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Cannabis attorney, will I be punished even if I bought it without knowing it was cannabis?

Hello, cannabis attorney. Recently, while traveling abroad, I bought a candy that is said to be famous in that country. However, I later found out that the candy contained a cannabis ingredient. I truly had no idea and simply bought it as a souvenir. Can I be punished even though I bought it without knowing this? I truly had no intention whatsoever.

cannabis attorney

violation of the Narcotics Control Act

Answer

Published: 2025-04-17

Author : DongIl PARK

Hello. This is the cannabis attorney of Daeryun LLC.

To answer directly, you may be subject to punishment even if you bought an item containing cannabis without knowing it.

According to the Republic of Korea's Narcotics Control Act, bringing into the country, purchasing, or ingesting a product containing cannabis that has not been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety may constitute an unlawful act.

In addition, no one may possess or use narcotics (including cannabis), and providing a place, funds, means of transport, and the like related thereto is also prohibited by law.

If this law is violated, a person may be subject to imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than 50 million won.

* However, administration and possession for official duties, academic research, or medical purposes are excluded.

As such, in the case of a product purchased abroad, caution is required even before entering the country.

Because an accurate grasp of the facts and a prompt response can greatly affect the future level of punishment, I suggest that you seek the assistance of a cannabis attorney.

Please confirm the details through a consultation with a cannabis attorney.