Glossary

On our pages, you can recognise explained terms by their dotted underline. Click on one to see the explanation without leaving the page.

Laws and their sections are collected under Laws at a glance.

A

Addiction counselling

Counselling services for anyone with questions or worries about alcohol, drugs, medication or gambling, including family members. Counselling is free of charge, confidential and anonymous if you wish. You don’t have to want to stop.

Administrative offence

A breach that an authority punishes with a fine. Unlike a criminal offence, an administrative offence does not lead to a criminal record.

Anticoagulants

Medicines that thin the blood to prevent clots, for example for atrial fibrillation or after a thrombosis. Cannabis can change how the body breaks them down and so increase the risk of bleeding.

B

BIÖG · Federal Institute for Public Health

The federal authority for health education, which emerged in 2025 from the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA). Among other things, it runs drugcom.de and Quit the Shit, a programme for quitting.

C

Cannabinoids

Substances in the cannabis plant that can bind to receptors of the body’s own endocannabinoid system. The best known are THC, which is intoxicating, and CBD, which is not.

Cannanas

The software we use to manage membership and distribution. As a member, you use it as an app, for example for your account or to cancel your membership. Every time cannabis is handed out, it also checks the legal maximum amounts, including the stricter limits for members under 21. More about CannanasDE

CBD · Cannabidiol

A compound in the cannabis plant that is not intoxicating. Our lab results give the total content of CBD and converted CBDA.

CBDA · Cannabidiolic acid

The acid form of CBD in the fresh plant. When heated, it turns into CBD; it is converted using the factor 0.877, as with THC.

Coffee shop

Shops tolerated in the Netherlands where adults can buy small amounts of cannabis. There are no coffee shops in Germany; selling cannabis remains prohibited.

Combined use

Using several substances at the same time or shortly after one another, for example cannabis and alcohol. The effects can reinforce each other and become hard to predict.

Cultivation association

A registered non-commercial association or a registered cooperative in which adult members grow cannabis together for their own use and pass it on among themselves. This requires a licence from the authorities. Selling, profit-seeking and advertising are ruled out, and minors are not allowed on the premises.

Cutting

A shoot cut from a mother plant that forms roots and grows into a new plant. Together with seeds, the law calls this propagating material.

D

DHS · German Centre for Addiction Issues

The umbrella organisation for addiction and drug support services in Germany, a non-profit association based in Hamm. It publishes figures, information material and a directory of counselling services.

DigiSucht

The nationwide online platform for addiction counselling. There you can write or chat with professionals from counselling services, including ones in your region, free of charge and anonymously if you wish.

drugcom.de

The information and counselling portal of the Federal Institute for Public Health on alcohol, cannabis and other drugs. It offers knowledge, self-tests and counselling by chat and email, free of charge and anonymous.

DSM-5

The diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association, fifth edition. It describes mental disorders using fixed criteria, including cannabis use disorder.

Duty of confidentiality

Doctors and professionals in counselling services may not pass on what you tell them in confidence, not even to parents, employers or the police. There are exceptions only within narrow limits, for example if there is an acute danger to life and limb.

F

FreD · Early intervention for drug users noticed for the first time

A short programme run by addiction support services for young people who have come to attention for drug use for the first time: one individual conversation and a group course over a few sessions. It provides information and encourages them to rethink their own use.

H

Hashish

The secreted resin of the cannabis plant, usually pressed into slabs or lumps.

Health and youth protection plan

Every cultivation association must set out in writing how it protects children and young people, promotes lower-risk use and carries out addiction prevention. The plan is part of the licence application. The prevention officers make sure it is put into practice.

Heavy metals

Metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury that a plant can absorb from soil, water or fertiliser.

HHC · Hexahydrocannabinol

A semi-synthetic substance, usually made chemically from CBD, that is intoxicating in a similar way to THC. HHC has been banned in Germany since June 2024. The content and contamination of such products cannot be assessed.

Home growing

Growing cannabis for your own use, without trade and without profit. Privately, up to three plants at home are allowed; growing together is only possible in a cultivation association.

I

ICD-11

The World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, eleventh revision. It is used to code diagnoses in a uniform way, for example harmful cannabis use or dependence.

K

KCanG · Consumer Cannabis Act

The federal law that sets out what adults may do with cannabis and what remains prohibited. It has been in force since 1 April 2024: since then, possession of small amounts and private home growing have been permitted from 18, and cultivation associations since 1 July 2024. Selling and advertising remain prohibited.

L

LWL · Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe

A local authority association of the cities and districts in Westphalia-Lippe. Among other things, it runs psychiatric hospitals, including LWL-Klinik Dortmund with an addiction medicine outpatient clinic.

M

Marijuana

The dried flowers and the leaves close to the flowers of the cannabis plant, known colloquially as weed.

Medical cannabis

Cannabis for medical purposes, prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by pharmacies. It is regulated in the Medical Cannabis Act, not in the KCanG.

Microbiology

Testing for microbes, that is bacteria, yeasts and moulds.

MPU · Medical-psychological assessment

An assessment of fitness to drive by experts in medicine and psychology. The driving licence authority orders it if there are doubts about whether someone can drive safely, for example after repeated offences under the influence of cannabis.

Mycotoxins

Toxic substances that moulds can produce, such as aflatoxins.

N

ng/ml · Nanograms per millilitre

A nanogram is a billionth of a gram. The THC limit at the wheel is 3.5 ng/ml in blood serum, the liquid part of the blood without blood cells.

O

Official photo ID

An official identity document with a photo, such as an identity card or a passport.

Own use

Consumption by you yourself. What you possess or receive for your own use, you may not pass on, give away or sell to others.

P

Passing on

The KCanG’s term for any handing over of cannabis to others. It is only permitted from a cultivation association to its own members, in limited amounts and not as a sale for profit. Cannabis that you possess or grow yourself may not be passed on.

Pooled sample

Material from several harvests is tested together. The result applies to all the harvests included.

Prevention officer

Every cultivation association must appoint one of its members as prevention officer. This person is the contact for questions about addiction prevention, makes sure the health and youth protection plan is put into practice and must show proof of training from a state or specialist centre for addiction prevention.

Probationary period

The first two years after getting your first driving licence. For serious offences, a remedial course is added and the probationary period is extended to four years.

Psychosis

A state in which the perception of reality is disturbed, for example by delusions, hallucinations or intense suspicion. Cannabis can increase the risk, especially with an early start, frequent use and a family predisposition. If there are signs, get medical help.

Q

Quit the Shit

A free, anonymous online programme from the Federal Institute for Public Health. For four weeks, you keep a use diary and get personal feedback if you want to cut down or stop completely.

R

Random sample

A sample taken from a harvest and tested as representative of the whole harvest. Cultivation associations must regularly take samples and have them tested.

Reward system

A network in the brain that reinforces pleasant experiences through the messenger substance dopamine, so that we repeat them. Addictive substances interfere here. This is one reason why a habit can turn into dependence.

S

Safer use

Rules that reduce the risks when someone uses cannabis, for example using little and rarely, not mixing, taking breaks and not driving afterwards. Safer use is not an invitation to use cannabis.

SimpleX Chat

A free messenger for smartphones and computers that works without a phone number, email address or user account. Messages are end-to-end encrypted, and not even the servers know who is writing to whom. That is why we use it for anonymous questions.

Social psychiatric service

A service of the public health department that advises people in mental health crises and their family members free of charge and refers them on, with home visits if needed.

T

THC · Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

The main psychoactive compound in cannabis. Percentages refer to the weight of the sample: 20% means 200 milligrams per gram.

THCA · Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid

The form in which THC is mostly present in the fresh plant. THCA is not psychoactive. Only when heated does it release carbon dioxide and turn into THC (decarboxylation).

Tolerance

The body getting used to a substance: people who use regularly need more over time for the same effect. A break lowers tolerance again.

Total THC

THC plus THCA multiplied by 0.877. The factor accounts for THCA being heavier than THC: during conversion, the acid group is lost as carbon dioxide. This makes samples comparable, however much THC has already been converted.

W

Withdrawal symptoms

Symptoms when someone stops after a long period of regular use: for example irritability, restlessness, sleep problems, less appetite and strong cravings. They usually begin one to two days after last use and usually subside within one to two weeks.

Within sight

The KCanG prohibits consumption not only in schools, on playgrounds, in children’s and youth facilities, sports facilities and cultivation associations, but also within sight of them. According to the law, a place is no longer within sight at a distance of more than 100 metres from the entrance area. Closer than that, the ban applies if the place can be seen.