Medical Cannabis and Driving Licence
Status: January 2026
Many of our patients ask whether they are still allowed to drive if they have a prescription for medical cannabis. The short answer is: it depends.
Cannabis can affect reaction time, concentration and coordination, especially at the beginning of treatment or after a dose adjustment. During this phase, driving is not advisable. This is not a formality, but a real safety issue – for you and for others.
The situation is different once the therapy is stably adjusted and no relevant side effects occur. In such cases, driving ability may be restored. What matters is not the fact that cannabis is taken, but how you feel and function under the medication.
What does the law say?
In Germany, medical cannabis has been legally prescribed since 2017. Nevertheless, the following applies: anyone who is unfit to drive is not allowed to operate a vehicle – regardless of whether cannabis was taken for medical or non-medical reasons.
Since August 2024, there has been a fixed legal threshold: 3.5 ng THC per ml of blood serum. If this limit is exceeded, it constitutes an administrative offence. This can result in a fine, penalty points and a temporary driving ban – even if the person feels subjectively “fit”.
What does this mean for medical cannabis patients?
A medical prescription is not a free pass. If you are unable to drive safely under the influence of cannabis, you must not drive – regardless of the prescription. On the other hand, cannabis therapy does not automatically mean that a person is unfit to drive. The key factors are stable treatment, absence of impairing side effects and responsible behaviour.
Problems arise particularly when side effects occur, the dosage has recently been changed, or alcohol is involved. In such situations, legal consequences can arise quickly. Measures such as a medical-psychological assessment (MPU) are no longer imposed automatically due to cannabis use alone, but only if there are concrete doubts about driving fitness.
The rules remain especially strict for novice drivers and persons under the age of 21. In addition, combining cannabis and alcohol is a particularly poor choice – both medically and legally.
Our advice is simple and honest: only drive if you feel clear-headed, alert and safe. If in doubt, leave the car parked and talk to us. Safety always comes first.
Webinar
Once a month, we offer a webinar for our patients on the topic “Medical Cannabis and Driving Licence”. We explain the current legal situation, typical police checks, blood values and the MPU process in a clear and understandable way.
Registration via Appointment Booking – Webinar(fees on request).