Cannabis — Iceland

Cannabis is illegal in Iceland -- possession, purchase and import are all prohibited under the Narcotics Act No. 65/1974, and there is no legal personal-use amount. In practice a small amount is usually settled with a police fine rather than prosecution: the Director of Public Prosecutions' schedule sets a base of 50,000 kronur plus 4,000 kronur for each gram or part of a gram, about 54,000 kronur for one gram, but every sale is prosecuted and trafficking carries up to 12 years. There is no medical cannabis programme, a foreign prescription or Schengen certificate will not get it in, and any product containing even a trace of THC -- including CBD oil -- counts as prohibited.

Possession: a fine or up to 6 years' imprisonment (Narcotics Act No. 65/1974 art. 5). In practice the smallest offences are settled by fine under prosecutorial directive RS 1/2025 -- a 50,000 kronur base plus 4,000 kronur per gram or part-gram, capped at 1,000,000 kronur -- while every sale is prosecuted. Major supply, import, or possession with intent to supply: up to 12 years (Penal Code art. 173a). Drug-driving: fines or up to 2 years, plus mandatory disqualification of at least six months.

Verified Sep 17, 2026

Bringing cannabis into Iceland is a criminal offence in its own right. Article 2 of the Narcotics Act No. 65/1974 prohibits the import, export, sale, purchase, exchange, delivery, receipt, production and possession of the substances the Act schedules, and article 6 schedules "Cannabis (kannabis, marijuana, hashish)" and "cannabis resin" by name -- with no THC-content threshold and no hemp or CBD exception anywhere in the Act. The only cannabis Iceland licenses anyone to import is Cannabis sativa seed, and only the Food and Veterinary Authority (Matvaelastofnun) can permit that, for farming.

Breach of the Narcotics Act, which includes import: a fine or up to 6 years' imprisonment (Act No. 65/1974 art. 5, first paragraph). That 6-year figure is this Act's own ceiling -- serious smuggling is charged under the General Penal Code instead, which carries a higher maximum. Substances unlawfully obtained or held are confiscated to the State Treasury (art. 5, sixth paragraph), and repeat offences involving the import or distribution of scheduled substances carry an increased penalty (art. 5, eighth paragraph).

Verified Aug 24, 2026