+ a 2,000–10,000 BGN fine for the standard offence of unlawful acquisition or possession of a high-risk narcotic.
Bulgaria · 2026 · legal reference
Weed and Cannabis in Bulgaria in 2026: Laws, Possession & Sofia
Bulgaria has no legal recreational cannabis market and no fixed 'permitted amount' for personal possession. Cannabis is classified as a high-risk narcotic substance, and unlawful acquisition and possession are governed by Article 354a of the Criminal Code. Bulgarian law separately distinguishes ordinary possession, a minor case, distribution, cultivation, driving after drug use and licensed industrial hemp.
law · Sofia · tourists · CBD · THC
Legal model
Bulgaria Remains a Strict-Prohibition Country
The key mistake is to confuse a 'minor case' with decriminalization.
01
Recreational market
There are no legal dispensaries, cannabis clubs or licensed adult-use retail market.
02
Personal threshold
There is no fixed quantity that the law declares lawful for personal possession.
03
Medical cannabis
Cannabis and THC remain under a strict regime; there is no general medical-marijuana flower program.
Sofia · weed in Sofia
Weed in Sofia: The City Does Not Have Its Own Cannabis Law
Searches such as 'weed in Sofia', 'marijuana in Sofia' and 'where can I legally buy cannabis in Sofia' all fall under the same national legal framework. The capital has no separate legalization system: Articles 354a, 354v and 343b apply in Sofia just as they do elsewhere in Bulgaria.
Possession
Even a small quantity can lead to criminal proceedings; there is no automatic personal-use limit.
Buying
There is no legal recreational retail market. A small amount does not turn an unlawful acquisition into a lawful purchase.
Public use
There is no Sofia-specific exemption for smoking cannabis; legal risk often arises from acquisition and possession itself.
Tourists
If you'd like to learn more about making a purchase, click the link.
354a
Marijuana possession
There Is No 'Legal 1 g, 2 g or 5 g' Rule in Bulgaria
Article 354a(3) provides for 1 to 6 years' imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 BGN for unlawful acquisition or possession of high-risk narcotic substances. Cannabis falls within the high-risk category.
If the specific case is treated as a 'minor case'. The law does not set an automatic gram threshold for this classification.
Minor case ≠ decriminalization. It is a more lenient criminal-law classification assessed on the facts of the individual case. Police practice also shows that Article 354a(3) proceedings can be opened for small quantities of marijuana.
Driving · amendment effective July 29, 2025
Driving After Cannabis Use Is a Separate Criminal Offence
Article 343b(3) criminalizes driving after the use of narcotic substances or their analogues when established under the legally prescribed procedure. After amendments effective July 29, 2025, the basic range is 1–3 years' imprisonment and a fine of 1,000–5,000 BGN.
The rule is based on the legally established fact of drug use rather than a THC concentration threshold equivalent to an alcohol-per-mille limit. Article 343b(5) also provides for confiscation of the vehicle when it belongs to the offender, or an award of its equivalent value in the circumstances set out by law.
1–3 years
basic term under Article 343b(3)
1,000–5,000
fine in BGN in the consolidated Criminal Code text
2025
fines increased from July 29
Cultivation · hemp
Home-Grown Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Are Two Different Legal Regimes
Article 354v regulates unlawful cannabis cultivation as a criminal offence. Separately, Bulgaria has a licensed agricultural regime for Cannabis sativa L. containing less than 0.3% THC, but only for purposes expressly allowed by law.
Home marijuana cultivation
Article 354v(1): unlawful sowing or cultivation of cannabis can result in 2–5 years' imprisonment and a 5,000–10,000 BGN fine.
Industrial hemp below 0.3% THC
A Ministry of Agriculture permit is required and the permitted purposes include fibre, seed for food/feed or seed for sowing.
Flowers and leaves
An industrial-hemp permit does not make flowering tops and leaves freely available for home CBD/THC extraction.
0.3% is not a personal-use rule
This threshold applies to licensed agricultural hemp, not to lawful recreational marijuana.
Tourists · airport · border
Can You Bring Cannabis, CBD or a Cannabis-Based Medicine Into Bulgaria?
Border rules cannot be judged by the law of the country you are leaving. Bulgarian Customs expressly states that possession of marijuana in Bulgaria is prohibited. Medicinal products are subject to separate rules, and a cannabis-based medicine containing active THC should not be treated as ordinary unrestricted travel medication.
Marijuana flower
Do not treat a 'personal amount' as permission to import it: possession of cannabis in Bulgaria is prohibited.
THC medicine
The Customs FAQ separately warns that tetrahydrocannabinols are not permitted in medicinal products under this travel regime.
Cannabis medicine without THC
Customs allows a visitor to carry a cannabis-derived medicinal product without active THC if it is not a commercial quantity; narcotic medicines are subject to documentation and treatment-period limits.
CBD product
A 'CBD' label does not guarantee unrestricted import. Composition, THC content, product category and the legal regime of the specific product all matter.
Medical cannabis · CBD · THC
CBD and Medical Cannabis in Bulgaria: Why THC Percentage Alone Is Not Enough
Bulgaria's controlled-substance system places marijuana and THC in List I — plants and substances considered high risk and prohibited for use in human and veterinary medicine. As a result, Bulgaria does not have a general program in which patients receive cannabis flower by prescription through dispensaries.
CBD is more complicated. The word cannabidiol does not make every product freely lawful. It is necessary to distinguish industrial hemp, food, cosmetics, medicinal products, cannabis extracts and the product's actual THC content.
Marijuana / THC
Strict List I regime; there is no general medical-marijuana flower program.
CBD
The legal status depends on the specific product: origin, composition, THC content and product category.
Industrial hemp
Licensed cultivation below 0.3% THC is possible for narrowly defined agricultural purposes.
H4-CBD / HHC family
Do not confuse these with ordinary CBD: H4-CBD, HHC and several new cannabinoid-like substances are under national control.
2025–2026
What Actually Changed — and What Did Not Become Legalization
Control expanded to new cannabinoid-like substances
THCP, THCB, 10-OH-HHC, HHCP and HHCH were added to List I; H4-CBD and HHC were already controlled. This change concerned new psychoactive substances, not cannabis legalization.
Penalties increased for driving after drug use
Article 343b(3) kept the 1–3 year imprisonment range, while the fine increased to 1,000–5,000 BGN.
National Drug Strategy 2026–2030 adopted
The Ministry of Health identified prevention, early intervention, new psychoactive substances and internet-based distribution as key policy priorities.
List I updated again
Decree No. 100 added new substances and corrected the name of THCP in the schedule. It did not change the legal status of ordinary marijuana: recreational legalization did not occur.
Official and primary sources
Sources Behind the Legal Status
The key conclusions are based on the current Criminal Code, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health, Bulgarian Customs, the State Gazette and the agricultural licensing regime for industrial hemp. Travel blogs and shops are not used to determine legality.
MVR
Criminal Code / Article 354a — acquisition, possession and distribution of narcotic substances
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Justice
Criminal Code — consolidated text
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MVR
Article 343b(3) — driving after the use of narcotic substances
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Health Ministry
Narcotic Substances and Precursors Control Act
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Customs
FAQ on marijuana possession and travel with cannabis-based medicines
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Agriculture
Industrial-hemp licensing regime below 0.3% THC
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State Gazette
Decree No. 49/2025 — THCP, THCB, 10-OH-HHC, HHCP and HHCH
Open ↗
State Gazette
Decree No. 100/2026 — List I update in August 2026
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Health Ministry
National Drug Strategy 2026–2030
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European Commission
Bulgaria and the euro: €1 = 1.95583 BGN, transition from January 1, 2026
Open ↗
Legal review of this page: September 15, 2026.
FAQ · Bulgaria cannabis law
Frequently Asked Questions About Weed and Cannabis in Bulgaria
Is weed legal in Bulgaria?
No. Recreational cannabis has not been legalized. Cannabis is classified as a high-risk narcotic substance, and unlawful acquisition and possession fall under Article 354a.
Is there a legal amount of cannabis for personal use?
There is no fixed legal gram threshold. Article 354a(5) provides for a fine of up to 1,000 BGN when a case is treated as minor, but this does not create a pre-authorized amount.
What happens if you are caught with a small amount of marijuana?
The standard offence under Article 354a(3) provides for 1–6 years and a 2,000–10,000 BGN fine for high-risk drugs. In a minor case, Article 354a(5) provides for a fine of up to 1,000 BGN. Classification depends on the circumstances.
Can you legally buy weed in Sofia?
There is no ordinary legal recreational retail market or licensed dispensary system. A small amount does not become a lawful purchase merely because it is intended for personal use.
Are there legal cannabis clubs in Sofia?
Bulgarian law does not create a licensed cannabis social-club model for recreational access comparable to systems found in some more liberal European jurisdictions.
Can you smoke weed in Sofia?
Sofia has no special legalization rule for cannabis use. Even where the question is framed as 'smoking', legal risk can arise from unlawful acquisition and possession.
Can you grow cannabis at home in Bulgaria?
Unlawful sowing and cultivation are governed by Article 354v and can result in 2–5 years' imprisonment and a 5,000–10,000 BGN fine.
Is industrial hemp legal in Bulgaria?
Yes, under a permit and the agricultural regime for Cannabis sativa L. below 0.3% THC when grown for fibre, food/feed seed or seed for sowing.
Is CBD legal in Bulgaria?
There is no universal rule that every CBD product is lawful. Status depends on composition, actual THC content, origin, product form and whether it is food, cosmetics, medicine or a cannabis extract.
Is HHC legal in Bulgaria?
HHC is under national control. In 2025 Bulgaria also added several new cannabinoid-like substances to List I, including THCP, THCB, 10-OH-HHC, HHCP and HHCH.
Is medical marijuana legal in Bulgaria?
There is no general medical-marijuana flower or dispensary-access program. Marijuana and THC are subject to the strict List I regime. Individual medicinal products must be assessed under their own registration and controlled-substance status.
Can you bring cannabis into Bulgaria by plane?
A foreign medical card or a small quantity should not be treated as permission to import marijuana. Bulgarian Customs states that cannabis possession is prohibited; medicines are subject to separate rules.
What are the penalties for driving after marijuana use in Bulgaria?
Article 343b(3) provides for 1–3 years' imprisonment and a 1,000–5,000 BGN fine after the 2025 amendments. Article 343b(5) also provides consequences for the vehicle in the circumstances set out by law.
What changed in Bulgarian cannabis law in 2025–2026?
Penalties for driving after drug use were strengthened, schedules of new controlled cannabinoid-like substances were expanded, and Bulgaria adopted a National Drug Strategy 2026–2030. Recreational marijuana was not legalized.