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Psychedelic legality across Europe
Germany In 2025 Germany launched the EU’s first psilocybin compassionate-use program, a milestone step toward medical access. Outside that program, possession for personal use hasn’t been formally decriminalized, but prosecutors have discretion to decline charges for small quantities.
Czech Republic Czech lawmakers passed criminal code reforms in 2025 allowing licensed mental health professionals to prescribe psilocybin, with the program set to launch in 2026. Possession of small amounts is already treated as a minor offense rather than a crime.
Netherlands Magic mushrooms are technically classified as a hard drug, but truffles, spores, and grow kits fall outside that ban and are openly sold. Small personal-use quantities of mushrooms themselves are also decriminalized.
United Kingdom Mescaline-containing cacti can be grown for decoration, but preparing or using them is illegal, and a past loophole for fresh mushrooms was closed in 2005. Some MPs have pushed for reform, but no legal access route exists today.
Portugal Decriminalized possession and personal use of all drugs, including psychedelics, in 2001 — the first country to do so. People caught with small quantities face a health-focused administrative process rather than criminal charges.
Spain Personal possession and use of small amounts of psychedelics is decriminalized nationally, though sale and distribution remain illegal. Enforcement approaches vary somewhat by region.
Italy Italy imposes only administrative penalties (like license suspensions) for personal possession rather than criminal ones. A 2022 ballot measure to further liberalize psychoactive plant cultivation was blocked by the courts.
Slovenia Buying and possessing small amounts of psychedelics for personal use is decriminalized, carrying a modest fine rather than criminal prosecution. Manufacturing or selling illicit drugs can still lead to prison time.
Croatia Since 2013, possession of small quantities of illicit drugs, including psychedelics, has been decriminalized. Production and trafficking remain criminal offenses with prison sentences attached.
Estonia Possession of small quantities for personal use is treated as an administrative matter, punishable by a fine and short detention rather than a criminal record.
Latvia Personal-use possession is an administrative rather than criminal offense, typically resulting in a fine; larger quantities can still trigger prison sentences.
North Macedonia Personal drug use carries a fine rather than criminal punishment, though the exact quantity thresholds are left to court discretion. Distribution remains a serious criminal offense.
Ukraine Private drug use is not treated as a criminal act, and possession of small amounts results in administrative rather than criminal penalties. Ketamine also has recognized medical use. Public use remains punishable.
Austria A 2016 reform decriminalized personal drug use and possession, favoring treatment programs over jail time. Selling or distributing controlled substances is still illegal.
Lithuania Since 2017, possession of small amounts without intent to sell has carried community service or house arrest instead of prison. Larger quantities still trigger serious criminal penalties.
France France remains comparatively strict, but a 2020 reform introduced a lighter fine option in place of the previous harsher penalties for personal possession.
Denmark General possession remains illegal, but Danish authorities officially recognize psilocybin’s therapeutic potential and allow prescription-based medical dispensing under existing pharmaceutical rules.
Switzerland Members of ayahuasca-based religious groups can legally use it, and no permit is required to sell it. Small, “negligible” personal quantities of substances like LSD or psilocybin are also decriminalized.
Norway A 2021 government proposal would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of psychedelics, but the reform has since stalled in parliament.
Finland Finland takes a firm prohibitionist stance overall, but the legal status of the plants used to brew ayahuasca is genuinely unclear, with at least one court ruling that a related plant wasn’t a controlled substance.
Iceland Dried psilocybin mushrooms are explicitly illegal, but no law clearly addresses freshly picked ones, leaving a genuine grey area in enforcement.
Sweden Mescaline-containing cacti can legally be grown, but extracting or using mescaline is illegal, as are other psychedelics like LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin.
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