Cannabis — Ireland

Cannabis is illegal to possess in Ireland -- there is no legal amount and no decriminalisation. A first or second conviction for personal-use cannabis is a fine only, but a third or subsequent offence can carry up to 12 months in prison. Since 1 September 2026 An Garda Siochana can also refer an eligible first-time personal-possession case to the HSE for a health assessment instead of prosecuting, but that is a discretionary referral rather than a right and it does not make cannabis legal. A foreign medical-cannabis prescription is not recognised: the Department of Health states that prescribed cannabis-based products are not permitted to be brought into Ireland. There is also an occupier offence with a presumption attached: if you are the occupier of, in control of, or concerned in the management of any land, vehicle or vessel and cannabis is smoked, prepared, cultivated or simply possessed on it, that is an offence carrying up to 14 years on indictment, and once the activity and your control are proved the court presumes you knew about it until you satisfy it otherwise. A rental car, holiday let or boat you are responsible for is therefore your legal risk even when the cannabis belongs to someone else. Ireland also puts the burden of proof on you in two ways that matter at an airport or a traffic stop. Once it is proved that you had a controlled drug, section 29 makes it a defence only if you yourself prove that you did not know and had no reasonable grounds for suspecting that you were in possession of it, so "it isn't mine" is something you have to establish rather than something the State has to disprove. And under section 22 the onus of proving that you hold any licence, permit or authorisation is on the person relying on it, which is the hurdle a visitor carrying a foreign prescription has to clear.

Personal-use cannabis possession: first offence a fine only, second offence a fine only, and third or subsequent offence a fine plus up to 12 months' imprisonment on summary conviction or up to 3 years on indictment (Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 s. 27(1)(a)). Under the Fines Act 2010 the maxima are a class D fine of up to 1,000 euro and a class C fine of up to 2,500 euro. Possession for supply: up to life imprisonment on indictment, with a presumptive minimum of 10 years where the drugs are worth 13,000 euro or more. Cultivation: up to 14 years on indictment. Permitting cannabis to be cultivated, prepared, smoked or possessed on land, a vehicle or a vessel you occupy, control or are concerned in managing (s. 19): on summary conviction a fine not exceeding 1,000 pounds, which under the Fines Act 2010 reads as a class C fine of up to 2,500 euro, or up to 12 months' imprisonment, or both; on conviction on indictment a fine of such amount as the court considers appropriate or up to 14 years' imprisonment, or both (s. 27(2)). There is also no quantity below which a supply charge is ruled out: under section 15(2), once possession is proved and the court, having regard to the quantity or to any other matter it considers relevant, is satisfied that it is reasonable to assume the drug was not intended for your immediate personal use, you are presumed to have held it for supply until the court is satisfied to the contrary.

Verified Sep 14, 2026

Bringing cannabis into Ireland is illegal, and importing is punished far more heavily than simple possession. Regulation 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 prohibits importing a controlled drug, and cannabis is a controlled drug; the only lawful route is a licence granted by the Minister, which a traveller will not have — a prescription written in another country is not one. There is no personal-use allowance at the border. On conviction on indictment an importation offence can carry up to 14 years in prison, and if the cannabis was brought in to supply other people the supply offences apply instead and reach life imprisonment.

Importing a controlled drug in breach of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 is an offence under section 21(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. Section 27(6)(a) sets the penalty: on summary conviction, a fine (the old IR£1,000 maximum now reads as a class C fine of up to EUR 2,500) or up to 12 months in prison, or both; on conviction on indictment, a fine of whatever amount the court considers appropriate or up to 14 years in prison, or both. Where cannabis is imported in order to supply it to others, the separate supply offences in sections 15, 15A and 15B apply and can carry life imprisonment, and for a section 15A or 15B offence the court must specify a minimum term of at least 10 years unless it finds exceptional and specific circumstances.

Verified Aug 25, 2026