Moldova: verify enacted 2026 penalties, hemp rules and commencement

2026-0208-28

Law 201/2025, passedMoldova’s replacement drug law took effect on 10 July 2025 and published on 28 August 2026, replaced the 1999 law six months after publicationits original six-month commencement period was extended. It bans growingprohibits cannabis cultivation for drugs, lets and provides an authorisation route for industrial hemp with up to 0.3% THC be grown under an authorisation from, overseen by the food-safety agency, and allows seed. Seed for sowing tomay be supplied only to authorised growers.

Moldova Interior Ministry — July 2026 consultation confirms revised commencement 1 unchanged

Possession of small amounts isSmall personal possession remains an administrative offence, with higher fines from August 2026. Supplying drugs carries prison terms; authorised industrial hemp has a separate route.

Buying or possessing a small amountSmall personal possession without intent to distribute — up to about 2 g of dried cannabis —supply is a contravention; since 28 August 2026 an administrative offence under Article 85individual faces a fine of the Contravention Code200–300 conventional units, punished withMDL10,000–15,000.[@reform26,units] For a large amount, criminal Article 217(2) allows a fine orof 400–700 units, MDL20,000–35,000, community servicework or up to one year in prison. The government has moved[@reform26,units] Statutory aggravation raises the maximum to raise these fines sharplyfour years; especially large amounts carry one to six years. Above[@reform26] The ministry was preparing replacement quantity tables in July 2026, so the threshold itold reported 2 g figure is not used here as a crimeverified current ceiling.[@transition26]

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Cultivation is aUnauthorised cultivation without intent to supply, where it falls below the criminal offence under Article 217 of the Criminal Code, with prison termsattracts a 200–400-unit fine, MDL10,000–20,000. Article 14[@reform26,units] Large-quantity personal cultivation is criminal but the ordinary penalty is a 200–400-unit fine or up to 100 hours of Law 201/2025 forbids growing controlled plantscommunity work.[@reform26] Statutory aggravation permits up to four years in prison, cannabis included,and especially large quantities one to obtain narcotic substancessix years.[@reform26] Cannabis cultivation for drugs is prohibited; authorised industrial hemp may be grown with an authorisation from the food safety agencyfollows a separate route.[@l201]

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Users faceThe [August 2026 reform](/history/moldova-drug-penalties-2026/) raised small-possession fines or community servicewhile retaining their contraventional classification. Anything above the small threshold[@reform26] Larger personal quantities can lead to prison, and all cultivation and dealing, carries two to seventhe new supply tiers reach seventeen years or more.[@reform26]

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SupplyGiving or otherwise transferring drugs falls under unlawful supply, whose ordinary penalty is a crimesix to ten years in prison. Law 201/2025 lets controlled substances and plants circulate only[@reform26] Production for scientific, forensicsupply carries ten to twelve years; large quantities and other aggravating circumstances twelve to fifteen; especially large quantities or medical purposesorganised crime fifteen to seventeen.[@reform26]

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Using without a prescription is an administrative offence withUnlawful use outside the samecriminal public-use offence brings a 100–140-unit fine, MDL5,000–7,000, or 50–60 hours of community servicework.[@reform26,units] Public use and use in specified institutions or venues remain criminal, punishable by a 750–1,050-unit fine, MDL37,500–52,500, or 180–240 hours of community work.[@reform26,units]

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No legal sourceThere is no lawful recreational supplier; unauthorised distribution is criminal.[@reform26] The general controlled-substance law provides medical and scientific channels but prohibits growing cannabis to obtain drugs.[@l201]

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nonehemp

No licensed production for consumption;Authorised industrial hemp is restrictedthe lawful commercial crop, with uses expanded from fibre, seed and oil to stalks, biomass and other permitted derivatives.[@hemp26] Farmers may market the crop domestically or export it under their authorisation, and must report production annually to ANSA.[@hemp26] Growing cannabis to obtain narcotic substances remains prohibited.[@l201]

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No legal products.

cann

NoThe general controlled-substance law provides medical uses for authorised substances, while prohibiting cannabis cultivation to produce narcotics.[@l201] The reviewed sources establish no operating patient cannabis programme or dispensing route.[@cann] Industrial-hemp authorisations concern non-medical products.[@l201]

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Administrative offences are not criminalThe 2026 small-possession provision permits a temporary ban on the relevant activity alongside fines.[@reform26] Criminal convictions create a criminal-record status until it is extinguished or rehabilitation occurs.[@units] The reform retains exemptions for voluntary surrender or seeking treatment in contraventional cases, and conditional cooperation-based release for first criminal personal-handling offences.[@reform26]

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Law 201/2025 leaves seeds, and leaves without flowering tops, out of its definition of cannabis.[@l201] Article 14 bans growing cannabis for drugs and allows hemp with up to 0.3% THC only under an authorisation from the food safety agency, using registered varieties.[@l201] Distributors of seed for sowing may supply it only to authorisation holders.[@l201]

NoDistributing cannabis clubs are known, and no law providesto other people falls under the criminal supply offence.[@reform26] Providing premises for them: supplying cannabisillegal drug consumption is a crimeitself punishable under Article 219.[@reform26]

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There isVisitors have no legal recreational supply for anyonesupplier. Buying or possessing[@reform26] Small personal possession can bring a small amount without intent to distributeMDL10, up to about 2 g of dried cannabis000–15, is an000 administrative offence under Article 85 of the Contravention Code, punished with a fine; criminal handling rules apply at higher quantity classifications or community servicewith statutory aggravation.[@reform26,units] Public use is a separate criminal offence.[@reform26]

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Moldova — Law 173 of 30 July 2026, in force 28 August 2026 (statutory text at Bizlex) Moldova National Bureau of Statistics — legal glossary, fines and criminal records Moldova Government — Industrial-hemp authorisation and processing rules, 29 April 2026 Moldova Government — Farmers to be able to grow industrial hemp, 13 November 2024 Moldova Interior Ministry — Consultation on drug quantity classifications, 6 July 2026 5 unchanged

MDL

label Small amount without intent to supply · treatment civil · term Contravention, Article 85(2) · fine min 10000 · fine 15000, label Large amount without intent to supply · treatment criminal · term Article 217(2) · prison 1 year · fine min 20000 · fine 35000 · note Prison or a fine, or community work, label Aggravated personal handling · treatment criminal · term Article 217(3) · prison 4 years · note Occupational disqualification also applies, label Especially large amount · treatment criminal · term Article 217(4) · prison min 1 year · prison 6 years · note Occupational disqualification also applies

MDL

label Personal cultivation below the criminal classification · treatment civil · term Contravention, Article 87(1) · fine min 10000 · fine 20000, label Large personal cultivation · treatment criminal · term Article 217(1) · fine min 10000 · fine 20000 · note Fine or community work, label Aggravated personal cultivation · treatment criminal · term Article 217(3) · prison 4 years, label Especially large personal cultivation · treatment criminal · term Article 217(4) · prison min 1 year · prison 6 years, label Cultivation with intent to supply · treatment criminal · term Article 217-1(1) · prison min 2 years · prison 6 years · note Community work is an alternative

label Ordinary supply or handling for supply · treatment criminal · term Article 217-1(2) · prison min 6 years · prison 10 years, label Production for supply · treatment criminal · term Article 217-1(3) · prison min 10 years · prison 12 years, label Large amount or other statutory aggravation · treatment criminal · term Article 217-1(4) · prison min 12 years · prison 15 years, label Especially large amount or organised crime · treatment criminal · term Article 217-1(5) · prison min 15 years · prison 17 years

MDL

label Use where no criminal offence applies · treatment civil · term Contravention, Article 85(1) · fine min 5000 · fine 7000 · note Fine or community work, label Public use or use at specified places · treatment criminal · term Article 217-5(1) · fine min 37500 · fine 52500 · note Fine or community work

Adults have no legal recreational supply, and passing cannabis to another person is a criminal offence.[@reform26] Small personal possession remains outside criminal law but can carry a substantial fine under the [2026 reform](/history/moldova-drug-penalties-2026/).[@reform26] Public use is separately criminalised even when the ordinary use offence is a contravention.[@reform26]

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Industrial and horticultural hemp is defined with a THC ceiling of 0.3%.[@l201] Growers need authorisation from the food-safety agency and must use registered varieties.[@l201] The [April 2026 rules](/history/moldova-hemp-processing-rules-2026/) provide flowering-time laboratory sampling, farm records and inspections.[@hemp26]

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