Brunei: penalty tables, hemp and arrests, corrected 1978-2026 history

20132012-02

bn

An amendedThe Misuse of Drugs Act put(Amendment) Order 2012 (S 12/2012) moved cannabis and cannabis resin to Part I Class A, redefined cannabis, added "cannabis mixture" and removed the need to prove where consumption happened. The order was passed in February 2012 and consolidated in the most serious class, alongside2013 revised edition. It did not create the introduction of a sharia penal codedeath penalty, which already applied.

Brunei Attorney General's Chambers — Misuse of Drugs Act, Chapter 27, revised edition 2013 TIJ — Brunei drug report (2019) Wikipedia — Cannabis in Brunei

In July 1992 the death penalty was extended to cover possession of more than 200 grams of cannabis or opium, according to Reuters news agency as cited by Amnesty International. The current schedule sets death above 500 g of cannabis for trafficking and above 600 g for possession for trafficking, so the 1992 figure should not be read as the present threshold.

Severe penalties include prison and, for specified trafficking offences, caning or a mandatory death sentence. Death sentences are imposed but have not been carried out in decadesno execution is known since 1957. Simple possession and consumption carry up to ten years; cultivation three to twenty years.

Section 6(a) prohibits unauthorised possession. In the reviewed 2013 consolidation of cannabis, sectiona Class A controlled drug, with up to ten years in prison and a B$20,000 fine on a first conviction and a minimum of two years on a second or later conviction; the row does not provide caning.[@mda] Section 15 presumes trafficking above 15 g of cannabis or 10 g of resin unless rebuttedthe contrary is proved.[@mda] The separate death-penalty quantity is above 500 g for specified trafficking offences; it is, not the presumption threshold.[@mda]

Section 8 prohibits cannabis cultivationcultivating any plant of the genus Cannabis.[@mda] The reviewed Second Schedule provides upthree to 20twenty years, and a B$405,000–40, or both, with stated minimums of three years, B$5,000 fine, or both. That row, and does not prescribe caning.[@mda]

label Cultivation, Section 8 · treatment criminal · term Cultivation · prison min 3 years · prison 20 years · fine min 5000 · fine 40000 · note Three years to twenty years and B$5,000–40,000; noNo caning in this row

Severe statutory penalties apply, including caning for specified trafficking offences, import and export and manufacture, but not for simple possession, consumption or cultivation.[@mda] Police recorded 777 drug arrests in 2024, up from 711 in 2023, while methamphetamine seizures rose above 40 kg and cannabis seizures fell to 2.6 kg from 6.3 kg.[@xinhua24,unodc_szr] Death sentences are reported asstill imposed but not carried out. The possession: the last known one was in 2017, and cultivation rows reviewed do not support a blanket claim of mandatory caning for any quantityno execution is known since 1957.[@hoc,oxford26]

mda, xinhua24, unodc_szr, hoc, mdaoxford26

Giving or distributing cannabis falls within trafficking, which means selling, giving, administering, transporting, sending, delivering or distributing it. Specified quantities attract the[@mda] Trafficking under 330 g carries five to twenty years and five to fifteen strokes; 330 g to 500 g carries twenty to thirty years and fifteen strokes; more than 500 g of cannabis, or more than 200 g of resin, carries a mandatory death penalty;sentence.[@mda] Import and export follow the reviewed statutory thresholdsame quantity bands but start at five to thirty years below 330 g, and possession for trafficking carries death above 600 g of cannabis is more than 500or 300 g of resin. Brunei has not carried out executions in decades.[@mda]

hoc, mda

label Trafficking under 330 g · treatment criminal · term Trafficking · prison min 5 years · prison 20 years · note Five to fifteen strokes · caning 5, 15, label Trafficking 330 g to 500 g · treatment criminal · term Trafficking · prison min 20 years · prison 30 years · note Fifteen strokes · caning 15, 15, label Trafficking over 500 g, or over 200 g resin · treatment criminal · term Trafficking · death true · note Mandatory death sentence on the statute book; imposed but not carried out in decades, label Import or export under 330 g · treatment criminal · term Import or export · prison min 5 years · prison 30 years · note Five to fifteen strokes · caning 5, 15, label Possession for trafficking 400 g to 600 g · treatment criminal · term Possession for trafficking · prison min 20 years · prison 30 years · note Fifteen strokes · caning 15, 15, label Possession for trafficking over 600 g, or over 300 g resin · treatment criminal · term Possession for trafficking · death true · note Mandatory death sentence

Consumption is itself an offence under section 6(b), proved by urine test, with up to ten years and a B$20,000 fine on a first conviction and a minimum of three years on a second or later conviction; the row does not provide caning.[@mda]

None: the. Possession and consumption are offences, and no patient, CBD or hemp consumer route was verified.[@mda] The Misuse of Drugs Act makes consumption itself an offenceRegulations let medical and dental officers prescribe controlled drugs in the course of duty, proved by urine testbut no approved cannabis medicine or patient programme exists.[@regs]

mda, regs

All recreational use is prohibited: consumption itself is an offence proved by urine test, … ver 500 g carries a mandatory death sentence that is imposed but not carried out.[@mda,hoc,wiki]

mda, hoc, wiki

Trafficking more than 500 g of cannabis or 200 g of resin carries a mandatory death sentence on the statute book, as does possession for trafficking above 600 g or 300 g of resin.[@mda] Death sentences are still imposed but not carried out: Brunei has not executed anyonethe last known execution was in decades1957 and the last known death sentence in 2017.[@hoc,oxford26]

mda, hoc, wikioxford26

No lawful cannabis production. Section 8 prohibits cultivating any plant of the genus cannabisCannabis, starting at three years and B$5,000.[@mda]

No medical cannabis programme. Cannabis is Class A; the regulations allow medical and dental officers to prescribe controlled drugs in the course of duty, but no approved cannabis medicine or patient route was found.[@mda,regs]

wikimda, regs

Section 24 allows forfeiture of drugs and articles connected with an offence, including where nobody has been convicted, subject to its notice and claim procedures.[@mda]

The Misuse of Drugs Act defines cannabis as any plant of the genus "or any part of such pl … for seed, and section 8 makes it an offence to cultivate any plant of the genus cannabis.[@mda]

No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drugtrafficking offences.[@mda,hoc]

wikimda, hoc

There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice warnsThe Misuse of Drugs Act applies severe penalties for drug offences includingto possession and trafficking, in some cases, the death penalty, withincluding caning and long prison sentences, for other crimesspecified trafficking quantities, death.[@mda,hoc]

wikimda, fcdohoc

Road Traffic Act section 26 covers driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road or public place while drug influence makes proper vehicle control impossible. The 2026 revised text provides; a first conviction brings a B$10,000 fine and two years' imprisonment for a first conviction in prison, and a repeat B$20,000 and four years for a repeat conviction.[@traffic2026] The court normally orders at least three years' licence disqualification, starting on conviction or, if imprisoned, on release; it can, and may depart for stated special reasons.[@traffic2026] Where the offence causes death or serious injury, section 26A allows licence suspension on charge until the court decides the case. Section, and section 26G permits analysis ofallows a blood taken for treatmentspecimen after specified crashes when the person cannot provide breath or consent to blood sampling, on the Police Commissioner's direction. The[@traffic2026] There is no numerical THC limit; the concentration limit in section 26 concerns alcohol; no numerical THC limit is given there.[@traffic2026]

Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office recordUNODC records 2.6 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 6.3 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and[@unodc_szr] In June 2025 five Bruneian men were arrested for carrying 68 kg of cannabis to Europe via third countries count seizures differently, so; in January 2026 a court kept a man charged with importing 499.89 g in custody because the figures are not comparable across bordersamount fell just below the 500 g death threshold but still carried twenty to thirty years and fifteen strokes.[@star25,judiciary26] No cannabis-specific arrest series is published.[@xinhua24]

unodc_szr, star25, judiciary26, xinhua24

Brunei — Misuse of Drugs Act, Chapter 27, revised edition 2013 (Attorney General's Chambers, PDF) Brunei — Misuse of Drugs Regulations, Chapter 27, revised edition 2013 (Attorney General's Chambers, PDF) Xinhua — Brunei reports 777 drug arrests in 2024 (15 April 2025) Brunei Tribune — Drug seizure in Brunei skyrockets by 811 percent, syabu most commonly seized (2025) The Star — Five Bruneians arrested for role in international drug syndicate (19 June 2025) Brunei Judiciary — Bail ruling in HCCT 13/2025 (28 January 2026) Oxford Death Penalty Research Unit — Brunei country report 2026 Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka — Kamus Dewan: ganja GOV.UK (FCDO) — Foreign travel advice: Brunei, safety and security Misuse of Drugs Act, Chapter 27, revised edition 2013, as notified to the WTO (PDF) Wikipedia — Cannabis in Brunei 3 unchanged

word ganja · lang Malay · meaning cannabis · sources dbp

BND

label Any amount, first conviction · treatment criminal · term Possession · prison 10 years · fine 20000 · note No caning; above 15 g cannabis or 10 g resin trafficking is presumed, label Second or later conviction · treatment criminal · term Possession · prison min 2 years · prison 10 years · fine 20000 · note Minimum two years under section 6; no caning

BND

BND

label Consumption, first conviction · treatment criminal · term Consumption · prison 10 years · fine 20000 · note No caning, label Second or later conviction · treatment criminal · term Consumption · prison min 3 years · prison 10 years · fine 20000 · note Minimum three years under section 6; no caning

none

No legal hemp category or THC threshold. The Misuse of Drugs Act defines cannabis as any plant of the genus or any part of it, with no exception for fibre, seed or low-THC varieties, and section 8 bans cultivation.[@mda] Cannabidiol is not named in the schedules, but cannabis-derived products are likely caught; no legal retail CBD market was found.[@mda]

mda

Police recorded 777 drug arrests in 2024, up from 711 in 2023; 641 were men, 136 women, and 645 were locals.[@xinhua24] The figures cover all drugs, and no cannabis-specific arrest count was published.[@xinhua24] Methamphetamine dominated seizures, with over 40 kg against just 2.6 kg of herbal cannabis.[@bruneitribune24]

xinhua24, bruneitribune24