No, weed is not legal in Cyprus. Recreational cannabis is a criminal offense under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law of 1977, which classifies cannabis as a Class B controlled substance alongside amphetamines.1United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Cyprus Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law No 29 of 1977 Possession, cultivation, and sale can all land you in prison. A narrow medical program exists, but access is tightly controlled and routed through the Minister of Health.
There is no decriminalization policy. Tourists get no special treatment, and resort areas are not an exception. Police run searches at nightlife venues, at crossing points, and during routine traffic stops.
How Penalties Are Structured
Cypriot law draws its most important line at quantity. A 2003 amendment set thresholds of 30 grams of cannabis or three cannabis plants. Below those limits, the case is treated as personal-use possession. At or above them, the law presumes you intended to supply, and the charge becomes far more serious.2The European Union Drugs Agency. Penalties for Drug Law Offences at a Glance
Possession for Personal Use
Possession of a small amount of cannabis carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison for a Class B substance.2The European Union Drugs Agency. Penalties for Drug Law Offences at a Glance Courts take quantity into account at sentencing, and trace amounts rarely draw the ceiling, but any quantity is a criminal offense.
First-time offenders under 25 face a statutory cap of one year in prison.2The European Union Drugs Agency. Penalties for Drug Law Offences at a Glance A 2016 law lets an advisory committee recommend court-ordered treatment lasting three to 24 months in place of prison, and a separate protocol lets first-time arrestees aged 14 to 24 be referred to treatment; completing the program within two years can close the case.
Supply and Trafficking
Supplying, offering to supply, or trafficking cannabis carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.3The European Union Drugs Agency. Drug Trafficking Penalties Across the European Union Hitting 30 grams, or three plants, triggers the presumption of intent to supply, meaning prosecutors do not have to prove any sale actually happened. Cultivating any cannabis plant without authorization is itself an offense, and growing more than a couple of plants will almost certainly draw a trafficking-level charge. Recent sentences have run from several years to well over a decade depending on quantity and role.
Driving After Cannabis Use
Cyprus runs a zero-tolerance drug driving policy. Any detectable trace of THC in your system is enough to prosecute. The law sets no minimum threshold.
Police can demand a saliva sample after a crash, after a traffic violation, or whenever they have reasonable suspicion of drug use. The roadside device gives a positive or negative reading, and a positive sends a second sample to a laboratory for confirmation. Refusing to provide a sample is treated the same as a positive result.
A conviction can bring a fine of up to €3,500, up to three years in prison, and a three-year license suspension, or any combination. Visitors arriving from jurisdictions where low-level THC from the previous day would be ignored should take this seriously: in Cyprus, any detectable level is enough.
Medical Cannabis
Cyprus first legalized medical cannabis oil in 2017 for advanced-stage cancer patients. A broader law in February 2019 expanded the qualifying conditions and authorized cultivation, import, and processing for medical and research purposes. Qualifying conditions include cancer (including related chronic pain), HIV/AIDS, degenerative diseases of the motor system, rheumatism, neuropathy, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, and Tourette’s syndrome.
Products include oils, tinctures, and capsules dispensed through licensed pharmacies. Access is more restricted than most European medical cannabis programs. A patient cannot simply get a prescription and fill it. A physician must apply on the patient’s behalf, and the request ultimately requires exceptional approval from the Minister of Health. In practice, relatively few patients have moved through the domestic system.
If You Have a Foreign Prescription
You cannot bring medical cannabis into Cyprus just because it is prescribed at home. Importing any cannabis product containing THC without prior authorization is illegal. To bring medical cannabis in, you have to apply in advance to the Ministry of Health with your prescription, a doctor’s report on your condition and medication, an official translation of your home-country authorization, a photo of the product showing its composition, and a copy of your passport. The Minister of Health personally approves the request, and the process can take up to two weeks. Only a quantity covering your stay will be approved.
Arriving with medical cannabis and no prior approval exposes you to the same criminal penalties as any other person caught with a controlled substance.
CBD and Industrial Hemp
CBD products are available in Cyprus, but the rules are not as simple as “legal.” CBD products are classified as pharmaceutical products, and shops that sell them need a license from the pharmaceutical services division of the Ministry of Health. Products with medicinal concentrations should, in principle, be sold only at pharmacies. A separate rule lets non-pharmacy shops sell products if both the CBD and the THC content stay below 0.2%. Anything above that threshold without authorization is treated as a controlled substance.4Cyprus Mail. THC in High Street Products to Increase
Northern Cyprus and the Green Line
Crossing into the north does not improve your legal position. Cannabis is also illegal in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, under its own criminal penalties. The Green Line crossings are actively policed, customs officers run vehicle searches, and seizures happen regularly. In March 2026, officers at the Ayios Dhometios crossing found cannabis and other substances during a routine search, and the person was arrested and handed to the drug squad.
If you pick up cannabis in the north and try to cross back into the Republic, you face prosecution under the Republic’s laws. The reverse carries equivalent risk. Treat the Green Line as a full international border for drug enforcement.