Reykjavik, Ireland
Last updated on February 13th, 2026 at 11:26 am
Cannabis Travel Guide
Tolerance for smokers
Table of Contents
Marijuana laws and legislation for Reykjavik
Since February 2025, recreational cannabis remains illegal in Iceland. Possession, sale, and cultivation are prohibited under Icelandic narcotics law. While possession of small amounts for personal use is decriminalized, offenders typically face a fine of approximately US$500. Despite these restrictions, cannabis use continues. Reports indicate that approximately 18,3% of the Icelandic population uses cannabis regularly.
In the medical field, Iceland has a limited program that permits the use of cannabis-based medications. Currently, Sativex is the only approved cannabis-based medication and is primarily prescribed for conditions such as multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy. Access to Sativex is strictly regulated and can only be prescribed by licensed neurologists.
In May 2023, policymakers proposed a four-year pilot project to expand the use of medical cannabis, including the cultivation, production, and distribution of cannabis products. If approved, this initiative is expected to launch in January 2024. The goal is to broaden patient access and gather data on the therapeutic benefits of cannabis.
Iceland permits the sale and use of cannabidiol (CBD) products under certain conditions. CBD products must be completely free of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to be legal. Individuals may bring or import CBD into Iceland for personal use, provided it is manufactured as a medicinal product. Travelers are advised to carry the required certificates or laboratory reports regarding the THC content of their CBD products to ensure compliance with Icelandic regulations.
Criminal prosecution
The focus is currently (2009) mainly on marijuana growers/cannabis smugglers and less on consumers.
People may not be searched by the police against their will unless they are under arrest. Suspects may be arrested. Anyone who refuses a police search is acting suspiciously.
The fine for the police seizure of one gram of cannabis is approximately 550 USD or 35.000 ISK.
To get a prison sentence, you have to possess at least 0,5–1 kg, for which you get three months in prison. (By the way, we have nice prisons; most don't have fences because we know that even if you escape, you can't get off Island D ;P). The last prison break was in 1983. He went through the gate (which didn't exist) and was caught two to three hours later. His sentence was extended by three to six months, so nobody does that sort of thing.
Where can you buy marijuana?
Marijuana isn't very public. You don't see guys lighting up joints on the street corner. But if you start a conversation with someone from the younger generation (20-25) in a bar and later ask them about their views on marijuana, or whether there are many smokers or a big drug problem in Iceland, the person will be more willing to continue the conversation since you started it, and you'll have hit the nail on the head.
If the person ends the conversation, end it and move on to the next person. Our latest information indicates that all transactions are conducted via mobile phones. Try contacting an Icelandic cannabis user via Facebook before visiting!
Comments
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Cannabis prices
Hashish costs an average person 1500-2000 ISK per gram (approximately 23-31 USD). It's about as potent as dried pond sludge. For high-quality hashish, prices rise to around 2500-3000 ISK, and good stuff is rare… Marijuana prices have remained fairly stable over the last 7 years, consistently hovering around 3000 ISK (at today's exchange rate, 47 USD per gram!!!).
Marijuana brands
Icelanders have their own system for naming hashish and marijuana, regardless of the brand. These are the most commonly used slang terms.
Lower quality hashish… Marri
Medium-quality hashish… Polli (or French paper)
High-quality hashish… Ríger (derived from the Danish word for smoke) or Svartur Afghi (black Afghani)
It's strange that 80% of cannabis is labeled "White Widow," but in reality, only about 5% of growers actually know the brand they're cultivating. They're just happy it's growing.
Our local reporter says: “Hash, any strain 3000 kr/$26, marijuana, any strain 3500 kr/$30.”
Further information
Further information: The reason for our strange national dishes is that before World War II, we were a very poor country and had to eat everything. Nothing was ever wasted, not even sheep faces and their testicles. Most of us still lived in mud huts. After the war, we moved into the bunkers (brags) left behind by the Americans and worked our way up to becoming one of the richest (per capita) countries in the world with the greatest journalistic freedom (along with Finland). Today, we eat these strange dishes to remember our heritage. Incidentally, our food was served with a fear factor, and nobody could eat it (we laugh ourselves silly).
Five major raids on cannabis gardens (over 500 plants) in one month (March 2009). A local criminologist says on the news that the recession is tempting more people to grow cannabis because it is more difficult to obtain foreign currency to buy hashish from abroad.
Reykjavik, Iceland. City history:
Amsterdam is for smokers, Reykjavik for drinkers. That doesn't mean there's no marijuana or hashish in Iceland's capital; it's simply less common due to the country's isolated location, the government's strict drug policy, and Icelanders' love of alcohol. "As far as I knew, no one smoked marijuana at my school. None," said Mark, an American exchange student in Iceland. "They wasted all their energy on alcohol, which they didn't really consider a drug. Everyone drank, and they took it to extremes."
The Republic of Iceland is an island in the Atlantic Ocean near the Arctic Circle. Its rocky landscape is dotted with hot springs and geysers, fed by the geothermal heat of the region's active volcanoes. Reykjavik is the heart of the country and home to 164.000 of its 277.000 inhabitants. Icelandic cuisine features bizarre dishes that might even put off stoners with serious cravings. Traditional dishes include whale blubber, ram's testicles, rotten shark meat, and sheep's heads with their eyes intact. However, for those looking to party, Iceland is the place to be, and summer is the best time to do so.
On the third Thursday of April, the first day of summer, the country transforms into a carnival. Icelanders celebrate their Independence Day on June 17th with parades and dancing in the streets. Midsummer is on June 24th, and according to Icelandic tradition, rolling in the dew on this night is said to cure illnesses. (For obvious reasons, Midsummer rolling would be a great event to watch after smoking a joint.) In August, Pjódhátío Vestmannaeyjar and Verslunarmannahelgi take place, both celebrated with outdoor events and plenty of alcohol.
Vodka is the favorite drink of Icelanders, and at several country dances he attended, Mark noticed that "everyone had their own bottle, sometimes even two." "There's no light buzz here, just drinking until you drop," he said. A native Icelander who calls himself "The Stone" agreed. "Alcohol and cigarette smoking, that's Icelanders' favorite pastime, as far as I'm concerned," he said.
Even the country's most famous cultural export, pop singer Björk, is well aware of Iceland's love of drinking. "Bottled vodka. That's the culture I come from," she said. "We don't sip, we drink like hell. You go all the way, otherwise you're a wimp."
Icelanders have their own potato-based schnapps called Brennivín. The Stone said that an illegally brewed schnapps called "Landi" is also popular. The name means something like "patriot" or "countryman." "It's ironic that you're considered a good person if you're carrying it around," he said.
Mark observed that intoxication seemed to underscore the country's multiculturalism. "Every Icelander can speak English, but most only do so when they're drunk," he said. "I remember one night convincing a drunk boy of about 12 that the sidewalk was a bad place to sleep because he was so drunk and it was below freezing. He only listened to me because I was American and he could practice his English on me."
Prices for goods in Iceland are among the highest in Europe. A pub beer can cost between 350 and 600 Icelandic krona (US$4 and US$8, respectively). This is also reflected in drug prices. Hashish in Reykjavik, usually Purple Haze and various Moroccan strains, reportedly sells for around 1.500 IKR (US$20) per gram. According to sources, the quality is decent, but not exceptional.
Perhaps the best way to get soft drugs in Reykjavik is to make friends in a bar or club and hope to be invited to someone's home for a private session. Instead of being sold at a large street market, cannabis is often grown at home.
Eirik, a regular visitor to Reykjavik, said the locals are "very friendly to foreigners" and often invite new friends over for late-night house parties. The city offers numerous places to make these special acquaintances. "There are many clubs in the city center," said Villhelm, a Reykjavik resident. "On weekends, the city is teeming with people around midnight, and it continues until 8 a.m." He recommended that visitors check out Astro at Austurstraeti 22. Bjorgvin, another Reykjavik resident, named The Dubliner at Hafnarstræti 4, Gaukur á Stöng at Tryggvagata 22, Vínbarinn on Kirkjustraeti Street behind the Parliament building, and Thomsen nightclub at Hafnarstræti 17, a "hot spot for young people," as some of the city's best nightclubs.
Visitors looking for a date should be careful, however. Many locals don't tolerate drugs well, especially those in police uniforms. "Icelandic police have intensified their domestic drug control efforts," according to a U.S. State Department report. The report states that the Icelandic government set a goal of making the country drug-free by 2002. Drug possession is a crime, and although marijuana is still present on the island, authorities continue to crack down on home growers, seizing well over 100 plants each year.