Is cannabis legal in Indonesia?

Is cannabis legal in Indonesia? No, and the country is among the strictest in the world. There is no legal cannabis in Indonesia: no recreational, no medical, and trafficking can still result in the death penalty. At Tealer420, we know many imagine Bali as a relaxed break between surfing and rice paddies. Regarding cannabis in Indonesia, it's the exact opposite: a hard line, for locals and tourists alike. Here is what is in effect as of October 12, 2026.

Cannabis in Indonesia: what the 2009 law provides

Everything stems from Law No. 35 of 2009 on narcotics. It classifies cannabis as Class I, along with opium and cocaine, a category prohibited even for medical purposes:

• Article 127, use: up to 4 years in prison.
• Article 111, possession or cultivation: up to 12 years and an 8 billion rupiah fine.
• Article 114, trafficking: up to 20 years and a 10 billion rupiah fine for large-scale operations.

The most serious charges open the door to life imprisonment or the death penalty. And small quantities provide no protection: in 2015, in Bali, a man received 1 year in prison for 0.1 g, a partially smoked joint. At the other extreme, trafficking 1.3 tons resulted in a death sentence.

Bali: foreigners before the judges

Being a tourist changes nothing. In June 2025, the Bali BNN and Ngurah Rai airport customs announced the arrest of several foreigners. From an Australian, officers seized 191 g of hashish, 488 g of herb, and THC candies ordered via Telegram, on charges punishable by the death penalty, life imprisonment, or 4 to 12 years in prison.

More recently: a Dutch national arrested on October 1, 2025, in Denpasar for a hydroponic grow in his rental unit was sentenced on June 23, 2026, to 3 years in prison and a 510 million rupiah fine. The prosecution had requested 9 years, and the court dismissed his medical justification.

Does the new 2026 Penal Code change the game?

On January 2, 2026, Indonesia turned the page on the code inherited from Dutch colonization with the entry into force of the KUHP (Law No. 1 of 2023). Regarding narcotics:

• The death penalty remains in place, with a 10-year probationary period, after which it may be commuted to life imprisonment or 20 years in prison for good conduct.
• Narcotics are listed in Articles 609 to 611, amended from the first day by a sentencing adjustment law (Law No. 1 of 2026).
• Mandatory minimum sentences were reportedly removed for users according to the government, but the exact scope remains debated.

The 2009 law still applies: the Dutch national in Denpasar was tried under its Article 111. As for the major revision of the narcotics law, meant to better distinguish between users and traffickers, it is still under discussion in Parliament.

Rehabilitation: more on paper than in practice

The 2009 law provides a path to rehabilitation for users and dependent persons (Articles 54, 103, and 127). In practice, prison is handed down more often than treatment.

Medical cannabis and CBD: the door is closed

On July 20, 2022, the Constitutional Court rejected in its entirety the petition from mothers of seriously ill children seeking access to medical cannabis, citing a lack of sufficient research. It merely invited the government to launch scientific studies.

Regarding CBD, there is no special regime: according to available analyses, cannabis-derived products are treated as narcotics. On July 2, 2026, the BNN announced the seizure of 3.37 tons of cannabinoid flowers from Thailand, intended for e-cigarette liquids. The same zero-tolerance logic applies as in China.

Death row and prisoner transfers

The last executions took place in July 2016, but about 530 people were on death row as of June 2025, including 96 foreigners, mostly for drug cases. Two recent files:

• December 2024: the last 5 Australians of the "Bali Nine" (8.3 kg of heroin in 2005) were repatriated after more than 19 years of detention.
• February 2025: the Frenchman Serge Atlaoui, sentenced to death for a drug case, was repatriated for humanitarian reasons. His sentence was commuted to 30 years in France.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds travelers: even in minute quantities, use and possession expose you to heavy penalties, and the death penalty is provided for drug trafficking. To situate the archipelago in the region, check out our dossier on cannabis in Asia.

Key Takeaways

Indonesia classifies cannabis among the most dangerous narcotics, refuses all medical use, and keeps the death penalty for trafficking.

For your trip: nothing in your luggage, nothing locally, not even CBD. Save your energy for the waves in Uluwatu.

Informative article, updated October 12, 2026. Sources: Indonesian Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP, Law No. 1 of 2023), Law No. 1 of 2026 on sentencing adjustment, Constitutional Court of Indonesia, National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Denpasar District Court, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It does not constitute legal advice, and legislation evolves. Reserved for 18+. Compliant with current European legislation (< 0.3% THC). Consumption of illicit cannabis remains prohibited in France.