Cannabis law and legislation in Slovenia

Medical use

Since 2016, when cannabis was re-categorised within the Decree on the classification of illicit drugs, it has been permitted to use it for medical purposes in accordance with the Medicinal Products Act and the Pharmacy Practice Act. Cannabinoids, including the tips of the plant, can be prescribed for medical use.

The Ministry of Health is preparing an upgrade of regulations that will set clear rules for the production of cannabis for medical purposes. This will enable the cultivation, processing and research of this plant in Slovenia. 

Recreational use

Production, import, use, possession and sale of cannabis for recreational use are prohibited by law. While cannabis remains illegal in Slovenia, the medical cannabis community has been growing. The Ministry of Health produced draft legislation that would allow a regulated medical cannabis programme. The initial draft allowed patients access to flowers, extracts and synthetic variations when prescribed by a doctor, but cultivation remained illegal.

Industrial use

The use of industrial cannabis (Cannabis sativa L) is permitted for food and industrial purposes if the THC content in the plant does not exceed 0.2%. A permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food is required for cultivation.

With the recent surge in popularity of use of CBD in cosmetics, it is important to note that the use of ingredients obtained from the flowers and tips of cannabis plants as well as resin is prohibited. Use of other parts of the plant (seeds, leaves, stem) is however permitted.

Patentability

Cannabis related products are potentially patentable. The usual requirements for patentability under the Industrial Property Act apply, meaning the inventions must be new, involve an inventive step and be susceptible to industrial application. However, until today, there are no special rules or limitations that apply to the cannabis industry.

Latest developments


In recent years, Slovenia has started to develop some Cannabis laws (including personal use decriminalisation and the legalisation of cannabinoid treatments) with a view to creating a profitable cultivation industry.

Lately, in Slovenia, the production, sale and use of CBD products has increased. However, it is not specifically regulated at national level. The official bodies (Inspectorates, Offices) consider that the verification of CBD content in products is not within their competence, except in the case of food (or food supplements), cosmetics or products for medical use. If an individual CBD product does not belong to any of these species, it is not expressly covered by any regulation. Given the unregulated area and the lack of precedents (for now), it is not possible to predict how the competent authorities would deal with a particular "controversial" CBD product and what their decision would be.