cosmetics, vape liquids and topicals remain widely sold provided THC stays at or below 0.3%.
Legal
BfArM / Bundesamt fur Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL)
0.3% total THC in finished hemp-derived products
Betaubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG) exemption for CBD; EU Novel Food Regulation 2015/2283
CBD finished products and hemp extracts can be imported and exported within the EU single market provided they meet Novel Food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical requirements and the 0.3% total THC ceiling. Imports from non-EU countries must clear customs with a certificate of analysis and proof of EU-listed seed origin. Medicinal CBD requires a manufacturer or wholesale licence under the Arzneimittelgesetz plus BfArM import authorization. Ingestible CBD without Novel Food approval risks seizure; cosmetics and hemp seed products move freely under standard EU trade rules.