Latvia Medical only
Recreational use is strictly illegal with no meaningful decriminalization. Medical access is limited with low product availability, and Latvia is notably restrictive on cannabinoids in general (even CBD is limited to cosmetic/technical use).
Legal Framework
Cannabis is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in Latvia and is illegal for recreational use, with no meaningful decriminalization comparable to Estonia. Possession of very small amounts - sources point to roughly 1 gram - is generally treated as an administrative offense, with reported fines in the range of €280 to €700 (or a warning); a repeat offense within one year can be escalated to a criminal charge, and larger, trafficking-scale quantities can carry sentences of up to 15 years.
Historically, cannabis was not prohibited during Latvia's first independence period (1918-1940). The Soviet Union criminalized it nationally in 1974, and independent Latvia retained criminalization after 1990, signing the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs in 1993. A 2015 citizens' initiative gathered over 10,000 signatures proposing decriminalization for adults, but the Saeima (parliament) rejected it on 3 September 2015, and no comparable reform has passed since.
Medical Cannabis Program
Latvia's medical cannabis situation is unusually unclear even in the source material, and this should be flagged rather than smoothed over. Some overviews describe a narrow, tightly regulated pathway for authorized medicines such as Sativex (nabiximols), prescribed by certified physicians and dispensed through licensed pharmacies, typically restricted to severe conditions like multiple sclerosis. Other sources - including general reference overviews - state more bluntly that cannabis-based medicine is essentially not used in Latvia in practice, precisely because of its placement on the controlled-substances schedule. What is consistent across sources is that Latvia has no broad, functioning medical cannabis program comparable to the UK's private clinic system, Germany's prescription framework, or even Estonia's specialist-referral route. Patients should not assume any specific product or pathway is actually accessible without direct confirmation from Latvia's State Agency of Medicines.
Latvia is also notably restrictive on cannabinoids generally: even non-psychoactive CBD is tightly controlled. Only CBD products derived from industrial hemp with less than 0.2% THC are permitted, and only as food supplements without health claims; import and sale are regulated by the Food and Veterinary Service and the State Agency of Medicines.
Traveling with Medical Cannabis
We found no official Latvian statement addressing foreign patients bringing prescribed cannabis into the country. Given Latvia's generally restrictive posture toward cannabinoids - including its tight cap on CBD - travelers should treat bringing any THC-containing cannabis medicine into Latvia as high-risk in the absence of explicit, direct confirmation from Latvian authorities. Do not assume a Schengen Article 75 physician certificate will automatically be honored; verify with the State Agency of Medicines and Latvian customs before any trip.
Recent Developments
We found no significant cannabis policy reform in Latvia since the rejected 2015 decriminalization initiative, and no active 2025-2026 legislative reform proposals turned up in our research. Latvia remains markedly more restrictive than its Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania on cannabis policy generally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is medical cannabis actually available in Latvia?
This is genuinely unclear from available sources. Some describe narrow authorized access to products like Sativex for severe MS; others state cannabis-based medicine is essentially unused in practice. Verify directly with Latvia's State Agency of Medicines before assuming any access exists.
What happens if I'm caught with a small amount of cannabis in Latvia?
Possession of very small quantities is generally an administrative offense with a fine reported in the range of roughly €280 to €700; a repeat offense within a year can become a criminal matter.
Is CBD legal in Latvia?
Only hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.2% THC, sold as a food supplement without health claims, is permitted. THC-containing cannabis products remain illegal.
Can I bring my foreign medical cannabis prescription into Latvia?
No official guidance confirming this was found. Given Latvia's restrictive stance on cannabinoids generally, treat this as unresolved and confirm directly with Latvian authorities before traveling.