Azerbaijan: drug penalties, Soviet possession chain, 2024-2026 statistics

Soviet lawAzerbaijan makes possession for personal usewithout intent to sell a crime in Azerbaijan

Until 1974 the Soviet criminal codes punished making and dealing in drugs; personal use and possession without intent to sell carried no penalty. A USSR decree of the Supreme Soviet25 April 1974 on strengthening the fight against drug addiction changedwas followed in Soviet Azerbaijan by a decree of 8 April 1975 that acrossadded Article 226-1 to the unionrepublic's criminal code. It made making, Soviet Azerbaijan included: possessionbuying, keeping, carrying or sending narcotics without intent to sell became punishable withby up to three years in prison, while production and trafficking drew ten or up to fifteentwo years of corrective labour; a repeat brought up to five years.[@1] The 1987 edict later softened first small-quantity Until then the code punished only possession with intent to an administrative penaltysell.[@2]

possession 3 · cultivation 10 · enforcement 32 · sharing 1 · consumption 3 · access 0

azerbaijan-soviet-ban-1934, azerbaijan-small-cultivation-administrative-2001

Azerbaijan SSR — Criminal Code of 8 December 1960 (e-Qanun), Article 226-1 and its 1975 amendment note Wikipedia — Drug policy of the Soviet Union 1 unchanged

Personal-useSmall amounts and small-scale cultivationfor personal use are administrative offences that, but a court can still bringorder up to two months' detentionarrest; larger amountspossession above 5 g, sale and cultivation are crimes. There is no medical, hemp or legal supply route, and the authorities report thousands of drug cases a year.

Holding a small amount without intent to sell is an administrative offence under Article 206 of the Code of Administrative Offences covers use and the small-scale making, buying, keeping, carrying or sending of narcotics without intent to sell: a fine of 300 to 400 manat or, whereif the court findsconsiders a fine insufficient, administrative arrest of up to two months' administrative arrest.[@admin] A small amount is anything below the 'substantial' amount set by law, and a person who hands the drugs in voluntarily is released from liability. A substantial amount without intent to sell is a crime under[@admin] Above that line, Article 234.1 of the Criminal Code, punishes possession without intent to sell with restriction of liberty for one to three years or up to three years in prison, and; a large amount brings three to eight years and an especially large amount eight to fifteen.[@criminal] For dried cannabis the substantial amount is 5 g, large 500 g and especially large 50 kg; for undried cannabis the lines are 25 g, 2.5 kg and 250 kg.[@thresholds]

admin, criminal, law2023thresholds

Small-scale cultivation is an administrative offence under Article 208: the penalty is punishes small-scale sowing or growing of drug-containing plants with a 200– to 300 manat fine or, when the court considers a fine insufficient, up to two months of' administrative detentionarrest. Article 237 of[@admin] Above the Criminal Code applies above the statutorysubstantial threshold, withArticle 237.1 carries a 3,000– to 6,000 manat fine, restriction of liberty for one to three years, or up to three years in prison; aggravated cases carrycultivation brings three to teneight years and especially large cultivation six to ten.[@criminal] The thresholds count plants: 3 to 15 plants or 6 to 30 parts is substantial, 16 to 800 plants or 31 to 1,550 parts large, and 801 plants or 1,551 parts especially large.[@thresholds]

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The law offers anstate treats drug crime as a large share of its criminal caseload: 8,863 drug offences in 2024, 26.6% of all registered crimes, with 7,245 offenders detained and 2,420 administrative route for small amountsdrug offences.[@stats2024] In January–November 2025 the authorities reported 7,441 drug crimes and an exit for those who cooperate: both5,117 people prosecuted; in the first half of 2026, 4,460 drug crimes.[@stats2025,stats2026] Both codes release a person who voluntarily hands in drugs, and the Criminal Code also releases one who actively helps uncover drug crimesoffences. Above the small-amount threshold possession is a crime with up to three years in prison. No figures on how often users are fined[@admin, detained or prosecuted were found.criminal]

stats2024, stats2025, stats2026, admin, criminal

Article 234.2 punishes possession, production, transportbuying or sendingkeeping narcotics with intent to sell, and sale itself, with three to seven years in prison and possible confiscation of property.[@criminal] Sale to a minor, or in a school, medical or detention institution, brings four to eight years.[@criminal] Group, repeat, large-amount or online sale brings five to twelve years, and an especially large amount eight to fifteen.[@criminal] The narcoticsdrug law defines saleillicit trafficking as a paidactions aimed at distributing narcotics for payment or barter transactiongain, or for another personal interest; the sources read do not identify acode has no separate lesser ruleoffence for an unpaid gift.[@druglaw]

criminal, miadruglaw

Using a narcotic is an administrative offence under the same Article 206 as small possession:, punished with a fine of 300 to 400 manat fine or, where that is judged insufficient, administrative arrest of up to two months' administrative arrest.[@admin] The same article covers small-scale possession, so a person found using a small amount is dealt with outside the criminal code.[@admin] The sources read identify no separate offence for cannabis use as opposed to other narcotics.[@admin]

NoThere is no legal source of cannabis for adults or patients.[@druglaw] The drug law allows narcotic drugs for medical purposes through state channels, but the sources read identify no cannabis medicine or patient-access programme.[@druglaw] Production and cultivation are prohibited except experimental samples of medicines.[@druglaw]

law2023, osce2011druglaw

Cultivation andThe drug law prohibits the production of narcotic drugs and the cultivation of drug-containing plants are prohibitedon Azerbaijani territory, except where needed to prepare experimental samples of medicines; experimental production isthose are reserved to the competent state authoritiesbodies.[@druglaw] No licensed production for medicine, fibre or food was found.[@druglaw] The legal production route for cannabis is therefore none.

miadruglaw

Controlled narcotic medicines may be supplied by licensed pharmacies and medical institutions. The law does not establish a legal retail market for cannabis products.

mia

The narcoticsdrug law permits controllednarcotic drugs for medical needs through licensed pharmaciesuse and medical institutionsallows imports by state bodies, but the sources read do not establish a patientidentify no cannabis-accessbased medicine, prescription route or patient programme for cannabis itself.[@druglaw] Production is limited to experimental samples of medicines.[@druglaw] Medical status stays none.

miadruglaw

People convicted of illicitA drug traffickingconviction is a criminal record. Courts may not work in organisations that handle controlled drugs, while separate employmentconfiscate property for supply offences.[@criminal] The drug law allows restrictions may be imposed on certain professions and on work with high-risk facilities for people diagnosed with drug dependence in specified occupations or work involving dangerous facilities.[@druglaw] A small possession offence can still bring up to two months' administrative arrest.[@admin]

miacriminal, druglaw, admin

There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. UseA visitor who uses or holds a small amount bringsfaces a fine of 300 to 400 manat fine or up to two months' administrative arrest; a substantial amount is a crimeabove 5 g of dried cannabis the case becomes criminal, with up to three years in prison, and holding or carrying drugs for sale carries three to seven years.[@admin,criminal] The law makes no exception for visitors.[@admin,criminal]

No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person for gain are both prohibited.[@criminal]

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FiguresThe state statistics committee reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 5,335634.4 kg of herbal cannabismarijuana seized in 2024, against 1out of 9,711330.9 kg in 2023of drugs, precursors and 65drug-containing plants, and 7,037.24 kg of cannabis resin seizedmarijuana in 2023January–November 2025, against 42out of 8,334.37 kg in 2022. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents[@stats2024,stats2025] In 2024 it also reported 2,688.9 kg of drug-containing plants cultivated inside the country and countries count seizures differentlyseized, soand in the figures are not comparable across borders2025 period 18,938 hemp plants.[@stats2024,stats2025] No price or purity data were found.

unodc_szrstats2024, stats2025

Azerbaijan — Criminal Code, consolidated text (e-Qanun), Articles 234 and 237 Azerbaijan — Law No. 961-IIQ of 28 June 2005 on substantial, large and especially large amounts of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances Azerbaijan — Law on trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors (No. 959-IIQ), consolidated text Azerbaijan State Statistical Committee — Drug-related crimes in 2024 (25 February 2025) Azernews — Azerbaijan reports large-scale drug seizures (19 December 2025), citing the State Commission working group Azerbaijan State Statistical Committee — Drug-related crimes in January–June 2026 (21 August 2026) Azerbaijan SSR — Criminal Code of 8 December 1960 (e-Qanun), Articles 226, 226-1 and 227 Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR — edict of 22 June 1987 No. 7226-XI amending the 1974 drug edict (Meganorm reprint) Azerbaijan — Criminal Code, consolidated text (e-Qanun), Articles 234 and 237 Ministry of Internal Affairs — Law on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the OSCE — Statement PC.DEL/461/11, 20 May 2011 UNODC Data Portal — Drug seizures, reported seizures in kilogram equivalents (World Drug Report data) 2 unchanged

AZN

upto 5 g · treatment civil · term Small amount, Article 206 · fine min 300 · fine 400 · prison 2 months · note Dried cannabis below the substantial threshold; administrative arrest if a fine is insufficient, over 5 g · upto 500 g · treatment criminal · term Substantial amount, Article 234.1 · prison 3 years · note Restriction of liberty for 1–3 years or up to 3 years in prison, over 500 g · upto 50 kg · treatment criminal · term Large amount, Article 234.1-1 · prison min 3 years · prison 8 years, over 50 kg · treatment criminal · term Especially large amount, Article 234.4-1 · prison min 8 years · prison 15 years

AZN

upto 2 plants · treatment civil · term Small-scale, Article 208 · fine min 200 · fine 300 · prison 2 months · note Below the substantial threshold; 3–15 plants or 6–30 parts is substantial, over 2 plants · upto 15 plants · treatment criminal · term Substantial, Article 237.1 · fine min 3000 · fine 6000 · prison 3 years · note Fine, restriction of liberty for 1–3 years or up to 3 years in prison, over 15 plants · upto 800 plants · treatment criminal · term Large, Article 237.2 · prison min 3 years · prison 8 years, over 800 plants · treatment criminal · term Especially large, Article 237.3 · prison min 6 years · prison 10 years

label Sale, or possession for sale · treatment criminal · term Article 234.2 · prison min 3 years · prison 7 years · note Property may be confiscated, label Sale to a minor, or in a school, medical or detention institution · treatment criminal · term Article 234.3-1 · prison min 4 years · prison 8 years, label Group, repeat, large amount or online sale · treatment criminal · term Article 234.4 · prison min 5 years · prison 12 years, label Especially large amount · treatment criminal · term Article 234.4-1 · prison min 8 years · prison 15 years

AZN

label Use of a narcotic, Article 206 · treatment civil · term Use · fine min 300 · fine 400 · prison 2 months · note Administrative arrest if a fine is insufficient

Adults have no legal way to buy cannabis. A small amount for personal use is an administrative offence carrying a fine or up to two months' arrest; above 5 g of dried cannabis it becomes a crime with up to three years in prison, and sale carries three to seven years.[@admin,criminal] The state counted 8,863 drug crimes in 2024, of which 63.2% were purchase or storage without intent to sell and 33.3% sale or production.[@stats2024] No price or purity data were found.

admin, criminal, stats2024

none

The drug law makes no exception for industrial hemp: it prohibits the cultivation of plants containing narcotic substances except experimental samples of medicines, and the Criminal Code punishes unauthorised cultivation.[@druglaw,criminal] No THC limit, licensing scheme or separate CBD exemption was found in the sources read.[@druglaw]

druglaw, criminal

grey

unclear

illegal

banned

The drug law controls plants containing narcotic substances and their parts but names no seed exception, so whether cannabis seed on its own is a controlled drug is not stated.[@druglaw] Sowing it is cultivation: Article 208 for a small amount and Article 237 above the threshold.[@admin,criminal] Clones are plants, so keeping or trading them falls under the cultivation offence.[@criminal] No seed-sale or clone market was found.

druglaw, admin, criminal

impairment

Driving while intoxicated by narcotics, psychotropic substances or other strong substances is an administrative offence under Article 333-1.1: a 600 manat fine or restriction of the right to drive for six to twelve months.[@admin] A repeat brings 800 manat and a two-year restriction, or fifteen days to one month of administrative arrest.[@admin] The law sets no THC limit, so the offence turns on showing that the driver was intoxicated.[@admin]

admin

In 2024 the authorities registered 8,863 drug crimes, 26.6% of all crimes, detained 7,245 offenders and recorded 2,420 administrative drug offences.[@stats2024] In January–November 2025 they reported 7,441 drug crimes, including 2,403 for sale, 4,850 for purchase or storage and 186 for cultivation, and prosecuted 5,117 people.[@stats2025] In January–June 2026 they registered 4,460 drug crimes, 28.9% of the total.[@stats2026] The figures cover all drugs and give no cannabis breakdown.

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