Germany
Is Hemp Legal in Germany?
Status
Legal
Covers
Jurisdiction
Last updated
May 28, 2026
The short answer
Industrial hemp cultivation is legal in Germany for farmers using EU-certified seed varieties from the EU Common Catalogue with field THC content at or below 0.3% (raised from 0.2% under EU Regulation 2021/2115). Cultivation is administered by the BLE: growers must register hectarage, submit seed labels and accept BLE field inspections, and qualify for area-based CAP direct payments. In 2025, 496 farms cultivated hemp on 5,274 hectares, making Germany the EU's second-largest producer after France. The Industrial Hemp Liberalization Act, approved by the Federal Cabinet in October 2024, eliminates the BtMG "intoxication clause" that had blocked trade in raw flower and biomass when THC could theoretically be extracted, and authorises indoor industrial cultivation; final parliamentary passage is pending in 2026. Hemp seed, fibre, hurd and food products are freely traded; hemp leaf and flower remain subject to enforcement uncertainty pending the new law.
Key facts ·
Germany
Key facts
Rules at a glance
THC limit
0.3% THC in the standing crop
Regulator
Bundesanstalt fur Landwirtschaft und Ernahrung (BLE)
Key regulation
BtMG Annex I hemp exemption; EU Regulation 2021/2115 (CAP)
Effective
January 1, 2023
Adult-use cannabis
Illegal
Medical cannabis
Legal
For brands and importers
Import and export rules
Hemp seed, fibre, hurd, oil and finished consumer goods move freely within the EU single market and may be imported from third countries under standard customs procedures with a 0.3% THC certificate of analysis and proof of EU-listed seed variety. Viable hemp seed imports require BLE notification; importers of food-grade hemp must comply with Novel Food rules where applicable. Hemp flower and biomass exports remain restricted pending the Industrial Hemp Liberalization Act.
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