Is Weed Legal in Ireland?

Recreational cannabis is illegal in Ireland. Cannabis remains a Schedule 1 controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017. Possession of cannabis for personal use is a criminal offence - a first offence carries a maximum fine of EUR 1,000 (summary conviction), a second offence up to EUR 2,500, and a third or subsequent offence up to EUR 1,000 and/or up to 3 years imprisonment. Possession with intent to supply carries up to life imprisonment.

Garda Siochana retain discretion to issue an Adult Caution for first-time simple possession under the Adult Cautioning Scheme. The Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use reported in January 2024 recommending a comprehensive health-led response including decriminalisation of possession for personal use. A Joint Oireachtas Committee was established in 2024-2025 to consider the recommendations; no decriminalisation legislation has been enacted as of May 2026.

Medical cannabis is available through two narrow routes: (1) the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP), operational since 2021, restricted to three conditions - MS spasticity, intractable chemotherapy nausea, and severe refractory epilepsy; and (2) a Ministerial Licence under Section 14 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. Home cultivation is illegal.