Cannabis Laws in Vietnam: Is Marijuana Legal in Vietnam?

Vietnam has some of the strictest cannabis laws in Asia. Marijuana, cannabis resin, and cannabis plants are tightly controlled under the country’s drug laws. Recreational cannabis is not legal, and Vietnam does not have a general medical marijuana program that allows patients to obtain or use cannabis products.

The same caution applies to cannabis products that may appear legal in other countries. CBD products, cannabis oils, THC products, marijuana seeds, and other cannabis-derived products can create legal problems when brought into Vietnam.

Vietnam’s rules also cover activities across the cannabis supply chain. Depending on the facts, farming, possession, transportation, production, trading, importation, and exportation can lead to criminal liability.

The legal situation also changed in important ways during 2025 and 2026. Vietnam amended its Criminal Code in 2025 and introduced a new Law on Drug Prevention and Control that took effect on July 1, 2026. These changes adjusted several drug-related offenses and penalties, but they did not create a legal recreational or medical cannabis market.

For anyone visiting or doing business in Vietnam, the safest approach is straightforward: do not assume that cannabis products that are legal elsewhere are legal in Vietnam.

Is Cannabis Legal in Vietnam?

No. Cannabis is not legal for recreational use in Vietnam.

Vietnamese law treats cannabis plants and cannabis-containing substances as controlled drug-related materials. The government maintains formal lists of controlled narcotic substances and precursors. The current framework includes Decree 28/2026/NĐ-CP, which took effect on January 19, 2026.

Vietnam’s drug-control system also prohibits unauthorized activities involving narcotic substances. The country’s drug-prevention legislation has long prohibited unauthorized farming, production, possession, transportation, trading, import, export, and other dealings involving controlled drugs.

Therefore, there is no legal recreational cannabis market comparable to those found in jurisdictions that permit adult-use marijuana.

There is also no broad medical cannabis system that allows patients to obtain marijuana from licensed dispensaries or pharmacies for ordinary therapeutic use.

Vietnam Cannabis Laws at a Glance

The exact legal outcome depends on the substance, quantity, conduct, purpose, prior history, and other facts.

What Are the Main Cannabis Laws in Vietnam?

Vietnam regulates cannabis through several connected areas of law rather than through one cannabis-specific statute.

The Law on Drug Prevention and Control provides the broader drug-control framework. The government’s controlled-substance schedules identify substances subject to special controls. Decree 28/2026/NĐ-CP is the current decree governing lists of narcotic substances and precursors.

The Criminal Code then establishes criminal offenses and penalties for activities such as cultivating drug-containing plants, producing drugs, possessing drugs, transporting drugs, and trading drugs.

This distinction matters because different cannabis-related activities can lead to different criminal charges.

For example, growing cannabis plants is addressed separately from possessing cannabis material. Likewise, transportation and trading are separate offenses.

As a result, someone should not assume that a small amount of cannabis automatically receives the same legal treatment as commercial trafficking.

Cannabis Growing Laws in Vietnam

Growing cannabis is prohibited under Vietnam’s criminal law when the applicable statutory conditions are met.

Article 247 of the Criminal Code addresses the farming of cannabis plants and other plants containing controlled narcotic substances. The basic criminal threshold includes farming of 500 to fewer than 3,000 plants, as well as certain repeat-offense circumstances. The penalty under that provision can range from six months to three years in prison.

Growing involving 3,000 plants or more, organized conduct, or certain repeat offending can lead to a higher penalty of three to seven years’ imprisonment.

That means home farming is not a legal alternative to buying cannabis.

Vietnam’s rules also demonstrate why the number of plants can matter greatly in a criminal case. The law establishes specific thresholds rather than treating every farming case in exactly the same way.

People should also avoid assuming that growing a plant from a seed is harmless simply because the plant has not yet been harvested.

Cannabis Possession Laws in Vietnam

Possessing cannabis can result in serious legal consequences.

Article 249 of the Criminal Code covers illegal possession of controlled narcotic substances when the possession is not intended for activities such as trading, transportation, or production.

The law establishes different quantity thresholds depending on the form and type of narcotic material.

For cannabis resin, the criminal provisions use gram and kilogram thresholds. For cannabis leaves, roots, stems, branches, flowers, fruits, and other plant parts containing controlled narcotic substances, the law also establishes quantity thresholds. At higher quantities, penalties can become extremely severe.

This is an important point for travelers.

A person should not interpret the absence of a legal retail market as meaning that possession of a small quantity is automatically treated as legal or harmless. Vietnam can impose administrative measures in some lower-level situations, while criminal liability applies when statutory conditions are met.

The precise result depends on the substance, quantity, circumstances, and applicable law at the time of the incident.

Cannabis Sale and Trafficking in Vietnam

Selling cannabis is illegal in Vietnam.

The Criminal Code separately addresses illegal trading in narcotic substances. Trading offenses can carry much heavier penalties than simple possession.

The penalty structure also increases according to the type and quantity of controlled material involved. For cannabis resin and cannabis plant material, the law establishes specific thresholds that can lead to long prison sentences.

At the highest level, illegal trading involving 30 kilograms or more of cannabis resin can fall within a penalty range that includes life imprisonment or the death penalty under the amended Criminal Code. For cannabis plant material, the law uses different quantity thresholds.

This is an important correction to simplified descriptions sometimes found online.

Older summaries may state a 75-kilogram threshold for cannabis trading based on earlier versions of the Criminal Code. However, Vietnam amended the drug offenses in 2025, so current legal content should be checked against the amended provisions rather than relying on an older article.

Cannabis Transportation and Import Laws

Transporting cannabis across Vietnam can create a separate criminal offense.

This includes situations involving movement of cannabis from one location to another and can become especially serious when the conduct involves cross-border movement.

Importing marijuana into Vietnam is therefore not a safe option, even if the product was purchased legally in another country.

The same principle applies to travelers arriving with cannabis oils, THC products, marijuana flower, concentrates, edibles, or other cannabis-derived products.

Vietnam’s drug-control framework prohibits unauthorized import and export of controlled narcotic substances.

Can You Bring Medical Cannabis Into Vietnam?

A foreign medical cannabis prescription does not create a general exemption from Vietnamese narcotics law.

Vietnam does not operate a broad medical marijuana system in which foreign visitors can simply arrive with THC cannabis products and use them under a prescription from another country.

Travelers should therefore obtain specific guidance from Vietnamese authorities or qualified Vietnamese legal counsel before carrying any medication that may contain a controlled cannabis substance.

Cannabis Laws at Vietnamese Airports

Airports are an especially important consideration for travelers.

Vietnamese customs and law-enforcement authorities can treat controlled drug products as serious legal matters. Bringing cannabis across an international border can expose a traveler to investigation for illegal transportation, importation, or other drug offenses.

That means travelers should not pack cannabis products simply because they were purchased legally before the trip.

This warning extends beyond marijuana flower.

Travelers should also exercise caution with:

• THC oils
• Cannabis concentrates
• THC edibles
• Cannabis vape cartridges
• Cannabis resin
• Marijuana seeds
• Cannabis extracts
• Certain CBD products
• Other cannabis-derived preparations

Product labels from another country do not determine how Vietnamese authorities classify a substance.

Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Vietnam?

Vietnam does not have a general medical marijuana program comparable to regulated medical cannabis systems in countries such as Germany, Canada, or parts of the United States.

Vietnam’s drug-control system allows certain controlled substances to be used for narrowly regulated purposes, such as medical, research, testing, or forensic activities where authorized. However, this does not establish a patient-access cannabis market. The government’s drug schedules distinguish between substances that are absolutely prohibited and substances that may be used under tightly controlled official conditions.

Therefore, patients should not assume that a prescription for cannabis from another country gives them permission to possess or use cannabis in Vietnam.

If a medication contains a controlled substance, travelers should confirm its status before entering the country.

Is CBD Legal in Vietnam?

CBD requires particular caution.

Vietnam does not have a broad consumer CBD market in which ordinary retailers can freely sell CBD oils, gummies, cosmetics, or supplements under a simple cannabis-specific license.

Instead, the legal treatment depends on the substance and product, including its ingredients and whether it contains controlled narcotic substances.

Vietnam maintains official lists of controlled narcotic substances and updates those lists through government regulations. Decree 28/2026/NĐ-CP is the current framework for those lists as of 2026.

Consequently, travelers should not assume that a CBD product sold legally in the United States, Europe, or another country will automatically be lawful in Vietnam.

The safest approach is to verify the exact product and ingredients before importing it.

Are Cannabis Seeds Legal in Vietnam?

Cannabis seeds should not be treated like ordinary agricultural seeds.

Vietnamese drug law regulates cannabis plants and materials containing controlled narcotic substances. The country also prohibits unauthorized activities involving narcotic substances and cannabis plants.

For this reason, importing, possessing, selling, or transporting marijuana seeds can present legal risks.

The legal classification of a particular seed shipment can depend on its characteristics and intended use. However, travelers and businesses should not assume that seeds are automatically exempt from Vietnam’s drug-control rules simply because they do not contain the same concentration of cannabinoids as mature cannabis.

Commercial shipments require particular care because customs, narcotics, agricultural, and import-control rules can overlap.

Cannabis Use and Drug Testing in Vietnam

Cannabis use is also subject to strict controls.

Vietnam’s 2025 Criminal Code amendment introduced Article 256a, creating a specific criminal offense for illegal drug use in defined circumstances. The provision focuses on people who use drugs while undergoing certain drug-rehabilitation or post-rehabilitation management measures. The amended Criminal Code took effect on July 1, 2025.

This change is important because it does not mean that every instance of cannabis use automatically results in the same criminal charge.

Instead, Article 256a establishes defined circumstances in which illegal drug use can itself become a criminal offense.

Vietnam’s wider drug-control system also includes administrative and rehabilitation measures. The legal framework therefore distinguishes between different situations rather than applying one identical punishment to every positive drug test.

Nevertheless, visitors should not interpret this distinction as permission to use cannabis.

What Changed in Vietnam’s Cannabis Laws in 2025?

Vietnam significantly amended its Criminal Code in 2025.

Law No. 86/2025/QH15 was adopted on June 25, 2025, and took effect on July 1, 2025. Among other changes, it amended drug-related criminal provisions and added Article 256a concerning illegal drug use in specified circumstances. It also removed the death penalty from eight offenses.

The changes therefore affected the structure of drug penalties.

One important change involved illegal transportation of narcotic substances. The death penalty was removed from that offense, while the amended law retained capital punishment for certain extremely serious drug production and trading offenses.

This distinction is important when discussing cannabis law in Vietnam.

It would be inaccurate to say that Vietnam eliminated the death penalty for all cannabis-related crimes. The 2025 amendments reduced its use for some offenses but retained it within the most serious drug-related offenses.

What Changed on July 1, 2026?

Vietnam’s drug-control framework changed again in 2026.

The National Assembly passed the Law on Drug Prevention and Control, Law No. 120/2025/QH15, on December 10, 2025. The law entered into force on July 1, 2026.

This means older cannabis-law articles should be reviewed carefully.

An article written before July 2026 may still describe the previous drug-control framework. While the core prohibition on unauthorized cannabis activity remains, the legal details surrounding drug management, rehabilitation, administration, and enforcement can change when new legislation takes effect.

For that reason, anyone facing an actual legal issue should consult current Vietnamese legal sources rather than relying on a general online cannabis guide.

Can Tourists Use Cannabis in Vietnam?

Tourists are not exempt from Vietnam’s cannabis laws.

A visitor’s nationality does not turn illegal cannabis possession, transportation, or trading into lawful conduct.

This is especially important because cannabis laws differ significantly around the world. A traveler may legally purchase marijuana at home and still face serious legal consequences after bringing it into Vietnam.

Tourists should therefore avoid carrying cannabis across the border and should not purchase marijuana from informal sellers while visiting.

The same caution applies to cannabis products purchased online.

Can Foreigners Bring CBD or THC Products to Vietnam?

Foreign travelers should be particularly careful with CBD and THC products.

A product may be marketed as:

• Hemp oil
• CBD oil
• Full-spectrum CBD
• Broad-spectrum CBD
• THC-free cannabis oil
• Hemp extract
• Cannabis medicine

However, the marketing description does not necessarily determine how Vietnamese authorities will classify the product.

Before traveling, visitors should check the exact ingredients and applicable Vietnamese import rules.

If a product contains a controlled narcotic substance, bringing it across the border without the required authorization can create serious legal exposure.

Cannabis Laws for Businesses in Vietnam

Vietnam does not currently provide a general commercial licensing system for recreational cannabis businesses.

Businesses should not assume they can establish:

• Cannabis dispensaries
• Recreational cannabis farms
• Marijuana processing facilities
• THC product stores
• Cannabis delivery services
• Recreational cannabis import businesses

Simply registering a normal business does not authorize activities involving controlled narcotic substances.

Companies involved in international supply chains should also pay attention to transportation and customs risks. A shipment containing a controlled substance can create legal issues even when the company operates in another country.

Therefore, businesses considering hemp, CBD, pharmaceutical, agricultural, or cannabinoid-related activities should obtain Vietnam-specific legal and regulatory advice before moving products through the country.

Is Industrial Hemp Legal in Vietnam?

Industrial hemp should not automatically be treated as equivalent to recreational marijuana.

Hemp and cannabis can overlap botanically, but Vietnamese law regulates plants and controlled substances through specific legal definitions and government-controlled lists.

A business cannot simply label a cannabis-derived product “hemp” and assume that Vietnamese drug laws no longer apply.

Companies interested in industrial hemp farming or processing should verify the applicable agricultural, narcotics, import, product, and commercial rules before beginning operations.

The key issue is not merely what a product is called. The applicable legal classification can depend on the plant, substance, concentration, intended use, and regulatory authorization.

Penalties for Breaking Cannabis Laws in Vietnam

Vietnam can impose serious penalties for cannabis-related offenses.

Depending on the offense and circumstances, consequences can include:

• Administrative penalties
• Criminal prosecution
• Imprisonment
• Fines
• Confiscation of property
• Restrictions connected with criminal proceedings
• Immigration consequences for foreign nationals
• Deportation in appropriate cases

The most serious drug offenses can carry extremely long prison sentences, life imprisonment, and, in certain circumstances, the death penalty.

The 2025 Criminal Code amendments changed several drug penalties, so outdated articles may give travelers an inaccurate picture of the current law.

For this reason, the quantity and type of cannabis involved should never be the only factor considered. The alleged conduct also matters.

Possession, farming, transportation, production, and trading are separate legal issues.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cannabis Laws in Vietnam

Is marijuana legal in Vietnam?

No. Recreational marijuana remains illegal in Vietnam. The country does not operate a legal adult-use cannabis market.

Is medical cannabis legal in Vietnam?

Vietnam does not have a general medical marijuana program that allows patients to obtain cannabis products for ordinary medical use. Foreign prescriptions should not be assumed to authorize cannabis possession in Vietnam.

Is CBD legal in Vietnam?

There is no broad, unrestricted consumer CBD market. The legal status of a CBD product depends on its ingredients and applicable controlled-substance rules. Travelers should verify products before importing them.

Can I bring CBD oil to Vietnam?

Do not assume that CBD oil is legal to import. Check the exact ingredients and Vietnamese requirements before travel, particularly if the product may contain THC or another controlled substance.

Can I grow marijuana in Vietnam?

Unauthorized cannabis farming is illegal. Article 247 establishes criminal penalties for qualifying farming, including farming involving 500 or more plants and certain repeat offenses. Larger-scale farming can carry substantially higher penalties.

Can I buy cannabis in Vietnam?

There is no legal recreational cannabis retail market. Buying cannabis from an unauthorized seller can expose both the buyer and seller to legal consequences.

Can tourists smoke marijuana in Vietnam?

Tourists should not use marijuana in Vietnam. Foreign nationality does not create an exemption from Vietnamese drug laws.

Can I bring medical marijuana from the United States or another country?

Do not assume that a foreign medical cannabis prescription is recognized in Vietnam. Cannabis products can be controlled narcotic substances under Vietnamese law.

Does Vietnam have the death penalty for cannabis offenses?

The answer depends on the specific offense and quantity. Vietnam’s 2025 amendments removed the death penalty from some drug offenses, including transportation, but retained capital punishment for certain extremely serious drug production and trading offenses.

Did Vietnam legalize cannabis in 2026?

No. The new Law on Drug Prevention and Control took effect on July 1, 2026, but it did not establish a recreational cannabis market.

Final Takeaway: Cannabis Remains Illegal in Vietnam

Vietnam remains a highly restrictive jurisdiction for cannabis.

Recreational marijuana is illegal, and there is no general medical cannabis market. Growing, possession, transportation, production, and trading can all trigger serious legal consequences depending on the circumstances.

The legal framework also continues to develop. Vietnam amended its Criminal Code in 2025 and introduced a new Law on Drug Prevention and Control in 2026. The government also updated its controlled-substance lists through Decree 28/2026/NĐ-CP.

For travelers, the practical message is simple: do not bring marijuana, THC products, or questionable cannabis-derived products into Vietnam without confirming their legal status first.

For businesses, the same principle applies to farming, manufacturing, imports, exports, transportation, and supply-chain operations.

Cannabis laws can be fact-specific, and this article is intended for general informational purposes rather than legal advice. Anyone facing an actual cannabis or drug-law issue in Vietnam should consult qualified Vietnamese legal counsel and confirm the law currently in force.