Is Weed Legal in Latvia? Understanding Latvia Cannabis and Marijuana Laws (2026)

Cannabis is illegal in Latvia for both recreational and medical use. Possessing, growing, selling, or using marijuana is prohibited, and the drug sits in the most restrictive category of Latvia’s narcotics list, alongside substances such as heroin. The one area of flexibility is at the lowest end: holding a very small amount for personal use is treated as an administrative matter rather than a crime for a first offense, punishable by a fine of up to €280.

Industrial hemp and most hemp-derived CBD, by contrast, are legal under the same European Union rules that apply across the bloc — though Latvia enforces them tightly. This guide explains what is and isn’t allowed in 2026, the penalties that apply, and where the law may be heading. Latvia’s stance is broadly in line with its Baltic neighbors; for comparison, see our guides to cannabis laws in Estonia and Lithuania.

Is Weed Legal in Latvia?

No. Recreational and medical cannabis are both illegal in Latvia. Marijuana is listed among the most dangerous prohibited narcotics under Latvian law — the same category that covers drugs like heroin — and there is no licensed route for adults to buy, possess, or consume it. The country’s drug laws are strictly enforced, and cannabis is one of the substances for which people are penalized most often.

What Are the Penalties for Cannabis in Latvia?

Penalties depend on the amount involved and whether the offense is repeated. Under Latvia’s drug laws, the unauthorized use, acquisition, or storage of a small quantity of an illicit drug is an administrative offense punishable by a warning or a fine of up to €280. Possession of a larger amount for personal use can bring a criminal penalty of up to three years in prison.

A second small-amount offense within 12 months of the first is treated as a crime, carrying a short prison term of 15 days to three months, community service, or a fine. Trafficking is punished far more harshly: dealing any quantity can bring two to eight years in prison, rising to three to ten years for organized offenses and five to fifteen years where a large amount is involved. Courts can suspend a sentence and order treatment instead, and first-time offenders with no record often receive a more lenient, conditional sentence.

Is Cannabis Decriminalized in Latvia?

Not formally — but the lowest-level offenses are depenalized in practice. Latvia has not removed cannabis from its narcotics list, so the drug stays fully illegal. What softens the edge is enforcement: a first offense for personal-use possession of a small amount is an administrative violation rather than a criminal one, while a repeat within a year tips back into criminal liability.

The question has been debated in the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament. As far back as September 2020, a parliamentary sub-committee reopened discussion on whether using or storing “soft drugs” should be handled through administrative penalties, treatment, and rehabilitation rather than criminal punishment, with lawmakers pointing to neighboring Estonia’s health-focused approach. Responsibility for drug-use policy has gradually shifted from the Interior Ministry toward the Health Ministry, and that health-first turn is clearest in a narrower reform aimed at young people: the Health Ministry proposed in 2025 to lift criminal liability from minors who use narcotics, while keeping the purchase and possession of drugs a crime, and the amendments advanced to the Saeima for consideration in early 2026. Even so, no law has decriminalized cannabis for adults outright.

Is Medical Cannabis Legal in Latvia?

No. Latvia has no medical cannabis program, and doctors cannot legally prescribe THC-containing cannabis products. Patients who want cannabis-based treatment have no domestic route to it, and foreign prescriptions or medical-cannabis cards are not recognized inside the country.

That position is under pressure. In April 2025, the board of the Progressives party decided to keep pushing a proposal to legalize medical marijuana in the form of capsules, extracts, and tablets and make it part of the national healthcare (NHC ) system. MP Mairita Luse argued that regulated cannabis medicines can help patients with chronic pain, nausea, or muscle spasms tied to conditions such as multiple sclerosis or cancer, and noted that tightly controlled drugs like opioids are already prescribed under strict rules. State Police chief Armands Ruks said he would not support recreational legalization but would not object to medical use if experts agreed on it. As of 2026, the proposal has not become law.

Is CBD Legal in Latvia?

Yes, but in a tightly policed gray zone. Hemp-derived CBD can be sold and bought in Latvia, both online and in physical shops, provided it comes from low-THC industrial hemp, is marketed within approved categories such as cosmetics or food supplements, and carries no medical claims.

Two constraints define the market. First, Latvian farmers may grow hemp but are not permitted to extract cannabinoids from it domestically, so the CBD sold locally is generally processed abroad and imported. Second, because Latvia treats THC as a strictly controlled narcotic, CBD products are expected to contain only trace amounts of it. The legal floor is set at EU level: in November 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that CBD lawfully produced in one member state is not a narcotic drug and may be marketed across the bloc, limiting how far any country can restrict it. CBD remains under EU-level scrutiny, however — see our report on the EU Chemicals Agency’s move to classify CBD as a reproductive toxicant.

Is Hemp Legal in Latvia?

Yes. Industrial hemp cultivation is legal in Latvia, in line with EU rules, provided growers are registered and use approved low-THC seed. Under the European Commission’s hemp framework, hemp grown in the EU must come from certified varieties whose THC content does not exceed 0.3% — a threshold raised from 0.2% on January 1, 2023 under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy. Farmers who meet the conditions are eligible for EU agricultural support, and 116 hemp varieties were registered in the EU’s common catalogue in 2024.

Hemp is a long-established crop in the region, used for textiles, construction materials, food, and cosmetics. The catch for Latvia’s sector is the ban on domestic cannabinoid extraction, which means the value-added CBD step happens outside the country even though the plant itself is grown legally. EU hemp rules remain contested elsewhere in the bloc, as seen in Greece’s push to ban hemp flower despite EU law conflicts.

Can You Grow Cannabis at Home in Latvia?

No. Growing cannabis at home is illegal in Latvia, whatever the intended use. The only lawful cultivation is licensed industrial hemp grown by registered farmers under EU rules; unauthorized sowing or growing of cannabis plants is a criminal offense, and there is no home-grow allowance for personal or medical use.

Can Tourists Buy or Use Cannabis in Latvia?

No — visitors have no legal way to buy or consume cannabis in Latvia. There are no dispensaries or Dutch-style coffee shops, and any purchase means turning to the black market, which carries the same legal risk locals face. Foreign medical-cannabis prescriptions and cards give no protection, and bringing cannabis across the border is a separate and serious offense — a risk we cover in our guide to global cannabis travel and modern smuggling.

Will Latvia Legalize Weed?

Recreational legalization is not on the horizon in Latvia, and there is no active bill to legalize adult-use cannabis. The nearest-term change under discussion is medical access, driven by the Progressives’ proposal and recurring decriminalization debates in parliament. Public and political support for recreational legalization has stayed limited, and the conservative tone of Latvian drug policy has held. For now, Latvia remains among the EU’s more restrictive members, far from the Netherlands’ tolerance model or Germany’s 2024 move to legalize.