Cyprus countries/cy.yaml
Cannabis is a Class B drug. Unauthorised personal possession carries up to eight years in prison, a fine, or both.[@code] The prison sentence for use, possession or transport for personal use cannot exceed two years if the offender was under twenty-five at the time and has no previous conviction under the drug law or regulations.[@thresholds03] Thirty grams or more creates a rebuttable presumption of supply intent.[@thresholds03]
Unauthorised growing or planting is a separate offence carrying up to life imprisonment, a fine, or both.[@code] Three or more plants create a rebuttable presumption of supply intent; fewer plants remain subject to the cultivation offence.[@code,thresholds03] Licensed industrial hemp and medical production have separate rules.[@hemp,medical19]
code, hemp, medical19, thresholds03
The statute allows prison or a fine for personal possession and requires courts to consider age, exclusive personal use, dependence, cooperation and willingness to undergo treatment when sentencing.[@code] Young first offenders have a two-year prison cap for personal-use offences.[@thresholds03] Cultivation and supply carry much higher statutory maxima, up to life.[@code]
Supplying, offering, distributing or handing over cannabis on any terms is an offence; the law gives no general adult gifting allowance.[@code] The Class B supply offence carries up to life imprisonment, a fine, or both.[@code]
Smoking, taking or using cannabis is an offence, with life imprisonment, a fine, or both in the general penalty table.[@code] The two-year prison ceiling applies to qualifying young first offenders convicted of personal-use offences.[@thresholds03] Authorised medical use falls under separate rules.[@medical19]
code, medical19, thresholds03
There is no legal recreational supply. The [2019 regulations](/history/cyprus-medical-expanded-2019/) establish licensed medical production and prescription pharmacy preparations, with separate approval for minors.[@medical19] Panaxia announced a government purchase and delivery of imported medical oils in 2021.[@delivery21]
The 2019 medical regulations provide an initial three-producer licensing process, with controls over premises, staff, testing, records and trade.[@medical19] They protect that initial group against additional licences for up to fifteen years. Indus … and registered premises; its agricultural definition now refers to the EU’s 0.3% standard.[@hemp,hemp24,euhemp]
Medical products include the two cannabis-oil concentrations selected in the government’s 2021 Panaxia agreement. The medical regulations also cover pharmacy-prepared cannabis medicines. The industrial-hemp law expressly leaves derivatives such as seed oil, flour, foods and drinks outside its scope, so its crop definition does not itself authorise every finished product.
order21, medical19, hemp
The 2017 official explanation required individual ministerial approval and a doctor’s prescription for cannabis oil.[@ministry17] The 2019 regulations provide for doctors to prescribe cannabis pharmacy preparations to ad … ified applications for patients under eighteen; smoking is excluded as a prescribed route.[@medical19] Medical products include the two cannabis-oil concentrations selected in the government’s 2021 Panaxia agreement, and pharmacy-prepared cannabis medicines.[@order21,medical19] Imported oil supply was documented in March 2021.[@delivery21]
ministry17, medical19, delivery21, order21
Possession, growing, supply and use remain criminal offences.[@code] Courts may consider youth, exclusive personal use, dependence, remorse and willingness to … convicting court power to disqualify a person from holding or obtaining a driving licence.[@code]
Supplying cannabis seeds while knowing the recipient plans to grow illegally is an offence; the seed-import restriction was added in 2019.[@code,seeds00,amendment19] Licensed industrial-hemp production and seed supply have an express statutory exception.[@exemption16,hemp] The hemp-production definition refers to the EU’s 0.3% threshold, while the narcotics law’s reproduced hemp definition still states 0.2%.[@hemp24] Ordinary cannabis planting remains prohibited.[@code]
The traffic law requires impairment and sets no THC limit, but in practice drivers are usu … using and possessing drugs is a crime in itself and no effect on driving has to be shown.[@euda_dd] Police may stop and test at random with an oral-fluid test, and a second roadside sample is sent as evidence. Suspension and fine are left to the court, and prison of up to one year is possible.[@euda_dd]
The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 770 cannabis-related drug law offences in Cyprus in 2024, against 846 in 2023.[@euda_dlo] Of the 2024 total, 602 were for use or possession for use. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders.[@euda_dlo]
Collective recreational growing and supply fall under the prohibitions on cannabis cultivation and supply.[@code] [Volt’s 2025 policy](/history/cyprus-volt-regulation-proposal-2025/) proposes club licences as part of a wider regulated market.[@volt]
There is no legal recreational supply. Personal possession is a criminal offence carrying up to eight years, a fine, or both, with the statutory two-year ceiling for qualifying young first offenders.[@code]
The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 617 kg of herbal cannabis and 2.4 kg of cannabis resin seized in Cyprus in 2024, against 554 kg and 16 kg in 2023.[@euda_szr] Herbal cannabis was seized on 814 occasions and resin on 31. Plant seizures came to 14 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders.[@euda_szr]
label Personal possession · treatment criminal · term Possession · prison 8 years · note Fine or up to eight years, or both, label Young first offender, personal use · treatment criminal · term Possession · prison 2 years · note Under 25 with no previous conviction; ceiling of two years, label 30 g or more · treatment criminal · term Presumed supply · note Rebuttable presumption of supply intent
label Unauthorised growing or planting · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · note Up to life imprisonment, a fine, or both, label Three or more plants · treatment criminal · term Presumed supply · note Rebuttable presumption of supply intent, label Licensed hemp or medical production · treatment legal · term Licensed production · note Industrial-hemp and medical licences only
There is no legal recreational supply. Personal possession is a criminal offence carrying up to eight years, with a two-year ceiling for qualifying young first offenders; 30 g or more presumes supply intent.[@code,thresholds03] Unauthorised growing can bring life imprisonment.[@code] In October 2025 [Volt proposed a regulated adult market](/history/cyprus-volt-regulation-proposal-2025/) with licensed production, retail and clubs, but it remains a proposal.[@volt]
code, thresholds03, volt
standard
Industrial hemp has licensed production and supply with registered premises, and since 2024 its definition refers to the EU 0.3% standard.[@hemp,hemp24] The hemp law expressly leaves derivatives such as seed oil, flour, foods and drinks outside its scope.[@hemp]
hemp, hemp24