Medical marijuana is legal in Austria and recreational marijuana is decriminalized.
Strictly speaking, recreational marijuana use is illegal, but possession of small amounts for personal use was decriminalized in a 2016 legal amendment. Legally, recreational marijuana use is illegal, so possession of large amounts of marijuana is punishable by fines or imprisonment.
According to a recent Austrian survey, 40% of 15-24 year olds reported having ever used cannabis.
Medical cannabis in Austria
Medical cannabis is legal in Austria.
In July 2008, the Austrian parliament authorized the cultivation of cannabis for scientific and medical purposes, and cannabis cultivation is controlled by the Austrian Agency for Insurance and Food Safety.
The Austrian Narcotics Ordinance allows the prescription of the medicinal drugs Marinol and Sativex. Prescriptions for medical marijuana require a prescription, and prescriptions for THC alone or marijuana by itself are prohibited.
CBD is legal
CBD is legal in Austria.
Prior to 2018, CBD was available in numerous stores; however, due to the 2018 regulations, CBD is classified as a novel food and must receive proper authorization before it can be sold.
Under the regulation, manufacturers and distributors can no longer list their products as drugs or dietary supplements, only flavors and ingredients.
Cannabis cultivation in Austria
Cannabis cultivation is legal in Austria.
However, the THC content of the cultivated variety must not exceed 0.3%.
In large cities such as Vienna, marijuana cultivation tools, seedlings, and marijuana clones are available for sale, making it easy for individuals to grow their own marijuana. However, the marijuana flowers must not be allowed to flower.
Cultivation, like the use of marijuana, is limited to personal use, and the distribution of cultivated marijuana is prohibited.
Will Austria legalize cannabis?
As of 2024, there is no move to fully legalize cannabis in Austria.
However, since Austria shares a border with Germany, it may be affected by German cannabis legalization.
Conclusion
This article has introduced the marijuana situation in Austria.
In Austria, medical marijuana is legal, and recreational marijuana is decriminalized in small quantities for personal use. However, the use of recreational marijuana is illegal under the law and can result in fines or imprisonment, depending on the amount possessed.
Industrial hemp is legal as long as it contains less than 0.3% THC, and CBD is also legal. However, new regulations in 2018 classify CBD as a novel food and requires approval before it can be sold.
Austria is relatively tolerant of cannabis, but we are curious to see what the policy will be in the future.