Is Weed Legal in North Korea?

Cannabis is illegal in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), although verifiable detail on enforcement is limited because the state restricts independent legal publication and external research. Articles 206 to 216 of the DPRK Criminal Code, last comprehensively amended in 2015 with periodic revisions thereafter, criminalize the cultivation, production, sale, and consumption of narcotics. The Ministry of State Security and Ministry of Social Security handle narcotics enforcement. Persistent reports from defector testimony and outside research groups note that wild and cultivated cannabis grows in the countryside and is used informally, but this reflects practice rather than legal permission.

Penalties for narcotics offences are severe and have been increased in successive revisions of the Criminal Code. Trafficking can attract long-term reform-through-labor sentences and, in aggravated cases, capital punishment. There is no published medical cannabis program and no licensed pharmaceutical containing THC or CBD distributed by the Ministry of Public Health. Foreign visitors should treat cannabis as fully prohibited; possession discovered at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport or at land crossings will trigger arrest. Information here is drawn from publicly available secondary sources and should be treated with caution given DPRK opacity.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.