Tag Archives: coffee tax

Close-up of a cannabis leaf surrounded by green foliage
crime, German lifestyle, laws

Can I legally have weed in Europe if I’m on SOFA status?

Every once in awhile, I like to write useful blog posts. Today is one of those days. This subject comes up as a result of a search I did yesterday, purely out of curiosity.

I had just watched a YouTube video by a lawyer named Hawk, who was explaining why Joe Rogan was pleading with Republicans in Texas to chill out, lest they turn the state blue in the midterms. Why? Because as of July 31, 2026, Texas has new draconian laws regarding possession marijuana and THC. Apparently, just having an illegal gummy in your possession can now send you to prison. 🤬

I don’t usually share political stuff on the travel blog, but this subject led me to read up on Germany’s laws on this… On another note, Texas is so FUCKED.

Since I happen to be a resident of Texas, at least technically, this topic is interesting to me. But I live in Germany, where, as of April 1, 2024, it is now legal to possess and use marijuana for recreational purposes. No, it’s not like going to Amsterdam and hitting up a coffee shop. Tourists are not allowed to buy marijuana here, and there are a lot of rules about how and where the pot can be purchased and consumed. But in spite of all of that, after years of arguing, Germany has finally legalized marijuana… or, at least it’s more legal than it was.

German citizens and legal residents, over the age of 18, are allowed to partake of weed. On July 1, 2024, Germany introduced Cannabis Social Clubs (CSCs), and this is how most people here can get their cannabis fix (they’ve got a club for EVERYTHING!). Folks are also allowed to grow marijuana plants for personal use. Check the above link for more specific information on this fairly new law.

Tourists and newcomers (arrived within six months) are not allowed to purchase cannabis in Germany. Edibles are also not legal in Germany, because the powers that be think edibles are more enticing to children and youth. In fact, marijuana is not permitted to be consumed in places where children are likely to be, like within proximity to schools or “kitas” (daycares). And… as I found out yesterday, people who live in Germany– or really, Europe as a whole– on SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) status, are forbidden from purchasing, possessing, or partaking of cannabis. 🥲

More info on this… for GERMANS. This is a pretty great video!

It does seem strange that I, as someone who has spent the last 12 years living in Germany, am not considered an ordinary resident… 🤭. Alas, those of us who live in Europe on SOFA status, don’t have ordinary resident status, and that means we aren’t allowed to enjoy cannabis as our German neighbors can.

Why not?

People who are affiliated with the US military, the Department of Defense, or other branches of the US government are strictly forbidden from using marijuana products or other recreational drugs. And since most of us are not considered ordinary residents by the German government, we might as well be living in the United States. There are a few exceptions– some Americans who work as contractors become residents and pay German taxes– however, they probably still would not be allowed to enjoy consuming weed due to policies set by their companies, which are employed by the US government.

What happens if you ignore the rules?

It depends on who you are, and where you work. If you are a member of the uniformed services, you will be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Federal and branch-specific military regulations explicitly forbid controlled substances like THC. Violations can result in disciplinary action, non-judicial punishment, courts-martial, or termination of employment and revocation of SOFA privileges.

If you are working as a government employee, you’re not allowed pot because of the federal Controlled Substances Act. While marijuana is legal in some states, cannabis is classified as a controlled substance on the federal level. Executive Order 12564 mandates a drug-free federal workplace. You can be fired, lose your security clearance, or otherwise disciplined.

If you work as a contractor, you are subject to the same rules as government employees are, as well as any policies set by your company. If you get caught using drugs, your company may be forced to terminate your employment or move you somewhere else. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 requires that any company that receives a federal contract of $100,000 or more must enforce drug free workplace policies. That law would apply to just about any government contractor operating in Europe.

What if you’re just a spouse?

Spouses are held to the same rules employees are, as are any other “dependents”. Spouses and other family members who use marijuana may be sent home (early return of dependents) at their own expense. Or they may lose their SOFA status, and lose installation access. Remember, the sponsor is responsible for the conduct of any of their dependents (ick)– so, even if you are just a spouse who is getting baked, you can still get your other half in hot water.

What if I just light up at home?

While it’s not exactly clear how these policies would apply to people who consume their pot at home, even off base houses are considered “islands of prohibition.” So, if you are a US citizen on SOFA status, and you get caught with marijuana at home, you can still get in big trouble, even if your German neighbors are lighting up in their backyards every night and grow their own weed.

You can read a lot more about this conundrum on Stripes.com, which has a great article about marijuana rules. It was written by journalist Alexander Riedel.

Personally, I think this particular rule should be relaxed, especially given that drinking alcohol is still fine, and alcohol arguably does a lot more damage on every level. But, what I think and a nickel will get you nowhere. 😏 Remember, this is a place where we Americans can get in deep shit for ordering coffee through the APO. They’re certainly not gonna let us have weed. 🤬

As for my personal thoughts on cannabis… Well, I’ve only tried it a couple of times. I went to The Netherlands for my 43rd birthday, back in 2015, and I enjoyed an edible or three. That was my first and, to date, only experience with marijuana. I did enjoy it, and would partake again, but I can certainly live without it. On the other hand, I’ve used hemp and CBD products with great success on my dogs, when they had cancer. I think people should have more access to weed based products that truly are health promoting.

I wouldn’t mind having access to marijuana. In fact, I’d probably prefer it to drinking beer. But even if it was available to me, I probably couldn’t be arsed to seek it out… and given that marijuana can make a person lazy, it’s probably better that I continue to avoid such things. I’m clearly not all that industrious under the best of circumstances. 🤭

REMEMBER— it doesn’t matter where you are in Europe. Even if marijuana is totally legal where you are, technically, it’s against US federal law for US citizens to partake, if they are living in Europe under Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) regulations. So there’s your answer… and your warning. Now, how often this particular rule is actually enforced is another matter, altogether. 🤔

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The high price of importing coffee to Germany…

A couple of years ago, when Bill and I first moved back to Germany, I blogged about Germany’s dreaded Kaffeesteuer (coffee tax).  Roasted coffee beans imported to Germany is subject to a tax, which is why we get those handy ration cards for use at the PX and commissary.

I’ll be honest.  When Bill and I lived in Germany the first time, we used to get coffee sent to us through the APO.  It’s illegal to get coffee that way, but everyone did it.  Besides, even though we had ration cards that included coffee, I don’t remember ever actually hearing about the rule against having coffee mailed through APO.  I honestly think I was ignorant during those years.  We had no Facebook groups back then.  In any case, we were never busted, even though the post office officials could easily smell the beans.

I’ve heard that people still get coffee through the APO, despite reports that customs was cracking down on coffee smuggling.  I decided not to risk ordering coffee through APO because I didn’t want to get in trouble.  For the past couple of years, Bill and I have been getting by on the coffee we’ve been able to find here in Germany.  I really don’t like a lot of the local stuff.  I’m not wild about Starbucks, either.  I drink it only because that’s what’s closest to what I like.  I happen to be a diehard Peet’s fan, despite other people’s efforts to convert me to other brands.

Interestingly enough, Peet’s used to supply Starbucks with coffee beans when Starbucks was in its infancy.  Now, Starbucks is way more popular than Peet’s is.  I remain partial to Peet’s coffee. In our two years here, I’ve really missed having it readily available.  When we were in the States, I would order it directly from the company and it would arrive freshly roasted and smelling heavenly.  I even had a subscription.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally decided I wanted my Peet’s, dammit!  They had a special reserve roasting from Kenya that I wanted to order.  Since I was going to the trouble of ordering coffee from the States and figured there would be a hassle in getting it, along with a hefty duty to pay, I decided to order six pounds.  I actually placed the order a few days before it was sent to me because the items I wanted were roasted after I ordered them.  Postage for this order was $40.  I got an $8 discount on shipping because I ordered more than $100 worth of product.

Today is August 19, 2016.  It took my parcel nine days to get to me from California to Germany.  The actual trip to Germany didn’t take that long.  My coffee left the USA on August 12th and landed in Frankfurt the next day.  From there, another six days passed as my coffee was sent down here to Stuttgart and processed through customs.  I’ve been watching the package’s progress for days, wondering what would happen when it finally got to me.

Would it come to my doorstep?  Would we have to pick it up in a customs office or at the post office?  I was also a little worried because we’re going out of town this weekend.  I wouldn’t have wanted to miss the delivery if it was actually brought to the door…  

 

A couple of years ago, I ordered a sweater that came to me through German mail.  I ended up having to pay about 20 euros to customs.  I wasn’t prepared when the courier came to my door, so I had to call DHL and arrange for another delivery.  It was kind of nervewracking.  This time, I was determined to be prepared.  I’ve had cash for the anticipated duties sitting in my kitchen all week, even though we had no idea how much they would be.

Bill originally thought it would cost about 9 euros.  I figured it would be a lot more than that.  Turns out, I was right.  The coffee arrived today.  I spotted the mail guy carrying a big box and figured it was for me.  Once again, I was right.  I opened the door and he pointed to the green tag on the box.  That was the price of the duty.  This coffee smells heavenly, but goodness, it wasn’t cheap to get it here…

On that slip of paper is how much I had to pay to take possession of my package…

 

I definitely think it’s time for a cup of coffee, though.  And now that I know the process, I’d do it again.  Good thing I don’t have any kids in college!

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Coffee talk…

An interesting question comes up from time to time for those of us who live in Germany courtesy of the American government.  Why aren’t we allowed to have coffee shipped to us via APO?

Well, lemme tell you, when Bill and I lived here from 2007-09, we didn’t know about the coffee rule and we used to have Peet’s coffee sent to us all the time.  I know it’s coffee you can get in the grocery store, but we’d have it mailed right after a roasting.  More than once, the post office people commented on the heavenly aroma.  Not once did they ever mention the ban on having coffee shipped.

In the five years since then, they’ve apparently gotten a lot stricter about coffee coming through APO.  I haven’t tried to order coffee from the States, but I have heard that people have lost their APO mail privileges for having coffee mailed to them.  I have also heard that some people do it anyway and haven’t had any problems.  Knowing how great Peet’s smells, I’m not going to risk it.  That still begs the question, though.  Why is it a problem for APO users to buy coffee through the mail?

First of all, the rules…

Host nation custom regulations prohibit the importation of medication, vitamins and nutritional supplements through the Military Postal Service, in unaccompanied baggage and household goods.

The rule also applies to alcoholic beverages, animals, plants, cheese and cheese products, cigarettes and other tobacco products, coffee and coffee products, meat and meat products, and milk and milk products.

All incoming and outgoing mail is subject to inspection by German customs officials, and violators may be subject to fines and penalties.

For more information, see Army Regulation 550-175, U.S. Forces Customs Controls in Germany, or call the Stuttgart Customs officer at 431-2731/civ. 07031-15-2731.

I imagine the ban on cheeses, milk, meat, and plants have to do with agricultural risks.  The medications, vitamins, booze and supplements rules have to do with legal risks.  I’m not going to expend the effort right now to find out for sure.  When it comes to coffee, though, it’s all about money.

There is a coffee tax in Germany.

It’s called the Kaffeesteuer.  When you buy coffee in a German store, the tax is included in the price.  When you buy it in the commissary, at AAFES or in the Class VI, you have to present a ration card so they can make sure you aren’t buying up a bunch of it and selling it to host country nationals.  If you have coffee sent to you, you avoid both the Kaffeesteur and the rationing and that’s a no no.

The link I provided above offers a simple explanation of the tax, which has been collected since Germany was Prussia.  I’m sure the coffee tax is useful, since it surely provides revenue.  For those of us Yanks who have a favorite type of coffee, the tax is kind of a pain in the butt.  I wouldn’t mind paying the tax if it meant I could have my Peet’s.

I know other people think Germany has an equivalent to Peet’s coffee (or any other brand Americans like), but I sure haven’t found it yet.  I hate to keep buying coffee that doesn’t cut it for me.  Starbucks, which used to buy Peet’s coffee in its earliest days, just doesn’t thrill me, though I could probably live with their Pike Place blend.  On the other hand, I am not a coffee fiend anyway.  My husband is the one who is passionate about his coffee.  With me, it’s more of a case of only liking what I like, not that I can’t live without a good cup of joe every day.

I did find an interesting Web site that sells raw coffee beans in Germany and other EU countries.  You buy the beans and roast them yourself.  Given that my husband enjoys this kind of a project, I may try ordering from Rohebohnen.de just to see if it’s worth the effort.  According to their site, it’s not too hard to roast your own beans and it’s even less expensive to do so, since you don’t have to pay the Kaffeesteuer for raw beans.  Keep in mind that if you do choose to home roast, you can only do so for your private use.  No buying the beans, coming up with a great flavor, and selling it to your American friends!  And you’ll need a grinder, of course.  We recently bought a good one from Amazon.de.

Click here for an explanation of the home coffee roasting process…  It looks pretty easy, actually.  Maybe I’ll do it just to give myself something new to do.  Will have to update once I pull the trigger.

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