Drug Offences

Overview

Pursuant to Cyprus Law, drugs are classified as A, B or C according to their level of harm, with class A drugs causing the most. Penalties for drug use in Cyprus extend to life imprisonment for all classes, but until today a life term has never been imposed. Possession for personal use is regarded as a serious criminal offence, punishable by up to 12 years in prison for class A drugs, eight years for class B and four years for class C. In recent years, there has been a tendency towards the implementation of alternative measures to punishment. In the pre-trial phase, there is an alternative to prosecution for young drug offenders arrested for the first time, and a protocol for referring young offenders to mental health services. In 2016, a new law was introduced allowing those accused of drug-related offences other than supply to apply for a treatment alternative.

In 2003, limits on the quantities allowed for personal use were introduced; possession of a quantity of a substance above the assigned limit may lead to the presumption that the person intended to sell the substance. The limits include three or more cannabis plants, 30 g or more of cannabis or its products and 10 g or more of prepared cocaine or opium (or its derivatives). Trafficking class A or B drugs may be punished by up to life in prison, while trafficking class C drugs carries a penalty of up to eight years’ imprisonment.

In 2011, Cyprus began implementing a generic approach to control various groups of substances. The procedure is supported by an ad hoc committee operating under the Cyprus National Addictions Authority, comprising experts from different public services.

On 15 February 2019, members approved the allowance of growing, importing, exporting, and for individuals to possess and use medical cannabis. The medical cannabis law made amendments to the Drugs and Psychotropic Substances law, which permits the import of cannabis seeds and cannabis plants for cultivation purposes, as well as regulating licenses to be issued.

Our Experience

Our founding Partner due to his term (2003-2008) as a prosecutor of the criminal department of the Law Office of the Republic of Cyprus and form 2008 till today as a defense lawyer, has significant and cohesive experience on the handling of serious drug cases.