There is no single figure. THC content varies widely depending on the plant, how it is grown and the product. What is certain: it has risen over the years.
In Europe, it roughly doubled from 2006 to 2016. Flowers contained on average first 5 and then 10 per cent THC, hashish first 8 and then 17 per cent. A review of studies from several countries found an average increase for the years 1970 to 2017 of 0.29 percentage points per year for flowers and 0.57 percentage points for hashish. The CBD content did not change.
Cultivation associations must have samples of their cannabis tested in a lab (§ 18 KCanG). Our results are listed batch by batch under Lab resultsDE.
Cultivation associations may only pass on cannabis with no more than 10 per cent THC to 18- to 20-year-olds (§ 19 para. 3 KCanG). For black-market cannabis, the active ingredient content and composition are “usually unknown”, according to the BIÖG.
Why it matters. The more THC, the stronger the effect and the more often unpleasant effects such as anxiety or panic occur. In studies, people who often use cannabis very high in THC are more often affected by dependence and psychosis.
Remember: You cannot tell by looking at cannabis how much THC it contains. Without a lab result, you do not know the content.
More on this: What does “total THC” mean? · Why no more than 10% THC under 21? · What cannabis does in the body
Sources
- Freeman et al. (2019): Increasing potency and price of cannabis in Europe, 2006-16. Addiction 114(6)
- Freeman et al. (2021): Changes in delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) concentrations in cannabis over time: systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction 116(5)
- drugcom.de (BIÖG): THC-Konzentration steigt, CBD bleibt stabil (30 December 2020)
- BIÖG: Informationen zu Cannabis, zur Weitergabe an Mitglieder von Cannabis-Anbauvereinigungen (as of February 2025)
- Konsumcannabisgesetz (Consumer Cannabis Act, KCanG), § 19
- Cannabis Social Club Dortmund: Lab results, as of 21 October 2026DE