Cannabis in Lithuania: All the Latest News

History of Cannabis in Lithuania

Lithuania has long taken a very restrictive approach to cannabis, including industrial hemp. Until 2013, it was the only country in the European Union to ban the cultivation of industrial hemp. That year, the government lifted the ban, and hemp production has been gradually expanding.

On the issue of drug possession, the country has taken a different path from many of its neighbors. Until 2017, possession of small amounts of drugs without the intent to distribute them was governed by the Code of Administrative Offenses. With the entry into force of a new Code of Administrative Offenses in 2017, it became a criminal offense. Lithuania is thus often cited as the only country to have criminalized cannabis in the 21st century.

The country has, however, taken a step toward medical use. In October 2018, Parliament (the Seimas) passed a law allowing doctors to prescribe cannabis-based medications, effective May 1, 2019. In 2016, activists who wanted to organize a rally on April 20 in front of Parliament were targeted by the Prosecutor General’s Office, which believed that allowing it could «violate the public interest.».

Cannabis Laws in Lithuania

Recreational cannabis: prohibited; possession is a criminal offense

Cannabis is illegal in Lithuania for recreational use. Since 2017, possession of small amounts—without the intent to distribute—has been a criminal offense, punishable by a fine, arrest, or imprisonment for up to two years. What constitutes a small amount is determined by the Ministry of Health: the limit was 5 grams for cannabis at the time of our last update.

Distribution is punished much more severely. According to the Penal Code, the distribution of small quantities of narcotics is punishable by 2 to 8 years in prison, with no distinction made between selling and simply sharing with friends. The cultivation and sale of cannabis also remain prohibited.

Decriminalization Still Stalled

Several attempts to return to the pre-2017 situation have failed. In October 2021, Parliament approved an initial set of amendments to move the possession of small quantities from the Criminal Code to the Code of Administrative Offenses, with fines ranging from 50 to 350 euros, but the bill was subsequently narrowly rejected (61 in favor, 58 against, 7 abstentions). In 2022, a new attempt, focused on cannabis, resulted in a mixed vote in Parliament: it added administrative liability without removing criminal liability, and referred the bill back to committee. To date, possession therefore remains a criminal offense.

Medical cannabis

The law, which took effect on May 1, 2019, allows doctors to prescribe, under strict supervision, cannabis-based medications registered in the European Union for patients with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, or autoimmune diseases. Each medication must obtain a license from the National Medicines Control Agency. In practice, access remains very limited: when the law took effect, no such medications were available in pharmacies, and doctors face numerous obstacles to prescribing them.

Industrial Hemp and CBD

Since November 2021, the production and sale of hemp-derived products have been permitted, provided their THC content does not exceed 0.2 %. This limit has been raised to 0,3 % in 2022. CBD derived from hemp is therefore legal. Before 2021, products containing even the smallest amount of THC were considered illegal. Lithuania was cultivating approximately 5,000 hectares of hemp at the time of the reform, and the bill’s proponents hoped the CBD industry could be worth up to 100 million euros per year.

News and Outlook

Lithuania remains one of the strictest European countries when it comes to cannabis possession, even as it has become more open to hemp and CBD. The political debate centers mainly on decriminalization, a cause championed by the liberal Freedom Party (Laisvės) but supported only narrowly in Parliament. Follow our Cannabis News in Lithuania See below for updates to the law.