Cannabis — Laos

Cannabis is illegal in Laos. The US State Department states that cannabis and cannabis-related products are illegal there and that possession or consumption is punishable by law, and the UK Foreign Office says the Lao authorities have a zero-tolerance policy to drug offences, with possession of even very small quantities carrying arrest, detention and a long jail sentence on conviction. Despite the country's relaxed reputation, the State Department warns that foods and drinks labelled happy or special, particularly pizzas and shakes, are illegal to consume, and the Foreign Office warns that police often raid venues popular with foreigners and may require a urine or blood test - you will be arrested if it is positive, so carrying nothing is not protection.

The UK Foreign Office states that possessing drugs in Laos, even in very small quantities, carries severe penalties including arrest and detention, a long jail sentence if charged and convicted, and a possible death penalty for drug trafficking. It adds that airport scanners screen transiting passengers' baggage for cannabis, that British nationals have been caught carrying cannabis in transit, and that you may be given a urine or blood test at a raided venue and will be arrested if it is positive. Laos's Penal Code 2017 sets prison terms and kip fines for marijuana possession under its narcotics chapter, but only an unofficial draft English translation of that Code is publicly available, so no specific figures are published here. Expect detention before any court date: the Foreign Office notes it can take many months for a case to come to trial.