Expand Slovakia: cultivation tiers, trafficking ranges and CBD history

hemp, cbd

Slovakia takes CBD off its drugpsychotropic-substance list

Slovakia had been the last EU countryCannabidiol ceased to class CBDbe listed as a psychotropic substance when the amendment took effect. The law deleted the named CBD entry while leaving cannabis and THC subject to their separate controls.

Slov-Lex — Act 124/2021, Article I point 32 and commencement Wikipedia — Cannabis in Slovakia

Growing up to two cannabis plants solely for personal consumption,Personal growing without distribution or profit, carries up to six months in prisonfor up to two plants and up to two years for three to five.[@code] ThreeThe quantity bands then run from six months to fivethree years for six to fifty plants carries up, one to five years for fifty-one to two hundred, two to eight years for two hundred and one to one thousand, and the next quantity band six monthsfive to threefifteen years above one thousand.[@code] Sentences reach five to fifteen years forChild-related, repeat and serious-harm circumstances can raise the largest quantities or other aggravated casessentence separately.[@code] The [Slovakia set dose categories for personal possession in 2006.](/history/slovakia-criminal-code-dose-categories-2006/) [Slovakia cut sentences for small amounts in 2024. reform](/history/slovakia-penal-reform-2024/) retained criminal penalties for growing.[@code]

label Up to twoupto 2 plants for personal consumption · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison 6 months · note NoPersonal consumption only; no distribution or profit; courts can withhold punishment with treatment and probation, label Three to fiveover 2 plants · upto 5 plants · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison 2 years · note Above the two-plant personal bandPersonal consumption conditions; §172(3), label Next quantity bandover 5 plants · upto 50 plants · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison min 6 months · prison 3 years · note LargerQuantity-scale growingonly tier; separate aggravating circumstances can raise the sentence, label Largest quantities or aggravated casesover 50 plants · upto 200 plants · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison min 1 year · prison 5 years · note Quantity-only tier; §172(5), over 200 plants · upto 1000 plants · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison min 2 years · prison 8 years · note Quantity-only tier; §172(6), over 1000 plants · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison min 5 years · prison 15 years · note Highest growing band§172(7); this range also covers specified serious harm/death or child-related cases

label ManufacturingLowest manufacturing or trafficking, lowest band tier · treatment criminal · term SupplyManufacture or trafficking · prison min 1 year · prison 5 years · note Lowest§173(1), label Greater amount or specified use of a child · treatment criminal · term Manufacture or trafficking band· prison min 3 years · prison 10 years · note §173(2), label Significant amount or other specified aggravations · treatment criminal · term Manufacture or trafficking · prison min 7 years · prison 15 years · note §173(3): includes repeat conviction and specified protected persons, label Large amount, serious harm or death · treatment criminal · term Manufacture or trafficking · prison min 8 years · prison 20 years · note §173(4), label Most serious cases · treatment criminal · term SupplyManufacture or trafficking · prison min 10 years · prison 25 years · note Or life imprisonment in the most serious casespossible · note §173(5): multiple victims, dangerous group, extraordinary quantity or specified child-related offence

word Tráva · lang Slovak · meaning literally grass; slang for weed (marijuana) · sources wiktionary-trava-sk, word Hašiš · lang Slovak · meaning hashish · sources wiktionary-hasis-sk, word konopa · lang Slovak · meaning cannabis or hemp; official term · sources z139, word CBD · lang Slovak · meaning cannabidiol; official abbreviation · atlas cbd · sources cbd2021

[CBD](/culture/language/cbd/) was removed from Slovakia'’s brush with a legal market is CBD: the country took CBD off its controlled-substancepsychotropic list in [May 2021, and CBD from industrial hemp is lawful at up to 0.3% THC since 2022.[@cms, wiki] [Slovakia took CBD off its drug list in 2021.](/history/slovakia-cbd-delisted-2021/) See .[CBD@cbd2021] Parliament’s amendment deleted the named substance while leaving the broader controlled-cannabis system in place.[@cbd2021,z139] HHC and several related cannabinoids were added to the controlled lists in [November 2024](/culturehistory/languageslovakia-hhc-controlled-2024/cbd/).[@hhc2024]

cmscbd2021, wikiz139, hhc2024

medicalhemp

Hemp cultivationIndustrial hemp growing is allowedpermitted for industrialobtaining fibre and seed, or for research.[@z139] Research growers needwith a health-ministry permit exemption for EU common-catalogue varieties.[@z139] Varieties in the EU common catalogue, including those listed when they were sown, are exempt from theOther cultivation permit requirementand processing require Health Ministry permission and measures preventing diversion.[@z139] MedicalThe law permits research growing under a separate authorisation; the medical cannabis guide describes no patient flower-production remains prohibitedroute.[@z139,cms]

Growing, importing and selling cannabis for medical use remain prohibited; the countrySlovakia has no medical cannabis accessflower programme; the legal guide describes medical cannabis cultivation, import and sale as prohibited.[@cms] Purified CBD medicines have a separate assessment history: NIHO evaluated Epidyolex with clobazam for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes in children aged two and older in 2023.[@niho2023] That assessment concerns a specified medicine and indications.[@niho2023]

cms, niho2023

Hemp may be grown for industrialIndustrial cultivation is restricted to fibre and seed, or for research; EU common-catalogue varieties are exempt from the one-year ministryHealth Ministry growing permit requirement.[@z139] CBD from industrial hemp is lawful at up to 0Other growing, processing and production require permission, with safeguards against diversion.3% THC since 2022.[@wikiz139] [CBD was removed from the controlled-substancepsychotropic list inon 1 May 2021, though products for internal use stay prohibited.[@cms] Growing other cannabis for personal consumption stays criminal, including up to two plants.[@code] [Slovakia took CBD off its drug list in 2021.](/history/slovakia-cbd-delisted-2021/).[@cbd2021] The Agriculture Ministry’s February 2026 notice treats CBD as a novel food and reports continuing gaps in safety evidence.[@cbdfood2026]

z139, codecbd2021, wiki, cmscbdfood2026

Research growing needs a health-ministry permit: hemp may be grown for researchcultivation requires Health Ministry permission, and EU varieties aside, permits normally last one yearwith the common-catalogue variety exemption separately provided by §15.[@z139] No separate research programmeIn 2023, trial or published study was established by the retained sourcesNIHO assessed clinical and economic evidence for cannabidiol with clobazam in Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes.[@niho2023] Its report evaluates treatment evidence for a purified CBD medicine.[@niho2023]

z139, niho2023

Slov-Lex — Controlled Substances Act 139/1998, current from January 2026 Slov-Lex — Act 124/2021, effective 1 May 2021 Slov-Lex — Act 246/2024, effective November 2024 Slovak Agriculture Ministry — CBD as a novel food, 20 February 2026 NIHO — Cannabidiol/Epidyolex assessment 37A/2023 Wikipedia — Cannabis in Slovakia Zákon č. 139/1998 Z. z. o omamných látkach, psychotropných látkach a prípravkoch, znenie od 1. 1. 2026 (Zákony pre ľudí) 8 unchanged