Cannabis in Austria is legal for scientific and limited medical usage, but illegal for recreational usage. Possession of small amounts for personal use was decriminalized in 2016. The sale of cannabis seeds and plants is legal as long as it's not used for drug-manufacturing and sale.
Medical cannabis On 9 July 2008, the Austrian Parliament approved cannabis cultivation for scientific and medical uses. Cannabis cultivation is controlled by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit, AGES).
Legal situation Owning, the purchase, importation, exportation, transportation, or cultivation of cannabis is a punishable offense in Austria. Offenders are facing high fines or imprisonment up to 360 days. In 2016, the possession of small amounts (usually under 5 grams of cannabis flower)is often considered as small amount anything over 5 grams of bud or hashish are considered with the intent of selling. THC containing substances for personal consumption was slightly decriminalized to the degree that such cases will not be pursued if the possessor has not been implicated in any drug related offenses within the last five years .
Both Δ9-THC and pharmaceutical preparations containing Δ9-THC are listed in annex IV of the Austrian Narcotics Decree (Suchtgiftverordnung). Compendial formulations are manufactured upon prescription according to the German Neues Rezeptur-Formularium.
In 2022, the German government announced plans to legalize the regulated purchase and the recreational use of cannabis. Due to the common open border between Germany and Austria (32% of Austria’s entire border), and their close economic and cultural ties, a public discussion has been sparked in Austria regarding legalization and almost 50% of its people are open for legal cannabis.Most people dont know or dont want to believe that cannabis can have medicinal purpose and there are many stigmas like the gateway drug argument.It even goes so far that most of the elderly people think that cannabis is consumed thru syringes and think that consumers can overdose and die.References
Cultiva Expo
Almost every year from the 2.-4. of October people that are in the Austrian 420 Community, come together at Cultiva Hanfexpo in Vienna this year the location will be the Wiener Werkshallen.