Cannabis — Bulgaria

Bringing cannabis into Bulgaria is punished far more heavily than holding it once you are inside. Carrying narcotics across the Bulgarian border without proper authorisation is smuggling under article 242(2) of the Criminal Code, and cannabis sits on Bulgaria's List I of high-risk narcotics, banned even in human and veterinary medicine. That puts the offence at 10 to 15 years in prison plus a fine of 100,000 to 200,000 leva — the figures the Code itself states, in leva. There is no personal-use allowance at the border and no medical exemption to fall back on. The court can confiscate part or all of your property instead of the fine, what was smuggled is forfeited to the State whoever owns it, and the vehicle used to carry it is forfeited as well if it is yours — the Constitutional Court struck down in 2021 the words that extended that to a vehicle which is not the offender's. Bulgarian law controls the cannabis plant itself, cannabis meaning the leaves and the flowering and fruiting tops, hashish meaning the mechanically separated resin, and hashish oil, and producing any of them is prohibited outright.

Carrying narcotic substances and/or their analogues across the border without proper authorisation: for high-risk narcotics, 10 to 15 years' imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 to 200,000 leva; for risk narcotics, 3 to 15 years and 10,000 to 100,000 leva (Criminal Code art. 242(2)). Where the object of the smuggling is especially large and the case especially serious, 15 to 20 years and a fine of 200,000 to 300,000 leva (art. 242(4)). Instead of the fine the court may order confiscation of part or all of the offender's property (art. 242(5)). What was smuggled is forfeited to the State whoever owns it, and if it is missing or has been disposed of its equivalent value is awarded (art. 242(7)). The vehicle used to carry it is forfeited to the State unless its value clearly does not correspond to the gravity of the offence; the words in art. 242(8) extending that to a vehicle not owned by the offender were declared unconstitutional by Constitutional Court decision No. 12 of 2021 (ДВ бр. 84 от 2021) and are not law. Preparation to commit the offence carries up to 5 years, with the same forfeiture (art. 242(9)). A case treated as minor can end in an administrative fine of up to 1,000 leva (art. 242(6)), but that is discretionary and only after you have been caught. Producing cannabis, hashish and hashish oil is prohibited outright, and the controlled items are defined as any plant of the genus Cannabis, the leaves and/or the flowering and fruiting tops, and the mechanically separated resin (Drugs and Precursors Control Act art. 28 and § 1, items 1 to 3). Every fine above is stated in leva because that is the unit the Criminal Code prints.

Verified Oct 14, 2026

Cannabis is completely illegal in Bulgaria, including small amounts for personal use — there is no decriminalisation, no possession threshold and no medical exemption. Bulgaria's own classification ordinance puts cannabis, hashish, hash oil and THC on List I, which the Drugs and Precursors Control Act defines as plants and substances of high risk to public health that are banned even in human and veterinary medicine, so simple possession is a criminal offence carrying 1 to 6 years in prison plus a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 leva — the figures the Criminal Code itself states, in leva. Sowing or growing the plant is prohibited outright and so is producing cannabis, hashish or hashish oil; the only lawful cultivation is permitted low-THC industrial hemp grown for fibre and seed, which is no permission to hold the drug. A court may reduce a genuinely minor case to a fine of up to 1,000 leva, but that is discretionary and only after you have been arrested and prosecuted. Driving after using cannabis is a separate crime with no permitted blood level, and the car is taken as well.

Acquiring or possessing cannabis, a high-risk narcotic: 1 to 6 years' imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 leva (Criminal Code art. 354a(3), item 1); for a substance classified as merely risk rather than high-risk the band is up to 5 years and 1,000 to 5,000 leva (art. 354a(3), item 2). Distribution, or acquiring or possessing with intent to distribute: 2 to 8 years and a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 leva (art. 354a(1)). In a minor case under art. 354a(3) or (4) the penalty is a fine of up to 1,000 leva (art. 354a(5)). The substance and the means of the offence are confiscated in favour of the State (art. 354a(6)). Driving after using narcotics: 1 to 3 years and a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 leva, with no permitted blood level; a repeat offence carries 1 to 5 years and 2,000 to 10,000 leva (art. 343b(3) and (4)). As amended by ДВ бр. 32 от 2026, the vehicle goes too: it is forfeited to the State if the driver owns it, and where it is missing or has been disposed of, or is not the driver's or is only co-owned — a rental or a friend's car — the court awards its value instead (art. 343b(5)). Sowing and growing cannabis plants is prohibited except under the low-THC industrial-hemp permit, and producing cannabis, hashish and hashish oil is prohibited outright (Drugs and Precursors Control Act arts. 27(1), 28 and 29(1)). Every fine above is stated in leva because that is the unit the Criminal Code prints.

Verified Oct 14, 2026