CannabisLaws.
"Comprehensive legal status guide for 190+ countries — recreational, medical & regulatory."
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Lawyer profiles sourced from INCBA (International Network of Cannabis Bar Associations)
201 countries found
Afghanistan
Production banned by King Zahir Shah in 1973.
Albania
Plants highly available. Law often unenforced. Medical cannabis legalized July 2023.
Algeria
Fully prohibited.
Andorra
Fully prohibited.
Angola
Fully prohibited.
Antigua and Barbuda
Legal to grow and use by Rastafari.
Argentina
Medicinal cannabis legalized September 2017.
Armenia
Fully prohibited.
Australia
Decriminalized in Northern Territory and South Australia. Legal in Australian Capital Territory for personal use (2 plants, 50g). Medical legal nationwide.
Austria
Possession for personal use decriminalized January 2016.
Azerbaijan
Fully prohibited.
Bahamas
Fully prohibited.
Bahrain
Fully prohibited.
Bangladesh
Sale banned 1989, but laws rarely enforced. Cannabis openly sold in many areas.
Barbados
Legal for spiritual use by registered Rastafarians.
Belarus
Fully prohibited.
Belgium
Up to 3g or cultivation of one plant decriminalized for adults since 2003.
Belize
Possession of up to 10g decriminalized. Use common and largely tolerated.
Benin
Fully prohibited.
Bermuda
Supreme Court ruled in favor of medical use November 2016.
Bhutan
Illegal, but plants grow prolifically. Used for feeding pigs and producing textiles.
Bolivia
Fully prohibited.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
2016 task force formed to explore medical legalization.
Botswana
Cannabis (dagga) is illegal.
Brazil
Up to 40g or 6 plants for personal use decriminalized. Treatment instead of jail for small amounts since 2006.
Brunei
Fully prohibited.
Bulgaria
Class A drug (high-risk). Classified with heroin and cocaine.
Burkina Faso
Fully prohibited.
Burundi
Fully prohibited.
Cambodia
Prohibition lax and enforced opportunistically. "Happy" restaurants publicly offer cannabis food.
Cameroon
Fully prohibited.
Canada
Legal for medical since 2001, recreational since October 17, 2018. Age 18-21 depending on province.
Cape Verde
Fully prohibited.
Central African Republic
Fully prohibited.
Chad
Fully prohibited.
Chile
Private personal use and recreational cultivation decriminalized. Medical cultivation legal with authorization.
China
Penalty: 10-15 days detention without prosecution and fine.
Colombia
Up to 22g or cultivation of 20 plants for personal use. Cannot be prosecuted if for personal use.
Comoros
Was legal 1975-1978 under president Ali Soilih.
Congo (DRC)
Fully prohibited.
Congo (Republic)
Fully prohibited.
Cook Islands
2022 referendum: 62% voted to review laws for medical use.
Costa Rica
Police do not detain for personal use. No minimum amount defined. Widespread use.
Croatia
Small amounts considered misdemeanor with fixed fines. Medical legal for cancer, MS, HIV/AIDS.
Cuba
Fully prohibited.
Cyprus
Class B substance. Life imprisonment possible for use, max 8 years for possession.
Czech Republic
Recreational fully legal from January 1, 2026 (21+). Adults may cultivate up to 3 plants, possess 100g private / 25g public, process home harvest for personal use. Psilocybin also legal therapeutically. Commercial sales prohibited year one — imported cannabis only initially. Passed by Senate May 30, 2025.
Denmark
4-year pilot program launched 2018, extended another 4 years. Cannabis offenses punishable by fine or up to 2 years.
Djibouti
Fully prohibited.
Dominica
Up to 28g (1 oz) decriminalized.
Dominican Republic
Fully prohibited.
Ecuador
Up to 10g was decriminalized in 2013, but repealed by President Noboa in 2023.
Egypt
Illegal since 1925 but widespread use. Convictions for personal use rare. High status in ancient times.
El Salvador
Fully prohibited.
Equatorial Guinea
Fully prohibited.
Eritrea
Fully prohibited.
Estonia
Up to 7.5g punished with fine. Medical technically legal but practically never given.
Eswatini
Fully prohibited.
Ethiopia
Despite being Rastafari spiritual homeland, possession can result in up to 6 months imprisonment.
Fiji
Fully prohibited.
Finland
Personal use generally not prosecuted. 223 medical licenses issued in 2014.
France
€200 fine for possession since Nov 2018. Two-year trial involving 3,000 patients underway.
Gabon
Fully prohibited.
Gambia
Fully prohibited.
Georgia
Legal for possession and consumption per July 2018 Constitutional Court ruling. No sales system.
Germany
Legalized April 1, 2024. 25g outside home, 50g at home, 3 plants allowed for 18+. Cannabis clubs legal since July 1, 2024.
Ghana
Cannabis Regulatory Programme officially launched Feb 2026 — first West African nation to regulate low-THC (≤0.3%) cultivation for medical, industrial, and research use. Licenses issued by NACOC under Act 1100 (2023) & L.I. 2475. Limited to Ghanaian citizens/majority-Ghanaian companies. Recreational use remains illegal (up to 10-year penalty).
Greece
Medical cannabis legal.
Greenland
Fully prohibited.
Grenada
Fully prohibited.
Guatemala
2016 constitutional commission rejected legalization proposals.
Guinea
Fully prohibited.
Guinea-Bissau
Fully prohibited.
Guyana
2021 amendment to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act removed custodial sentences for possession of 30g or less. Up to 15g: mandatory counseling. 15–30g: community service. Over 30g still faces trafficking charges. Cultivation and trade remain fully prohibited.
Haiti
Fully prohibited.
Honduras
Possession, sale, transportation, and cultivation all illegal.
Hong Kong
Illegal under Dangerous Drug Ordinance (Chapter 134).
Hungary
No distinction between drugs by danger. Heroin and cannabis have same legal consequences.
Iceland
Banned 1969. Small amounts subject to arrest and fine, no jail time.
India
Exception for bhang. Usage prevalent, some government shops sell bhang. States have own laws for ganja.
Indonesia
Banned 1927. Min 4 years prison if dealing/distributing. Rehabilitation or max 4 years for possession.
Iran
Maximum capital punishment for >5kg hashish but unenforced.
Iraq
Fully prohibited.
Ireland
Medical cannabis pilot program enacted June 2019.
Israel
Small amounts punished by escalating fines (April 2019). Home possession not punished.
Italy
Small amounts decriminalized. Home cultivation legal for personal use. Licensed medical/industrial cultivation regulated.
Ivory Coast
Fully prohibited.
Jamaica
Up to 56.5g or 5 plants decriminalized. Legal for Rastafari. Decriminalized 2015, first dispensary opened 2018.
Japan
Restricted 1948. Use/possession: up to 5 years imprisonment and fine. Cultivation/sale: 7-10 years.
Jordan
Fully prohibited.
Kazakhstan
Fully prohibited.
Kenya
Fully prohibited.
Kiribati
Fully prohibited.
Kosovo
Fully prohibited.
Kuwait
Fully prohibited.
Kyrgyzstan
Fully prohibited.
Laos
Law often unenforced.
Latvia
Up to 1g: €280 fine. Second offense within year: criminal charges. Large amounts: up to 15 years prison.
Lebanon
Hashish banned 1926, cultivation banned 1992. Large illicit cultivation exists. Medical cultivation legalized April 2020.
Lesotho
Licensed cultivation allowed for export. Widely grown illicitly.
Liberia
Fully prohibited.
Libya
Fully prohibited.
Liechtenstein
Fully prohibited.
Lithuania
Synthetic cannabinoids legal for seriously ill patients (law passed Oct 2018).
Luxembourg
Up to 4 plants at home legal. 3g outside home decriminalized (fine). Sale prohibited. Legal since July 21, 2023.
Macau
Fully prohibited.
Madagascar
Fully prohibited.
Malawi
Illegal but widely used and cultivated. Malawian cannabis famed for quality.
Malaysia
Mandatory death penalty for trafficking (possessing >200g).
Maldives
Fully prohibited.
Mali
Fully prohibited.
Malta
Up to 7g and 4 plants legal (Dec 2021). Cannabis clubs allowed. Past possession expunged from records.
Marshall Islands
Fully prohibited.
Mauritania
Fully prohibited.
Mauritius
Fully prohibited.
Mexico
5g decriminalized 2009. Supreme Court invalidated possession/cultivation laws 2021. Personal use legal, no sales system.
Micronesia
Fully prohibited.
Moldova
Personal amounts decriminalized.
Monaco
Fully prohibited.
Mongolia
Fully prohibited.
Montenegro
Fully prohibited.
Morocco
Among world's top hashish producers. Laws often unenforced.
Mozambique
Fully prohibited.
Myanmar
Law often unenforced.
Namibia
Cannabis illegal. 2007: government proposed but declined 20-year sentence.
Nauru
Fully prohibited.
Nepal
All licenses canceled 1973. Allowed during Maha Shivaratri festival.
Netherlands
Closed Coffee Shop Chain Experiment fully active since April 7, 2025 — 10 pilot municipalities, 70+ coffee shops now selling only regulated, government-licensed cannabis with full track-and-trace. Ends reliance on "gray market" supply. Personal possession up to 5g decriminalized nationwide. First-year results (to April 2026): no crime increase, improved public order.
New Zealand
Banned 1927. Medical legalized 2018. 2020 recreational referendum failed 50.7% to 48.4%.
Nicaragua
Fully prohibited.
Niger
Fully prohibited.
Nigeria
Fully prohibited.
North Korea
Listed in narcotics law but reports from defectors claim mostly unenforced. Conflicting reports on status.
North Macedonia
Large amounts: 3 months to 5 years jail. Medical legalized 2016.
Norway
Illegal since 1965. Up to 15g: heavy fines and possible license loss. 2021 decriminalization bill failed.
Oman
Fully prohibited.
Pakistan
Hashish tolerated in Peshawar and northern regions. Up to 6 months jail in other areas. CBD legalized Sept 2020.
Palau
Fully prohibited.
Panama
Medical cannabis legal.
Papua New Guinea
Fully prohibited.
Paraguay
Up to 10g not punishable.
Peru
Up to 8g not punished. Cultivation/sale: 8-15 years prison.
Philippines
Medical possible with special permit from Food and Drugs Authority for serious/terminal illness.
Poland
Small amounts may not be enforced. Legal below 0.3% THC. Small quantities for personal use not prosecuted if first offense.
Portugal
First country to decriminalize all drugs (2001). Up to 25g herb or 5g hashish.
Qatar
Fully prohibited.
Romania
Small quantities: fine or 6mo-2yrs if convicted before. Large amounts: 2-7 years. Medical <0.2% THC approved 2013.
Russia
Up to 6g cannabis (2g hashish): administrative offense, ₽5,000 fine or 15 days detention. Larger amounts criminal. Foreigners deported.
Rwanda
Medical cannabis legal.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Up to 56g (2 oz) decriminalized.
Saint Lucia
Up to 30g decriminalized.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Up to 56g decriminalized. Medical legal.
Samoa
Fully prohibited.
San Marino
Medical cannabis legal.
Saudi Arabia
6+ months imprisonment for personal use. Dealing/smuggling: harsher sentences or execution (rare). Foreigners may be deported.
Senegal
Fully prohibited.
Serbia
Small amounts: fine or up to 3 years. Sale: 3-12 years. Cultivation: 6mo-5 years. Higher for organized crime.
Seychelles
Fully prohibited.
Sierra Leone
Banned 1920.
Singapore
Banned 1870. Class A drug. 500g+ = automatic death penalty. Rare exceptions for CBD epilepsy treatment.
Slovakia
Small amounts: up to 8 years prison.
Slovenia
Medical cannabis legalized 2025. Personal drug use decriminalized.
Solomon Islands
Fully prohibited.
Somalia
Fully prohibited.
South Africa
Cannabis for Private Purposes Act 7 of 2024 (signed May 29, 2024) codifies private adult (18+) use, possession, and cultivation. Limits: 600g per single-adult household, 1.2kg for 2+ adults. Public use, dealing, or use near children remains illegal (up to 10 years for dealing). Draft regulations finalizing exact plant limits as of late 2025.
South Korea
Medical use legalized Nov 2018 but plant unavailable due to Food and Drug Safety policy.
South Sudan
Fully prohibited.
Spain
Private use/possession allowed. Public possession: fine. Cannabis Social Clubs legal. Cultivation legal if plants not visible from street.
Sri Lanka
Legalized for traditional Ayurvedic medicine vendors by 1980s amendment.
Sudan
Fully prohibited.
Suriname
Banned early 20th century.
Sweden
All activity illegal. "Disturb and annoy" police program. National zero tolerance policy.
Switzerland
Seven federal pilot programs active 2023–2028 for regulated adult-use cannabis, including Züri Can (Zurich, extended to 2028), Cannabis Research Zurich (7,500 participants), Grashaus (Basel-Landschaft), and Weed Care (Basel). Early data: no crime increase, reduced consumption, black market deterrence. National adult-use legalization bill advanced Feb 2025 — on track for Europe's first commercial adult market by 2026–2027. Low-THC (<1%) legal nationwide.
Syria
Widely unenforced since civil war. Addicts face no criminal penalties.
São Tomé and Príncipe
Fully prohibited.
Taiwan
Schedule 2 narcotic. Possession: up to 3 years imprisonment.
Tajikistan
Fully prohibited.
Tanzania
Fully prohibited.
Thailand
2022 decriminalization rolled back in practice: June/July 2025 enforcement tightened, public smoking/vaping punishable as public nuisance (up to 25,000 Baht fine). Cannabis remains a controlled herb — not a full narcotic — but recreational market largely shut down. Hemp and Marijuana Control Bill (proposed late 2024) regulates production, sale, export under medical/business framework. Must be 20+.
Timor-Leste
Fully prohibited.
Togo
Fully prohibited.
Tonga
Fully prohibited.
Trinidad and Tobago
Banned 1925. Up to 30g or 4 plants per adult decriminalized 2019.
Tunisia
Banned 1953. Using/possessing: 1-5 years imprisonment and 1000-3000 dinars ($500-1500).
Turkey
Medical <0.3% THC legalized 2025. Recreational: 1 year probation (2 years if repeated). Sale: 5-10 years. Production: 10+ years.
Turkmenistan
Fully prohibited.
Tuvalu
Fully prohibited.
Uganda
Fully prohibited.
Ukraine
Medical cannabis law signed by President Zelensky Feb 13, 2024; effective August 16, 2024. 20 qualifying conditions (cancer, chronic pain, epilepsy, PTSD — prioritized for war veterans). E-prescription required. Licensed cultivation with 24h video surveillance + GMP certification. First import permits issued June 2025. Production quotas approved 2026. Framework supports up to 6M patients.
United Arab Emirates
Smallest amounts could lead to mandatory 4-year sentence (2008 law).
United Kingdom
Banned 1928. Class B drug. Cannabis warning or fine may be issued. Medical legal since Nov 2018 (specialist prescription only).
United States
Historic shift: Effective April 23, 2026, DOJ order rescheduled FDA-approved and state-licensed medical cannabis products to Schedule III — restoring clinical research access and removing IRC §280E tax penalties for medical operators. Recreational cannabis remains Schedule I federally pending the June 2026 DEA hearing. Legal recreationally in 24 states, 3 territories, and DC. Medical legal in 40 states. Must be 21+ for adult use.
Uruguay
Legal since late 2013 (first country). Must be 18+, residents only. Up to 6 plants. Cannabis Social Clubs allowed up to 45 members.
Uzbekistan
Opiates, cannabis and psychotropic plants illegal.
Vanuatu
Medical cannabis legal.
Vatican City
Fully prohibited.
Venezuela
Up to 20g marijuana or 5g genetically modified: 1-2 years prison. Personal consumption: rehabilitation/detoxification.
Vietnam
Fully prohibited.
Yemen
Fully prohibited.
Zambia
Medical cannabis legal.
Zimbabwe
Medical cannabis legal.