Does the consumption ban also apply to public sports grounds?

Yes. Under section 5 KCanG, public cannabis consumption is prohibited at publicly accessible sports facilities. This also applies within sight of these facilities. Anyone who consumes on such a pitch or within its sight breaches the law, regardless of whether training or a match is under way. This is an administrative offence (section 36(1) no. 4 KCanG), and the fine is governed by section 36(2) KCanG.

What counts as a publicly accessible sports facility

The KCanG expressly names publicly accessible sports facilities as a place where consumption is prohibited. Whether a particular pitch is publicly accessible depends on its location and its use. The Act does not define the term in more detail. In case of doubt, the competent public order authority clarifies how the pitch is to be classified.

Many pitches are open during the day and locked in the evening. Others are intended only for members of a club. The boundary is therefore not always obvious. In case of doubt, the rule is this: if you cannot say for certain whether a place is publicly accessible, leave the cannabis out.

Sight and its limit

The ban also applies within sight of a sports pitch. The Act sets a limit: at a distance of more than 100 metres from the entrance area of the sports facility, there is no longer any sight (section 5(2) sentence 2 KCanG). Closer than 100 metres, the details matter, for example the line of sight and the location.

This zone is hard to measure precisely in everyday life. Anyone sitting at the edge of a park with the pitch in view therefore does better to keep a clear distance, since a breach can result in a fine.

Minors at sports grounds

Children and young people are often present at sports pitches. Regardless of location, section 5(1) KCanG prohibits consumption in the immediate presence of persons under 18. This therefore also applies where the pitch is not publicly accessible or lies more than 100 metres away, as long as minors are directly present.

According to cannabispraevention.de, the risks of cannabis are particularly high for young people. Coaches who know this can set clear rules for the club grounds within their group.

What clubs and coaches can concretely do

Anyone who runs a sports club or looks after children can achieve a great deal with little effort. These steps are practicable in everyday life:

• Set a clear rule for the club grounds, for example no consumption on the pitch or within its sight.
• Present the rule to parents and young people so that nobody is caught off guard.
• Respond calmly to incidents and seek a conversation with the young person.
• Name a contact person whom parents and supervisors can get in touch with for questions.

A club rule of this kind supplements the law and gives coaches support when they have to step in.

If you are on the pitch yourself

Anyone who wants to consume after training does not do so on the grounds or within their sight. On the way home, the sight ban no longer applies once you are more than 100 metres from the entrance area. Other places with a ban, such as pedestrian zones between 7:00 and 20:00, remain unaffected.

If you notice that consumption is becoming a habit, support is available from a local addiction counselling service. More information is available in the prevention and youth protection section.

Possession, consumption and passing on at a glance

For adults, possession of at most 25 grams outside the home is permitted (section 3(1) KCanG). This changes nothing about the fact that public consumption at publicly accessible sports facilities and within their sight is prohibited (section 5(2) no. 4 KCanG). Passing cannabis on to others remains prohibited regardless of location (section 2(1) no. 7 KCanG). Anyone who arrives at training with a permitted amount may therefore not consume it there or pass it on to others.

Tournaments, competitions and training evenings

Tournaments and competitions often bring many families together, including children who are not members of the club themselves. The consumption ban applies to everyone present at the publicly accessible sports facility and within its sight.

The rules also stay unchanged at training evenings. The ban is tied to the venue, and it does not depend on whether training is under way.

References to other places with a consumption ban

The same ban applies at playgrounds, and it also covers places where children play or learn. The guide on the consumption ban at playgrounds fits with this. Youth centres are protected too, and more on this is under the consumption ban at youth centres.

Anyone who wants to see the rules as a whole can read the overview of the KCanG and youth protection. It sets out which other rules apply.