Drugs — Ireland

Simple possession of a controlled drug is a criminal offence in Ireland: section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 states that a person shall not have a controlled drug in his possession, and contravening that is an offence unless the Minister has disapplied it for that drug by order. For drugs other than cannabis there is no personal-use discount — the same penalty band applies whether or not it is a first offence, and a conviction on indictment can carry up to seven years in prison. Cannabis and cannabis resin are the exception: where the court is satisfied that the possession was for personal use, a graduated scale of fines applies to a first and second offence, with imprisonment available only from the third. Possession for the purpose of sale or supply is a separate and heavier offence that this entry does not cover.

Possession of a controlled drug other than cannabis or cannabis resin (Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, s. 27(1)(b)): on summary conviction, a class C fine — the revised text annotates the statutory 1,000 pounds as 1,269.74 euro under the Fines Act 2010 — and/or up to 12 months imprisonment; on conviction on indictment, a fine of whatever amount the court considers appropriate and/or up to 7 years imprisonment. Cannabis or cannabis resin held for personal use (s. 27(1)(a)): first offence, a class D fine annotated as 380.92 euro summarily or a class C fine annotated as 634.86 euro on indictment; second offence, 507.90 euro summarily or 1,269.74 euro on indictment; third or subsequent offence, a class C fine annotated as 1,269.74 euro and/or up to 12 months summarily, or a fine the court considers appropriate and/or up to 3 years on indictment. The statutory text is still printed in pounds; every euro figure here is the Revised Act own annotation, not our conversion. The Revised Act is updated to 29 July 2026, and the amendments flagged as not yet in force affect sections 13 and 14, not these penalties.

Verified Oct 13, 2026