German Railways to Ban Cannabis Use at All Stations

Regulations by 2FIRSTS.ai
Apr.22.2024
German Railways to Ban Cannabis Use at All Stations
German Rail to ban marijuana at all stations nationwide, citing need to protect passengers, especially children and teens.

According to the German magazine "Bild am Sonntag," on April 20th, Deutsche Bahn will prohibit the use of marijuana at all train stations. Signs indicating the ban will be posted nationwide next week.

 

A railway spokesperson, in an interview with the newspaper, stated, "This decision is made in order to protect our passengers, especially the needs of children and teenagers, and is in accordance with laws that prohibit marijuana consumption during daytime in pedestrian areas or around schools and playgrounds. Therefore, we will prohibit marijuana consumption at the station. We will soon be updating our company regulations. It is expected that the new company rules will be completed in approximately four weeks and will be legally binding, with about twenty million passengers passing through the station each day."

 

Starting from June 1st, the railway will enforce laws related to cannabis. On one hand, German railway employees will use "friendly requests and reminders" to ask passengers to stop consuming cannabis. Similar to the smoking ban, DB security staff will be required to conduct corresponding checks during patrols and point out violations of the joint ban when discovered.

 

Since 2007, train stations have been completely smoke-free. Since then, relying on the Federal Non-Smoking Protection Act, smoking is only allowed in specially designated areas. Smoking is generally not allowed inside the stations, including e-cigarettes. However, approximately 400 train stations (out of a total of 5,400) have designated smoking areas. Additionally, there is a cost associated with disposing of cigarette butts. In 2023, the railway will spend 8.7 million euros on cleaning trash cans and ashtrays.

 

The only exception to the railway joint prohibition: the consumption of marijuana for medical reasons has been allowed and will continue to be allowed. At the same time, the Augsburg Report states that the German government hopes to tighten marijuana laws to accommodate the needs of individual states. The goal is to prevent multiple clubs from operating cultivation areas in the same location or property. Therefore, authorities should be given more discretion in approving cultivation areas.

 

We welcome news tips, article submissions, interview requests, or comments on this piece.

Please contact us at info@2firsts.com, or reach out to Alan Zhao, CEO of 2Firsts, on LinkedIn


Notice

1.  This article is intended solely for professional research purposes related to industry, technology, and policy. Any references to brands or products are made purely for objective description and do not constitute any form of endorsement, recommendation, or promotion by 2Firsts.

2.  The use of nicotine-containing products — including, but not limited to, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouchand heated tobacco products — carries significant health risks. Users are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions.

3.  This article is not intended to serve as the basis for any investment decisions or financial advice. 2Firsts assumes no direct or indirect liability for any inaccuracies or errors in the content.

4.  Access to this article is strictly prohibited for individuals below the legal age in their jurisdiction.

 

Copyright

 

This article is either an original work created by 2Firsts or a reproduction from third-party sources with proper attribution. All copyrights and usage rights belong to 2Firsts or the original content provider. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or any other form of unauthorized use by any individual or organization is strictly prohibited. Violators will be held legally accountable.

For copyright-related inquiries, please contact: info@2firsts.com

 

AI Assistance Disclaimer

 

This article may have been enhanced using AI tools to improve translation and editorial efficiency. However, due to technical limitations, inaccuracies may occur. Readers are encouraged to refer to the cited sources for the most accurate information.

We welcome any corrections or feedback. Please contact us at: info@2firsts.com

South Korea Fully Reviews Nicotine-Analog and Nicotine-Free Vape Liquid Imports, With Over 99% From China and Chinese Supply-Chain Documents Under Scrutiny
South Korea Fully Reviews Nicotine-Analog and Nicotine-Free Vape Liquid Imports, With Over 99% From China and Chinese Supply-Chain Documents Under Scrutiny
Korea Customs Service has tightened import controls on nicotine-analog and nicotine-free e-cigarette liquids, placing the products under 100% document review and subjecting all e-cigarette liquid import declarations to pre-clearance ingredient analysis. As of September 20, 2026, South Korea had imported about 15 metric tons of nicotine-analog liquids, 99.99% from China, and about 316 metric tons of nicotine-free liquids, including roughly 315 metric tons, or 99.7%, from China. The measures follow South Korea's April expansion of its tobacco definition to include synthetic nicotine products and include new checks on Chinese manufacturing, transaction and export documentation.
Sep.24
German Tobacco Tax Revenue Falls 10.8% Through August as Tax-Paid Cigarette Volume Drops 12.6%
German Tobacco Tax Revenue Falls 10.8% Through August as Tax-Paid Cigarette Volume Drops 12.6%
Germany collected €9.789 billion in total tobacco tax revenue from January through August 2026, down 10.8% from a year earlier, according to the Federal Ministry of Finance. Germany's tobacco tax base covers not only cigarettes and fine-cut tobacco but also heated tobacco and vaping liquids taxed as tobacco substitutes. The German Association of the Tobacco Industry and Novel Products, or BVTE, citing federal statistical data, said tax-paid cigarette volume fell 12.6% to 40.6 billion sticks. BVTE is using the latest figures to argue against further tax increases planned from 2027 through 2030, while Germany's parliament is scheduled to hold a first reading of the bill on September 24.
Sep.23
Trump Picks White House Health Policy Aide Heidi Overton to Lead FDA, Pending Senate Confirmation
Trump Picks White House Health Policy Aide Heidi Overton to Lead FDA, Pending Senate Confirmation
U.S. President Donald Trump has chosen White House health policy aide Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. Overton currently works on health policy at the White House and previously held a senior role at the America First Policy Institute. If confirmed by the Senate, she would take over an FDA that has experienced months of senior-level turnover. The agency regulates products representing roughly one-fifth of U.S. consumer spending, including e-cigarettes, drugs, vaccines and much of the food supply.
News
Aug.19
Germany Probes 7.6 Million Illegal Vape Case With Estimated €33.3 Million Tax Loss; Four Chinese Manufacturer Employees Under Investigation, Some Packaging in Enforcement Images Resembles FUMOT Products
Germany Probes 7.6 Million Illegal Vape Case With Estimated €33.3 Million Tax Loss; Four Chinese Manufacturer Employees Under Investigation, Some Packaging in Enforcement Images Resembles FUMOT Products
German prosecutors and customs authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into an alleged cross-border organised vape network. Authorities say that between January 2024 and March 2025, four employees of an unnamed Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer allegedly built a network of sales agents and wholesalers that brought more than 7.6 million nicotine disposable vapes into Germany, causing an estimated €33.3 million in excise-tax losses. The manufacturer has not been named. Some products visible in enforcement images have packaging resembling products from FUMOT’s portfolio. European regulatory records from 2024, FUMOT’s public overseas-sales materials and records involving German vape importer and distribution company Zamu-Pro GmbH also show FUMOT/RandM products and German distribution activity during the period covered by the investigation.
Sep.21
Switzerland Tightens Vape Checks as Only 3 of 32 Tested Products Meet New Tobacco Rules
Switzerland Tightens Vape Checks as Only 3 of 32 Tested Products Meet New Tobacco Rules
According to Swiss media outlet Blick, local authorities are strengthening compliance checks on vape products, nicotine pouches and other tobacco-related products following the implementation of Switzerland’s revised Tobacco Products Act. A Basel laboratory tested 32 disposable vapes and e-liquids, with only three meeting regulatory requirements and 21 products banned from sale. Swiss authorities are also expanding retail inspections, laboratory testing and youth purchase checks to enforce the new tobacco and nicotine product rules.
Aug.12
Philip Morris Malaysia Again Meets Religious Authority Over Cigarette Alternatives as Perlis Mufti Responds on Halal Criteria
Philip Morris Malaysia Again Meets Religious Authority Over Cigarette Alternatives as Perlis Mufti Responds on Halal Criteria
Philip Morris Malaysia Managing Director Naeem Shahab Khan met Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin on September 17 and presented the company's shift from conventional cigarettes toward alternative products. The mufti said a product could be considered halal if it is clean, its side effects are not harmful or can be controlled, and it does not involve excessive waste. His remarks did not mention IQOS or any other specific PMI product and did not amount to a new product-specific religious ruling. It was at least the second publicly reported engagement between Philip Morris Malaysia and a Malaysian religious institution over cigarette alternatives within six months.
Regulations
Sep.18 by 2Firsts Perspectives