Is Cannabis / THC legal in Bulgaria?

Legal status

Cannabis Schedule I under the Penal Code + ZKNVP — illegal for BOTH recreational and medical use; no personal-use carve-out; possession a criminal conviction (insignificant quantity may draw a fine up to ~1,000 leva); cultivation prohibited (Art 354c); no death penalty (abolished 1998)

Consequences if caught

Cannabis is Schedule I in Bulgaria — illegal for both recreational and medical use, with no personal-use carve-out — under the Penal Code (Arts 354a/354b/354c) and the ZKNVP. In Bulgaria (EU; death penalty abolished 1998), drugs are split into high-risk and moderate-risk under the Penal Code (Arts 354a/354b/354c) and the Law on Control of Narcotic Substances and Precursors (ZKNVP). Possession is not subject to a formal personal-use threshold: Art 354a(5) lets a judge impose a fine up to about 1,000 leva (about €511) for insignificant quantities, but it remains a criminal conviction. Standard possession of high-risk drugs draws 1–6 years plus a 2,000–10,000 leva fine; moderate-risk up to 5 years. Trafficking (Art 354a) draws 2–8 years for high-risk and 1–6 years for moderate-risk, rising to up to 15 years for aggravated or particularly large amounts. Cultivation of opium poppy, coca or cannabis (Art 354c) is prohibited.

If prescribed or medical

Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form; cannabis is illegal for medical use in Bulgaria.

Documentation

In Bulgaria (EU; death penalty abolished 1998), drugs are split into high-risk and moderate-risk under the Penal Code (Arts 354a/354b/354c) and the Law on Control of Narcotic Substances and Precursors (ZKNVP). Possession is not subject to a formal personal-use threshold: Art 354a(5) lets a judge impose a fine up to about 1,000 leva (about €511) for insignificant quantities, but it remains a criminal conviction. Standard possession of high-risk drugs draws 1–6 years plus a 2,000–10,000 leva fine; moderate-risk up to 5 years. Trafficking (Art 354a) draws 2–8 years for high-risk and 1–6 years for moderate-risk, rising to up to 15 years for aggravated or particularly large amounts. Cultivation of opium poppy, coca or cannabis (Art 354c) is prohibited. Cannabis is Schedule I — illegal for both recreational and medical use, with no personal-use carve-out. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Bulgaria’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.