Is Weed Legal in Syria?

Recreational marijuana is illegal in the Syrian Arab Republic. Cannabis (hashish) is controlled under Legislative Decree No. 2 of 1993 on Narcotic Drugs and amending Law No. 33 of 2021, which the Syrian National Anti-Drug Committee continues to enforce.

Possession can carry imprisonment of 5 to 20 years; cultivation, manufacture, and trafficking trigger life imprisonment or the death penalty for large quantities or organized networks. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad on 8 December 2024, the transitional government led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has retained the existing narcotics statute and expanded enforcement, publicly destroying seized captagon and hashish stockpiles inherited from the previous regime. No medical or industrial cannabis framework has been announced. Enforcement remains uneven outside Damascus, Homs, and Latakia due to institutional reconstruction, so on-the-ground risk is high but unpredictable.

The post-2024 transition has created significant legal uncertainty; the underlying statute remains in force but enforcement priorities, agency structures, and penalty practice may change. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current law with qualified counsel before making compliance decisions.