Cannabis — Sweden

Cannabis is completely illegal in Sweden, and Sweden goes further than most of Europe: using it is a crime in its own right, so being under the influence is an offence even with nothing on you. Police who reasonably suspect you have used may compel a blood or urine sample, and a minor drug offence normally means day-fines and a criminal record, with up to 6 months' imprisonment in the scale. Never drive after using cannabis anywhere -- Sweden has a true zero limit, so any trace of a narcotic in your blood is a drug-driving offence.

Minor drug offence (ringa narkotikabrott), which covers a small personal quantity: fines or up to 6 months' imprisonment. Standard narcotics offence (narkotikabrott): up to 3 years' imprisonment, rising to 6 months to 3 years where you sell the cannabis or handle cannabis that is meant to be sold. Aggravated: 2 to 7 years. Exceptionally aggravated: 6 to 10 years. Where you have committed an offence under the Act, items specially suited to drug use -- a pipe or similar -- found on you or in a space you control are forfeited whoever owns them, unless that would be clearly unreasonable. Drug-driving: fines or up to 6 months, or up to 2 years where aggravated, with no permitted blood level -- the only exemption is use in accordance with a prescription.

Verified Sep 6, 2026

Bringing cannabis into Sweden is drug smuggling (narkotikasmuggling), a crime separate from possession -- and it catches arrivals from other EU countries too, because where customs formalities do not apply the Smuggling Act substitutes the internal-border procedure, so coming in from Denmark, Germany or the Netherlands is covered the same way. The basic offence carries up to 3 years' imprisonment; a minor case (ringa narkotikasmuggling) is a fine or up to 6 months, and if the cannabis is intended for sale the minimum is 6 months. An attempt is punishable in its own right, including an attempted minor offence, and what you carried is forfeited.

Drug smuggling (narkotikasmuggling): up to 3 years' imprisonment; 6 months to 3 years if the drugs are intended for sale; a minor offence (ringa narkotikasmuggling) is a fine or up to 6 months. Serious drug smuggling: 2 to 7 years. Exceptionally serious: 6 to 10 years. An attempt is punishable in its own right, and goods that were the subject of the offence are forfeited and may be destroyed where they cannot be sold or risk criminal use (Smuggling Act (2000:1225) ss. 6, 14, 16 and 18). This is on top of the separate possession offence under the Narcotics Penal Act.

Verified Aug 24, 2026