Is Weed Legal in Tunisia?

Last reviewed: August 6, 2026

Cannabis is illegal for recreational and medical use in Tunisia, although the country significantly reformed its penalties in 2017. Loi n. 92-52 du 18 mai 1992 relative aux stupefiants - known commonly as Loi 52 - historically imposed mandatory one-year prison sentences plus fines on any cannabis use, generating prison overcrowding through the 2000s and early 2010s. Loi organique n. 2017-39 du 8 mai 2017 amended Loi 52 to give judges discretion to suspend or reduce sentences for first- and second-time personal-use offenders. The Office National de Lutte Contre les Stupefiants under the Ministere de l'Interieur and the Direction Generale de la Police Judiciaire enforce the law.

Despite the 2017 reform, possession remains criminal. First-offense personal use can still draw 1 to 5 years' imprisonment and fines of 1,000 to 3,000 dinars, though judges now routinely apply suspended sentences or fines alone. Trafficking carries 6 to 10 years and fines of 5,000 to 10,000 dinars under Article 5. Cultivation falls under the same trafficking framework. Tunisian civil society continues to campaign for full decriminalization, particularly through the #Loi52 movement, and further reform proposals remained under parliamentary discussion as of late 2025 without passage.

This summary is regulatory information, not legal advice. Tunisia's enforcement landscape remains active despite the 2017 reform. Consult a Tunisian avocat before relying on judicial discretion provisions.