Marijuana in Denmark: what is allowed and what are the penalties (2026)

Denmark is the most predictable country in this comparison. The prosecution publishes a fine schedule with specific amounts and specific weight ranges, so the answer to the question about the penalty does not require guessing.

The thresholds are listed separately for resin, separately for herb, and separately for plants, with differences between them being several times. Below is what follows from the guidelines of the prosecution and from the Danish Medicines Agency.

Legal status checked on September 5, 2026, in the prosecution’s guidelines as of April 1, 2026. This is a description of the regulations, not legal advice.

Is possession of marijuana in Denmark punishable?

It is prohibited, but for personal use it ends with a fine according to the official schedule, not imprisonment. Violation of the narcotics law is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to two years, and the penal code adds stricter ranges for qualified forms. The penal pathway, however, concerns large-scale trafficking.

The prosecution sets thresholds, above which possession is generally considered intended for personal use. This solution is similar to the Belgian one in structure, but much more detailed: instead of one number, there is a whole table.

One thing needs clarification here, as it circulates in compilations as a Danish scare tactic. The highest ranges from the penal code, reaching sixteen years, do not apply to hashish, as it is not classified as particularly dangerous or harmful substances.

The stricter penal pathway thus covers large-scale trafficking, not possession for personal use. For a passerby with a small amount, the decisive factor is the schedule described below, not the penal code.

The Danish model is therefore unusually clear. How the same boundary looks elsewhere is shown by our map of marijuana legality.

How much marijuana is allowed in Denmark?

Danish thresholds for personal use are listed separately for resin and separately for herb, with a fivefold difference between them. Hashish, products containing cannabis, and synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids have a threshold of 10 grams. Marijuana has 50 grams, and cannabis plants 100 grams.

For comparison, it is worth looking at the rest of the list. Heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and morphine base have 0.2 grams, while amphetamine and ketamine have 0.5 grams, so cannabis is treated in this table clearly more leniently than everything else.

However, these are approximate sizes, not an absolute limit. When divided into portions, the presence of a scale, or sales records, the prosecutor may consider even a smaller amount as trafficking, so the scale alone does not determine the case.

The guidelines also convert forms among themselves. Cannabis products with THC content above 0.2 percent are to follow the penalty level for hashish, with one milliliter of cannabis oil corresponding to one gram of hashish.

In trafficking, the threshold of the penal code is about ten kilograms of hashish and roughly the same to one and a half times more marijuana. The weight is counted net, without packaging.

What are the penalties for exceeding the threshold in Denmark?

The fine schedule for possession for personal use increases with each subsequent time, and this follows a fixed rule. The second time raises the amount by half, and the third and each subsequent time by one hundred percent compared to the base rate. Below are the rates for acts committed after July 2025.

Above the highest range, the schedule ends and imprisonment begins. For hashish, this limit starts at 100 grams, which is exactly where for cannabis plants the second fine threshold begins.

The drug is subject to confiscation in every case. From July 2025, in case of serious violations, the confiscation of the vehicle used in the act can also be ordered, and the concept of a vehicle is broader here than in traffic law.

It includes motorcycles, mopeds, motorized bicycles, and electric scooters. This solution is worth noting, as it affects means of transport that their owners usually do not associate with the risk of confiscation.

It is also worth noting the very structure of the schedule, as it says more about the Danish approach than the height of the rates. The amount depends on three things at once: the form of the substance, the weight range, and how many times the case is repeated.

This arrangement removes discretion at the lowest level of responsibility. The officer does not assess the height of the fine, but reads it from the table, and the reader can do the same before traveling.

Does Denmark have a medical marijuana program?

The Danish program started as a pilot in early 2018, and from January 1, 2026, it has been made permanent. It allows doctors to prescribe cannabis products that were previously illegal in Denmark and is intended for patients who have not been helped by approved medications.

The availability of preparations depends on the manufacturers, not the authority. They decide whether to apply for the inclusion of a product in the program, so the offer changes over time and is not a list established once and for all.

The Danish Medicines Agency states something that the promotional program would never say, and it is worth quoting it exactly. Products covered by the program are not approved medicines either in Denmark or in other countries.

The agency adds that they have generally not been studied in clinical trials, and doctors do not have the same knowledge about their effects and side effects as they do about approved medicines.

This disclaimer distinguishes the Danish program from those presented as ready therapies. The patient receives a legal opportunity to try, not a preparation with confirmed efficacy.

Is HHC legal in Denmark?

HHC has been controlled in Denmark since May 2023. By regulation from April of that year, hexahydrocannabinol was listed as item 152 a on list B of the annex to the narcotics regulation, allowing it to be used only for medical and scientific purposes.

The date has practical significance here. HHC products appeared in Europe as uncontrolled, and some compilations still describe them this way, while the Danish list closed this loophole in May 2023.

The prosecution’s guidelines go a step further and treat synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids together with hashish. The effect is direct: they are subject to the same threshold of 10 grams and the same fine schedule.

The distinction between synthetic and semi-synthetic can be a source of misunderstandings, as HHC belongs to the latter group. However, the Danish guidelines cover both at once, so the argument about semi-synthetic origin does not change the qualification.

For the traveler, the conclusion is simple. A product purchased in a country where HHC is not controlled, upon crossing the Danish border, falls under the same regime as hashish.

Frequently asked questions

How much marijuana can you have in Denmark?

The thresholds for personal use are 10 grams for hashish and cannabis products, 50 grams for marijuana, and 100 grams for cannabis plants. These are approximate sizes, not an absolute limit.

What fine is imposed in Denmark for possessing marijuana?

The schedule starts at 2000 crowns for the smallest amounts and increases with each subsequent time: the second time by half, the third and subsequent times by one hundred percent compared to the base rate.

Is there a sixteen-year prison sentence for marijuana in Denmark?

The highest ranges from the penal code do not apply to hashish, as it is not classified as particularly dangerous or harmful substances. The stricter pathway covers large-scale trafficking.

Can Danish police take your car?

In case of serious violations, the confiscation of the vehicle used in the act can be ordered. The concept of a vehicle is broader than in traffic law and includes motorcycles, mopeds, motorized bicycles, and electric scooters.

Is the Danish medical marijuana program permanent?

Yes, from January 1, 2026. Previously, it operated as a pilot launched in early 2018. The availability of preparations depends on the manufacturers, as they apply for the inclusion of a product in the program.

Is HHC legal in Denmark?

No. Hexahydrocannabinol was placed on the controlled list in 2023, and the prosecution’s guidelines treat synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids together with hashish, with the same threshold of 10 grams.

Sources

This article is for informational and educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. The legal status described in the article is valid as of the date of publication: regulations regarding cannabis may change. Before making a decision, consult a lawyer or current legal acts.

Author: Michał Waluk