Timor-Leste: fill missing sections, add tables and 10 history entries

Timor-Leste’s drug law made illicit use, possession and growing solely for personal consum … he lower band, and people seeking treatment have confidentiality protections.[@1] The law replaced reliance onsuperseded the inherited Indonesian legislation in practice, kept trafficking penalties of five to fifteen years, and took effect the day after its 25 January publication.[@1]

Timor-Leste gives an Australian 3½ years in a suspected cannabis-plant case

Timor-Leste police seize a suspected marijuana parcellive cannabis seedlings from Ireland

Police and customs seized a suspected marijuana parcelpackage of live cannabis seedlings during maritime cargo checks on 1 June, the national police reported.[@1] Officers detain … y was continuing.[@1] The suspect was referred for an initial court hearing on 3 June.[@1]

Cannabis use, possession and growing solely for personal consumption are criminal offences, punishable bycarry up to one year in prison or a fine, with a higher ceiling; above 5 g of herb, 2.5 g of resin or 1.25 g of oil the statutory quantity thresholdceiling is two years. Trafficking carries five to fifteen years. Courts may waive punishment for an occasional user in the lower band. Trafficking carries five to fifteen years, while the law provides confidentiality and treatment options for people who use drugs.

Illicit possession or acquisition solely for personal use carries up to one year in prison or a fine assessed over up to 120 days. Above five daily reference quantities the ceiling rises to two years or a 240-day fine; the annex sets daily references of 15 g of herbal cannabis, 02.5 g of resin and 0or 1.25 g of oil, the ceiling rises to two years or a 240-day fine. An occasional user in the lower band may have punishment waived.[@law]

Growing solely for personal consumption falls under the personal-use offence: up to one year in prison or a 120-day fine, rising to two years or a 240-day fine above the quantity thresholdsame weight thresholds.[@law] Unauthorised cultivation outside the personal-use offence falls under trafficking, with five to fifteen years in prison.[@law]

Cultivation, manufacture, trade and imports of controlled cannabis require the relevant authorisation; unauthorised production and supply outside the personal-use offence attract trafficking penalties; no lawful commercial producer was found.[@law] In June 2022, police reported seizing a suspected marijuana parcelpackage of live cannabis seedlings sent from Ireland and referring its recipient for an initial court hearing.[@police]

Table I-C controls cannabis leaves and flowering or fruiting tops, resin, oil and cannabis seeds not intended for sowing.[@law] The 2025 pharmaceutical rules define narcotics and psychotropic substances through the 2017 drug law’s schedules.[@pharma]

law, pharma

No medical cannabis programme operates. The law places controlled-drug handling underallows Health Ministry licensing and supervision and provides for separatehandling controlled drugs, but no implementing rulesdecree, registered cannabis medicine or prescribing route was found.[@law] In his November 2022 independence-anniversary address, President José Ramos-Horta advocated legalising medical cannabis, without a law following.[@nov]

UNODC Data Portal — Drug seizures, reported seizures in kilogram equivalents Timor-Leste — Penal Code, Decree-Law 19/2009 UNFPA — Drug use in Timor-Leste: an assessment (2012) TATOLI — Scientific police lack drug-testing resources (26 June 2024) TATOLI — Court opens pre-trial debate in the 13-defendant drug case (2 June 2025) TATOLI — First trial hearing adjourned without a date (5 May 2026) 6 unchanged

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label Personal possession or acquisition · treatment criminal · term Personal use · prison 1 year · note Or a fine of up to 120 day-rates, label Above 5 g herb, 2.5 g resin or 1.25 g oil · treatment criminal · term Personal use · prison 2 years · note Or a fine of up to 240 day-rates

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label Growing for personal use · treatment criminal · term Personal growing · prison 1 year · note Or a fine of up to 120 day-rates, label Growing above the personal-use weight threshold · treatment criminal · term Personal growing · prison 2 years · note Or a fine of up to 240 day-rates, label Cultivation for trafficking · treatment criminal · term Trafficking · prison min 5 years · prison 15 years

All recreational use is prohibited. Personal possession or use carries up to one year or a 120-day fine, or two years above 5 g of herb, 2.5 g of resin or 1.25 g of oil; trafficking carries five to fifteen years.[@law] No adult-use supply exists.[@law]

law

none

No hemp or CBD regime and no THC threshold. Table I-C expressly includes hemp (Cannabis sativa) and its derivatives, and cultivation requires Health Ministry authorisation.[@law] No industrial-hemp or consumer-CBD route was found.[@law]

law

impairment

Penal Code article 208(2) punishes driving while unfit because of narcotics or psychotropic substances with up to two years or a fine, and article 88 allows a licence suspension of three months to two years.[@penal2009] There is no numeric THC limit.[@penal2009]

penal2009

No national cannabis seizure series is published, and UNODC has no Timor-Leste rows.[@unodc_szr] A 2012 UNFPA assessment found cannabis locally grown and easily available, with hashish brought from Indonesia; it is the only qualitative account.[@unfpa12] The 2022 case involved hashish, hashish chocolate, 0.50 g of methamphetamine and $4,139.25 in cash.[@tatoli25]

unodc_szr, unfpa12, tatoli25

No national cannabis arrest count is published.[@unodc_szr] The 2022 raids led to a case against 13 defendants that reached pre-trial debate in May 2025 and was adjourned without a date in May 2026.[@tatoli25,tatoli26] Police said in 2024 that drug samples still had to be sent to Portugal for confirmation, which delayed cases.[@tatoli24]

unodc_szr, tatoli25, tatoli26, tatoli24