Vienna, Austria
Last updated on February 13th, 2026 at 10:36 am
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Marijuana laws and legislation for Vienna
From 2025, cannabis will remain illegal for recreational use in Austria; however, possession of small amounts for personal use has been decriminalized since 2016. Individuals caught with small amounts face administrative penalties rather than criminal charges, unless there are aggravating circumstances. Cultivation, sale, and distribution, however, remain serious offenses punishable by imprisonment and substantial fines.
Austria has a regulated medical cannabis program that allows the use of certain cannabis-based medications such as Sativex and Dronabinol for conditions such as multiple sclerosis and chemotherapy-induced nausea.
Cultivation for medicinal purposes is not permitted, and access is strictly controlled. CBD products derived from industrial hemp (with less than 0,3% THC) are legal, but CBD-containing foods and beverages are subject to stricter regulations under EU novel food rules. Although Austria has taken steps to regulate medicinal cannabis and CBD, recreational cannabis remains prohibited, and future legal reforms are uncertain.
Criminal prosecution
The Vienna police are not making any special efforts to arrest marijuana users.
A local reporter recounted: “In the late 90s, I was arrested in Austria for bringing a bag from Amsterdam on my way to Hungary. They woke me up early with a knock on the door. I got up and opened it. Two military-style police officers with submachine guns demanded to search my bags. I was sleepy and gave my permission. I didn't think they would find anything, but they were incredibly thorough, searching through books and squeezing out my toothpaste. The room started to smell of skunk, so I confessed. They asked what else I had, so I showed them a huge knife I had bought in Nepal.”
That wasn't a problem, but I was taken to the station and had to sign a confession for the weed. They checked me with photos, fingerprints, and everything. Then they let me go without the weed and told me I'd pleaded guilty and received probation. If I get caught there again, it's straight to jail. The cops were pretty cool, but I'd be careful in Austria. Remember: always carry it with you, never in your bag! That way you always have the option of getting rid of it, or at least it's unlikely to be searched if your bags are searched and nothing is found. Take care!
Where can you buy marijuana in Vienna?
A local smoker recommended a pub called Camera as a good place to get some. Another suggested visitors could ask other customers at Bush Planet, a local head shop.
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Marijuana prices in Vienna
10 euros per gram maximum
Country
Austria
time zone
UTC/GMT +2 hours
Area codes
+43 +1
city history
Despite its exaggerated reputation, Austria's leading city is no paradise for blue-haired people nodding off to chamber music. Vienna has plenty to offer, including ample weed and cool spots to enjoy its effects. But unlike in other European capitals, such as Prague in the north, marijuana and hashish are not widespread among the powerful. Vienna, once the seat of the Habsburgs and their Austro-Hungarian Empire, is now home to about 1,6 million of the country's 8 million inhabitants. The city on the Danube in northeastern Austria is an architectural gem, and its famous residents have included Napoleon, Mozart, and Sigmund Freud.
The high-spirited psychoanalyst was reportedly familiar with drugs, and so is his hometown. “Marijuana gets all my love,” said a Viennese man named Haze. A gram of weed or hashish typically costs between 100 and 130 schillings (US$6 to US$8). The price, of course, increases with its origin. One disgruntled visitor judged that “the quality of all drugs is poor,” but another remarked that there was good, homegrown weed from Upper Austria available at reasonable prices. “This will brighten your day,” he said of Viennese weed. A local smoker recommended the Camera pub as a good place to meet up. Another suggested visitors could ask other customers at Bush Planet, a local head shop. Vienna is famous for its classical entertainment, such as the Vienna Boys' Choir and lavish New Year's Eve balls, which tourists looking for soft drugs shouldn't miss. A smoker named Bailey suggested that a good time to light a joint was "just before a large symphony orchestra performs at the Vienna State Opera. Sound and ambience."
But the city also offers more modern entertainment. The thumping hip-hop and techno parade of the annual Free Party on the Ringstrasse attracts dancing revelers with silver body paint and purple wigs. Vienna's nightlife can last until the early hours of the morning.
One of the city's party hotspots is the "Bermuda Triangle," a cluster of bars and clubs in the Rabensteig, Seitenstettengasse, and Ruprechtplatz district. Slammer Bar is one of the better options and is located right in the heart of the triangle at Seitenstettengasse 5. Volksgarten at Burgring 1 offers something for everyone with its bar, beer and wine garden, disco area, and live music outdoors.
“The atmosphere here was incredible,” said a visitor named Solbeam, who warned that the Volksgarten’s popularity is driving up prices. “The cover charge was higher than at my hostel.” The Shebeen at Lerchenfelderstraße 4-7 shows episodes of “The Simpsons” every Sunday night—a real treat for stoners. On Tuesdays, the bar also hosts a Bubble Buster Party: beer for 15 schillings (1 dollar) until someone breaks the seal. The Tunnel at Florianigaße 39 is popular with students and offers live music daily and cheap snacks for when you’re feeling peckish. The sofas at the laid-back Pandora’s Box at Kurzgaße 6 are a good place to relax after smoking. Other well-known names include Centimeter I and II at Lerchenfelderstraße 4–7, Paddy O'Brien's at Passauer Platz, Blue Box at Richtergasse 8, Nachtasyl at Stumpergasse 53, and P1 at Rotgasse 9. Flex, one of the continent's hottest dance clubs, is conveniently located in a rather run-down area known for street dealers. Take the U2 or U4 subway lines to Schottenring. The club is located at the Donau/Augartenbrücke bridge on the Danube Canal. Visitors should be cautious when looking for party favors.
“It’s all illegal,” said Michael Leidig, a journalist living in Vienna. “If you’re caught with anything, you’ll be arrested and imprisoned.” NORML, the international marijuana advocacy group, explained that the consequences of raids related to possession and purchase can vary. “The quantity of drugs largely determines the severity of the punishment,” NORML stated. For first-time cannabis offenses, charges are dropped. Subsequently, penalties depend on the quantity and can range from a fine to six months in prison.
Peter Hacker, the United Nations drug coordinator in Vienna, explained: “If someone only smokes a little hashish and has no further problems, we don’t pursue the case. No one in Vienna is in prison for hashish use.”
Leidig added, however, that the justice system is not colorblind. The Vienna police chief had stated that he believed drug use was widespread among Black people. Therefore, Viennese police officers frequently stop and search Black people for drugs, regardless of whether they are homeless or businesspeople. "If you're Black and you cross the border, there's a 90 percent chance you'll be searched for drugs," Leidig said.