Does the 50-gram limit apply to flowers and plant material?

Yes. For flowers, leaves close to flowers and other plant material, up to 50 grams are allowed at your place of residence or habitual abode. The weight refers to the material after drying. The KCanG regulates this in § 3 para. 2 no. 1. Outside your place of residence or habitual abode, § 3 para. 1 sets a limit of 25 grams. If you know the difference, you can plan your supply more realistically.

What counts as flowers and plant material

The law distinguishes between flowers, leaves close to flowers and other plant material. What counts is the weight after drying. Freshly harvested material should therefore be considered in its dried state.

The two limits differ by location. Under § 3 para. 1, 25 grams apply to possession for personal use. Under § 3 para. 2, up to 50 grams are allowed at your place of residence (Wohnsitz) or habitual abode (gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt). Under § 3 para. 2 sentence 2, both amounts together may not exceed 50 grams in total. In addition, up to three living plants are permitted at your place of residence.

The limits at a glance

Possession	Amount	Legal basis
Possession for personal use, age 18 and over (including when you are out and about)	up to 25 grams	§ 3 para. 1
Possession at your place of residence or habitual abode of flowers, leaves close to flowers and plant material, weighed after drying	up to 50 grams	§ 3 para. 2 no. 1

According to the wording of the law, the higher limit applies to your place of residence or habitual abode. When you are out and about, follow the general limit. More on carrying cannabis is in the article How much may I carry outside my home? For the total amount allowed, read How much cannabis may I have?

Home cultivation and flowers

If you grow your own, other rules also apply. Adults aged 18 and over may grow no more than three cannabis plants at a time at their place of residence or habitual abode (§ 9 para. 1 KCanG). Cannabis from home cultivation may not be passed on to others (§ 9 para. 2).

How a harvest counts toward the possession limits is a separate question. A counselling centre or a specialist lawyer (Fachanwältin or Fachanwalt) can assess it in your individual case. The guide covers home cultivation in further articles, for example Who may grow cannabis themselves in Germany?

Weighing and documenting in practice

• A kitchen scale is enough for a rough estimate. For precise figures, use a scale you trust.
• Weigh the supply as a whole before you divide it into containers.
• If you grow your own, note the harvest date and the amount. This keeps track of what you have.
• Store the material in a cool, dark place, out of reach of children.

Health: why amounts also relate to risk

If you notice that your supply runs out quickly, check your own use. According to the Federal Institute for Public Health (Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit, BIÖG), roughly one in eight people who use cannabis becomes dependent. The BIÖG also reports that psychoses occur more often among people who use cannabis than among people who do not.

A cannabis check on drugcom.de helps with a first assessment of your own use. If you find that you cannot stop, help is available from the Sucht & Drogen Hotline (addiction and drugs hotline) on 01806 313031.

Legal terms and typical mistakes

A common mistake is adding the limits together. If you have 50 grams at home, you may not also keep 25 grams, because the total may not exceed 50 grams. A second mistake is weighing fresh harvest material and treating it as if it matched the legal figure, which refers to the weight after drying. If you are unsure, have the question clarified in advance.

Place of residence and habitual abode

The higher limit depends on your place of residence (Wohnsitz) or habitual abode (gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt). Both terms describe the place where you live permanently. If you commute between two homes, for example during a degree or for work in another city, clarify the situation before you store material in one place.

Which place counts cannot be decided from an address alone. A counselling centre can help you sort out the situation before you make a decision.

Typical situations

Three situations come up often in everyday life. The first concerns home cultivation: if you have plants, you will eventually harvest them, and the harvest has to be stored. The second concerns moving house, because material often ends up unsorted in boxes while packing. The third concerns visitors who want to take something with them. Passing cannabis on is punishable. For more on this, read May I allow guests to use cannabis in my home? In all three situations the same principle applies: if you plan ahead, you keep the limits in view and do not have to decide on the spot.