Laos countries/la.yaml
Possessing under five grams of cannabis for consumption leads to treatment under the Penal Code.[@penal] Five to ten grams of dried cannabis for consumption carries six months to two years in prison and a fine of five to twenty million kip; five to ten grams of a drug-producing plant carries one to six months and the same fine.[@penal] The code has no personal-use band above ten grams; prosecutors must prove trading intent for the higher article 318 bands.[@penal]
label Under 5 g for consumption · treatment civil · term Consumption · note Treatment, not prison, label 5 to 10 g dried for consumption · treatment criminal · term Consumption · prison min 6 months · prison 2 years · fine min 5000000 · fine 20000000 · note Five to twenty million kip, label 5 to 10 g of a drug-producing plant for consumption · treatment criminal · term Consumption · prison min 1 month · prison 6 months · fine min 5000000 · fine 20000000
Ordinary cannabis cultivation is prohibited under the narcotics rules.[@outlook] The Penal Code's cultivation bands begin at three kilograms of raw marijuana for trade: three to ten kilograms carries three months to one year and a 0.5–5 million kip fine, and more than ten kilograms carries one to three years and 5–20 million kip.[@penal] There is no band for under three kilograms, a statutory gap; it may be charged as possession or another offence.[@penal] Approved companies may grow low-THC hemp under the health ministry’'s licensing rules.[@jetro]
outlook, jetro, penal
The Penal Code provides treatment for the smallest personal quantities and prison for five to ten grams of dried cannabis.[@penal] A November 2024 government report recorded 5,168 suspects arrested across all drugsin 3,395 drug cases over eleven months, including 199 foreigners and 3,583 kg of marijuana.[@kpl24] A November 2025 report counted 21,003 cases, 31,289 suspects and 27,626 kg of cannabis seized from July 2021 to October 2025.[@lt25] In October 2026 Bolikhamxay destroyed more than 3,000 kg of dried cannabis.[@lt26] The case and arrest figures cover all drugs.[@kpl24]
penal, kpl24, lt25, lt26
Trading less than five kilograms of dried cannabis carries six months to three years in pr … ears. Regular or organised trading, or more than ten kilograms, carries five to ten years.[@penal] THC, hashish and derivatives have separate weight bands from 0.3 g, reaching life imprisonment above 500 g.[@penal] Trading more than ten grams of marijuana seeds carries one to three years.[@penal]
label Trading under 5 kg dried cannabis · treatment criminal · term Trading · prison min 6 months · prison 3 years · fine min 1000000 · fine 5000000, label Trading 5 to 10 kg · treatment criminal · term Trading · prison min 3 years · prison 7 years · fine min 5000000 · fine 20000000, label Regular, organised, or over 10 kg · treatment criminal · term Trading · prison min 5 years · prison 10 years · fine min 20000000 · fine 50000000, label Marijuana seeds over 10 g · treatment criminal · term Seed trading · prison min 1 year · prison 3 years · fine min 3000000 · fine 10000000, label THC, hashish or derivatives 0.3 g to 50 g · treatment criminal · term Trading · prison min 2 years · prison 4 years · fine min 5000000 · fine 9000000, label THC, hashish or derivatives 50 g to 100 g · treatment criminal · term Trading · prison min 5 years · prison 7 years · fine min 10000000 · fine 29000000, label THC, hashish or derivatives 100 g to 200 g · treatment criminal · term Trading · prison min 10 years · prison 14 years · fine min 30000000 · fine 59000000, label THC, hashish or derivatives 200 g to 500 g · treatment criminal · term Trading · prison min 15 years · prison 20 years · fine min 60000000 · fine 99000000, label THC, hashish or derivatives over 500 g · treatment criminal · term Trading · fine min 100000000 · fine 200000000 · note Life imprisonment and a fine of 100–200 million kip
Health ministry rules permitDecision 3789/MOH permits prescribed low-THC hemp flower and medicines through approved businesses, but no operating patient-supply route, registered pharmacy network or implemented access was verified.[@hemp] Ordinary cannabis trading remains punishable under the Penal Code.[@penal]
medicalhemp
Rules issued in December 2022 permit licensed hemp cultivation, processing and trade, with registered seeds and qualified technical staff; medical products are covered separately.[@jetro,hemp]
jetro, hemp
The legal review describesDecision 3789/MOH permits prescribed dried hemp flower with a 1% THC ceiling, and medical products with a 0.2% ceiling and CBD at least four times the THC content; no operating patient route was verified.[@hemp]
Public Security Minister Vilay Lakhamphong reported 5,168 suspects arrested in 3,395 drug cases over eleven months to parliament on 20 November 2024, including 199 foreigners. Seizures; seizures included 3,583 kilogramskg of marijuana.[@kpl24] A November 2025 report counted 21,003 cases and 31,289 suspects from July 2021 to October 2025, with 27,626 kg of cannabis seized.[@lt25] The arrest total coverstotals cover all drugs together.[@kpl24]
kpl24, lt25
Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office recordUNODC records 3,274 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,045 kg in 2023.[@unodc_szr] The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalentsgovernment reported about 3.6 tonnes in 2024 and 27,626 kg from July 2021 to October 2025.[@kpl24,lt25] In October 2026 Bolikhamxay destroyed more than 3,000 kg of dried cannabis, and countries count seizures differentlyVientiane destroyed 8.578 kg in its Anti-Drug Day burn.[@lt26, so thekpl26] The figures use different categories and periods and are not directly comparable across borders.[@unodc_szr,lt25]
unodc_szr, kpl24, lt25, lt26, kpl26
Laotian Times — Laos processes 21,003 drug cases, arrests 31,289 suspects since 2021 (14 November 2025) Laotian Times — Laos destroys tonnes of drugs as police warn of new substances (23 October 2026) Lao News Agency — Vientiane destroys seized drugs ahead of National Anti-Drug Day (12 October 2026) Laos — Road Traffic Law No. 23/NA, 12 December 2012 6 unchanged
LAK
label 3 to 10 kg raw marijuana for trade · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison min 3 months · prison 1 year · fine min 500000 · fine 5000000, label More than 10 kg raw marijuana for trade · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison min 1 year · prison 3 years · fine min 5000000 · fine 20000000, label Under 3 kg raw marijuana · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · note No statutory band; may be charged as possession or another offence
unknown
No cannabis-specific driving offence, THC blood or saliva limit, or medical-patient exception was located in the Penal Code or the sources reviewed.[@penal] The Road Traffic Law 2012 is the likely instrument for a general impairment offence, but its official text was not readable in this review, so the status is unknown rather than impairment or zero.[@road2012]
penal, road2012
Cannabis is known in Lao as [ganja](/culture/language/ganja/), and the country has a [landrace](/culture/language/landrace/) heritage.[@outlook] The [Hmong](/culture/traditions/hmong-hemp-cloth/) of the northern mountains grew, spun and wove hemp for cloth, and the leaf appears in [South-East Asian cooking](/culture/traditions/south-east-asian-cooking/).[@hemp,outlook] The modern law treats ordinary cannabis as a narcotic while licensing low-THC hemp for registered products.[@penal,hemp]
outlook, hemp, penal