Am I allowed to use cannabis in Norway?
No — using, possessing, selling and growing cannabis are illegal in Norway. Cannabis is a listed narcotic. Use and minor possession are punished under the Medicines Act and bring a fine or up to 6 months prison — in practice a fine, but the fine is recorded. Sale, production and import fall under Penal Code §231 (up to 2 years), and serious cases under §232 (up to 10 years, very large amounts up to 15). The trap most people fall into: CBD extracted from the cannabis plant counts as a narcotic regardless of THC content. Norway does not apply the EU 0.2% threshold, so a product sold legally elsewhere in Europe can be a narcotic here; CBD is lawful only as a prescription medicine. Nor was cannabis decriminalised — the drug reform was rejected in parliament in 2021.
📋 The rules
- Cannabis is a narcotic — use, possession and sale are illegal
- Use/minor possession: fine or up to 6 months prison
- Sale, production, import: Penal Code §231, up to 2 years
- Serious drug offence (§232): up to 10 years
- CBD from the plant = narcotic regardless of THC content
🔓 Exceptions
- Medical cannabis (Sativex, Epidyolex) can be prescribed
- Supreme Court 2022: heavily drug-dependent people are not punished for minor user doses
- The 2021 decriminalisation reform was rejected in parliament
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Ordinary users get a fine, and the fine is recorded — and the 2025 reform on a no-record charge is not yet in force. Passing cannabis on or selling it to others is not "use" in the eyes of the law: it falls under Penal Code §231 with up to 2 years, and serious cases under §232 with up to 10 years. The same goes for growing and importing. The only real leniency in practice is the Supreme Court line from 2022, under which heavily drug-dependent people are generally not punished for minor user doses — that exception does not cover ordinary users.
📎 Official sources
- Medicines Act §31 · Lovdata →
- Penal Code §231 · Lovdata →
- Medical Products Agency · CBD and the rules →
❓ Frequently asked
Is it punishable just to have used cannabis?
Yes. Use and minor possession are punished under the Medicines Act with a fine or up to 6 months prison, and in practice it is a fine. The fine is recorded, and the 2025 reform on a no-record charge has not yet entered into force.
Is CBD legal in Norway?
Only as a prescription medicine. CBD extracted from the cannabis plant counts as a narcotic regardless of THC content, and Norway does not apply the EU 0.2% threshold — so a product that is legal elsewhere in Europe can be a narcotic here.
What is the penalty for a small amount?
Usually a fine, but the maximum for use and minor possession is 6 months prison. Heavily drug-dependent people are generally not punished for minor user doses after the Supreme Court ruling in 2022, but that exception does not cover ordinary users.
Is medical cannabis allowed?
Only on prescription. Sativex and Epidyolex can be prescribed by a doctor, while other cannabis products need a special exemption — and sourcing cannabis yourself remains a criminal offence, whatever your diagnosis.
Was cannabis decriminalised in Norway?
No. The drug reform proposing decriminalisation was rejected in parliament in 2021, and use is still punishable. A later reform on a no-record charge was adopted in 2025 but is not yet in force.
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