Where does this countries where weed is illegal data come from?

Name: Countries Where Weed Is Illegal
Creator: Rankodex

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Legality of cannabis - Wiki; Where in the World is Cannabis Legal? - THCaffiliates; Top 20 Countries Where Weed is Legal in 2023 - Yahoo Finance; Mexico’s Stalled Pot Market Isn't Deterring Canadian CBD Maker - Bloomberg.

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Countries Where Weed Is Illegal

Countries Where Weed Is Illegal: compare 196 countries on 3 metrics.

Law196 countries · 3 metricsUpdated Dec 10, 2024Original page

14 sources

Recreational Marijuana Legality

7 values across 196 entries

Medical Marijuana Legality

7 values across 196 entries

Data

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196 countries


Afghanistan	Illegal	Illegal	King Zahir Shah prohibited production in 1973.
Albania	Illegal	Legal	Prohibited, but rarely enforced. Plants are readily available. On 21 July 2023 the Albanian Parliament voted 69–23 to legalize medical cannabis.
Algeria	Illegal	Illegal	—
Andorra	Illegal	Illegal	—
Angola	Illegal	Illegal	—
Antigua and Barbuda	Decriminalized	Illegal	—
Argentina	Decriminalized	Legal	Supreme court decriminalized small amounts and private consumption in 2009. Legal for medical needs since 21 September 2017.
Armenia	Illegal	Illegal	—
Australia	Selective	Selective	Decriminalized for personal recreational use in the Northern Territory and South Australia. Legal to use in Australian Capital Territory, but not to sell. Medical legality varies by territory.
Austria	Decriminalized	Selective	Recreationally, decriminalized since Jan. 2016. Medically legal in certain forms (Dronabinol, Nabilone, Sativex).
Azerbaijan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Bahamas	Illegal	Illegal	—
Bahrain	Illegal	Illegal	—
Bangladesh	Illegal (but tolerated)	Illegal	Banned in 1989, but ban is rarely enforced. Freely available in many areas.
Barbados	Selective	Legal	Legal for Rastafarians' spiritual use.
Belarus	Illegal	Illegal	—
Belgium	Decriminalized	Selective	Recreationally, up to 3g decriminalized since 2003. Medically legal in certain forms (Sativex).
Belize	Illegal (but tolerated)	Illegal	Prohibited, but widely tolerated. Laws decriminalizing possession of up to 10g pending.
Benin	Illegal	Illegal	—
Bermuda	Decriminalized	Legal	Recreationally, up to 7g decriminalized since 2017. Medical use allowed since Nov. 2016, but supplies are restricted.
Bhutan	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis plants grow naturally and have traditionally been fed to pigs or woven into textiles.
Bolivia	Illegal	Illegal	—
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Illegal	Illegal	The Ministry of Civil Affairs formed a task force in 2016 to consider legalizing cannabis for medical use.
Botswana	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis is alternately called motokwane or dagga in Botswana.
Brazil	Illegal	Selective	Possession of a small amount is treated with a warning, community service, and education on the effects of drug use. Possession of large amounts is considered drug trafficking, as are sale, transportation, and cultivation. Medically legal in certain forms (Sativex), especially…
Brunei	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis is strictly outlawed, with punishments ranging from prison terms and cane whippings to the death sentence (typically reserved for traffickers).
Bulgaria	Illegal	Illegal	A previously existing "personal dose" allowance was eliminated in 2004
Burkina Faso	Illegal	Illegal	—
Burundi	Illegal	Illegal	A 1977 report noted that the ban was rarely enforced.
Cambodia	Illegal (but tolerated)	Illegal	Prohibition is inconsistently enforced. "Happy" restaurants freely offer marijuana cooked into food or used as a garnish.
Cameroon	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis has several uses in traditional Cameroonian medicine, including easing labor pains and enhancing intercourse.
Canada	Legal	Legal	Medicinally legal since 2001 and recreationally since October 17, 2018. Guidelines for production, purchase, and consumption vary by province.
Cape Verde	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis is sometimes mixed with cocaine to create the blended drug cochamba.
Central African Republic	Illegal	Illegal	—
Chad	Illegal	Illegal	—
Chile	Decriminalized	Legal	Cannabis use is quite common even in public. Possession and cultivation for private recreational use is decriminalized. Medical use is legal, and multiple presidential nominees in 2021 admitted using cannabis and proposed its legalization.
China	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal for personal and medical use, legal for industrial and manufacturing uses (fabric, rope).
Colombia	Decriminalized	Legal	Cultivation, consumption, and possession of up to 22g for personal use is decriminalized. Carrying more than 22G or cultivating up to 20 plants for personal use is allowed, but sales are not.
Comoros	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis was legal from January 1975 to May 1978, thanks to then-president Ali Soilih.
Costa Rica	Decriminalized	Legal	Medically legal as of March 2022. Decriminalized for personal use, as the crime has no criminal penalty. Dealers may still be arrested. Personal use is quite common.
Croatia	Illegal	Legal	Personal cannabis use or the possession of small quantities of the drug usually results in a fine. Medicinal cannabis was legalized 15 Oct. 2015 for patients with illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, or AIDS.
Cuba	Illegal	Illegal	—
Cyprus	Illegal	Legal	Legalized for medical use in Jan 2017, expanded in Feb. 2019. Recreational use carries penalties of up to 8 years for possession (2 years for first-offense 25-year-olds) and life in prison for consumption.
Czechia	Decriminalized	Legal	Recreational possession of up to 10g or cultivation of up to 5 plants is usually tolerated, but can incur a small fine. Use is common. Medicinal use legal and regulated since 2013.
Denmark	Illegal	Legal	Possession is punishable by a fine (small amounts) and/or imprisonment (large amounts). 4-year pilot program for legal medical use began in January 2018. Freetown Christiania, a self-declared autonomous community in Copenhagen, is known for its cannabis trade.
Djibouti	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis use in Djibouti is low, due largely to poor growing conditions and a preference for the legal drug khat.
Dominica	Decriminalized	Illegal	Decriminalized in Oct. 2020 for possession of up to 28g and cultivation of up to 3 plants.
Dominican Republic	Illegal	Illegal	As in most countries, sentencing increases in severity in line with the amount of cannabis possessed.
DR Congo	Illegal	Illegal	—
Ecuador	Decriminalized	Legal	Possession of under 10g is considered personal use and not punished. Legalized for medical uses in Sept. 2019.
Egypt	Illegal (but tolerated)	Illegal	Cannabis is illegal and the potential penalties are steep, but the law is rarely enforced and cannabis use is widespread. Cannabis has several uses in traditional Egyptian medicine.
El Salvador	Illegal	Illegal	—
Equatorial Guinea	Illegal	Illegal	Enforcment may be infrequent.
Eritrea	Illegal	Illegal	—
Estonia	Decriminalized	Selective	Marginally decriminalized, as up to 7.5g is punished with only a fine. Possession of larger amounts or selling can result in up to 5 years imprisionment. Medical use requires a specific permit.
Eswatini	Illegal	Illegal	The Swazi name for cannabis is "insangu."
Ethiopia	Illegal	Illegal	Possession of cannabis is punishable with up to six months in prison.
Fiji	Illegal	Illegal	—
Finland	Illegal (but tolerated)	Selective	Personal use is generally punished via a simple fine. Medicinal cannabis use requires a special license, which can be difficult to obtain.
France	Illegal	Selective	Possession typically punished via a 200€ on-the-spot fine. Limited medical use was legalized in 2013, and pilot programs are testing expansion options.
Gabon	Illegal	Illegal	—
Gambia	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis is often referred to as yamba or tie in the Gambia.
Georgia	Legal (but obstructed)	Legal (but obstructed)	Georgia was among the first countries to legalize cannabis for recreational and medicinal use (30 July 2018). However, while recreational possession and consumption are legal, sales are not. Similarly, medical use of cannabis is legal, but no network exists to dispense it.
Germany	Legal	Legal	On 23 February 2024, the German Bundestag passed the Act on the Controlled Use of Cannabis, legalizing possession of 25 g (7⁄8 oz) outside the home, 50 g (1+3⁄4 oz) at home, and private cultivation of three plants, for adults 18 and over, beginning on 1 April 2024.
Ghana	Illegal	Legal (but obstructed)	Technically legal for medical use, but requires license from Secretary of Health, rendering it functionally illegal.
Greece	Illegal	Legal	Illegal for recreational use, but legal for medicinal use since 2017.
Greenland	Illegal	Illegal	—
Grenada	Illegal	Illegal	—
Guatemala	Illegal	Illegal	Recent government efforts to legalize cannabis have stalled, though polls indicate possible support for decriminalization.
Guinea	Illegal	Illegal	—
Guinea-Bissau	Illegal	Illegal	—
Guyana	Illegal	Illegal	Offenders possessing 15g or more of cannabis may be charged with drug trafficking.
Haiti	Illegal	Illegal	—
Honduras	Illegal	Illegal	—
Hong Kong	Illegal	Illegal	—
Hungary	Illegal	Illegal	—
Iceland	Illegal	Illegal	Possession typically results in a fine, but sale and cultivation are punished more severely.
India	Selective	Selective	Personal use is illegal, but many states make exceptions for the edible processed form bhang, which is sold in government-owned shops. Medical use of CBD oil w up to 0.3% THC are legal. Cannabis laws vary by state.
Indonesia	Illegal	Illegal	Banned in 1927. Minimum sentence for possession is 4 years in prison for adults.
Iran	Illegal (but tolerated)	Illegal	Ban is not strictly enforced. Possession of more than 5g of hashish is punishable by death.
Iraq	Illegal	Illegal	—
Ireland	Illegal	Selective	Efforts to legalize cannabis are increasing. Medicinal use is currently legal as a last resort via a 5-year pilot program launched in 2019.
Israel	Decriminalized	Legal	Possession of up to 15g is rarely prosecuted. Public use can be punishable via fines. A 2017 survey found Israel had the highest rate of recreational cannabis use in the world (27% of adults).
Italy	Decriminalized	Legal	Personal use is a misdemeanor, though fines and loss of passport or driver's license can still apply. Unauthorized sale and cultivation earn more severe punishments. Medicinal and industrial cultivation and use are tightly regulated.
Ivory Coast	Illegal	Illegal	—
Jamaica	Decriminalized	Legal	Decriminalized since 2015. Up to 2oz or cultivation of 5 plants is a petty offense. Rastafari can use for spiritual purposes. First medical dispensary opened in 2018.
Japan	Illegal	Illegal	Although hemp was an important crop for medieval Japan, the country outlawed its use in 1948.
Jordan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Kazakhstan	Illegal	Illegal	Although cannabis is illegal in Kazakhstan, it is said to grow profusely in the wild.
Kenya	Illegal	Illegal	—
Kiribati	Illegal	Illegal	—
Kuwait	Illegal	Illegal	—
Kyrgyzstan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Laos	Illegal (but tolerated)	Illegal	Illegal, but rarely enforced, as many police would rather accept a bribe to release a would-be offender. Many shops sell marijuana openly.
Latvia	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal for recreational and medicinal use, but hemp may still be cultivated for industrial uses.
Lebanon	Illegal	Legal	Cultivation for medical purposes was legalized in April 2020, as was cultivation of a non-psychoactive variety of hemp.
Lesotho	Illegal (but tolerated)	Illegal	Illegal, but law is widely ignored. Cannabis, known locally as matekoane, is country's largest cash crop. Those with a license can grow cannabis legally for medicinal purposes.
Liberia	Illegal	Illegal	—
Libya	Illegal	Illegal	—
Liechtenstein	Illegal	Illegal	—
Lithuania	Illegal	Legal	Medical use was legalized on 11 October 2018. Cultivation of industrial hemp is also legal.
Luxembourg	Selective	Legal	Consumption and possession are legal for personal use at home but the sale remains prohibited. Transportation is illegal (outside of medical use). Growing for personal use is legal for adults within the limit of 4 plants per household (from seeds and the plants must be hidden …
Macau	Illegal	Illegal	—
Madagascar	Illegal	Illegal	—
Malawi	Illegal	Legal	Although illegal, "ganja" is still widely used and cultivated. Malawian cannabis, particularly "Malawi Gold" is internationally respected for its quality. Cultivation and processing for medial use was legalized in Feb.2020.
Malaysia	Illegal	Illegal	Medical use legalized in 2021. Recreational use still illegal. Drug trafficking comes with mandatory death sentence.
Maldives	Illegal	Illegal	—
Mali	Illegal	Illegal	—
Malta	Legal	Legal	As of Dec. 2021, possession of up to 7g and cultivation of up to 4 plants is legal. Malta is the first EU country to legalize recreational cannabis. Legalized for medical use in 2018.
Marshall Islands	Illegal	Illegal	—
Mauritania	Illegal	Illegal	—
Mauritius	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis is called gandia in Mauritius.
Mexico	Decriminalized	Selective	Private recreational use legalized by Supreme Court in June 2021, though legislature has yet to replace old unconstitutional laws with viable new ones. Medical cannabis with less than 1% THC legalized in June 2017.
Micronesia	Illegal	Illegal	—
Moldova	Decriminalized	Illegal	Drug use is an adminstrative offense rather than a crime. Personal possession and/or use may be punished with small fine or 2 hours community service.
Monaco	Illegal	Illegal	Although maximum penalties are steep, police and courts often let offenders off with a warning.
Mongolia	Illegal	Illegal	—
Montenegro	Illegal	Illegal	—
Morocco	Illegal (but tolerated)	Legal	Banned in 1974, but often unofficially tolerated. Morocco led the world in cannabis production in 2016. Medical, cosmetic, and industrial use was legalized on May 26, 2021.
Mozambique	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis is known as suruma in Mozambique.
Myanmar	Illegal (but tolerated)	Illegal	—
Namibia	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal, though it played a role in Nambian traditional medicine.
Nepal	Illegal	Illegal	Although traditionally consumed and offered during Maha Shivaratri, a festival honoring the Hindu god Shiva, cannabis is technically illegal. Multiple propositions to legalize it are in process.
Netherlands	Decriminalized	Legal	Heavily decriminalized. Sales allowed in licensed coffee shops, personal consumption and possession of up to 5g is tolerated. Transportation and distribution, however, are still prohibited, as is production. Pilot programs for legalizing the production pipeline are in process.
New Zealand	Illegal	Legal	Offenders caught in possession of more than 28g are tried as drug traffickers. Legalized for medical use in December 2018.
Nicaragua	Illegal	Illegal	—
Niger	Illegal	Illegal	—
Nigeria	Illegal	Illegal	Nigeria ranks as one of the world's leading producers and consumers of cannabis despite its illegality.
North Korea	Unknown	Unknown	The legality of cannabis in North Korea is unknown, as conflicting reports have surfaced.
North Macedonia	Illegal	Legal	In 2020, prime minister announced plans to legalize recreational use. Legalized for medical use on Feb. 09, 2016.
Norway	Illegal	Legal	Decriminalization bill failed in 2021, but efforts are ongoing. Current penalties for possession and use can include fines and loss of driver's license.
Oman	Illegal	Illegal	—
Pakistan	Illegal (but tolerated)	Selective	Although illegal, use tends to be tolerated in many parts of the country (Peshawar and northern Pakistan). Medical CBD legalized in Sept. 2020.
Palau	Illegal	Illegal	—
Panama	Illegal	Legal	Ban is often unenforced and use often accepted. Medical use legalized in 2021, making Panama the first country in Central America to do so.
Papua New Guinea	Illegal	Illegal	—
Paraguay	Decriminalized	Illegal	Possession of up to 10g is not punished. Paraguay is one of world's leading producers of cannabis.
Peru	Decriminalized	Legal	Possession of up to 8g is not punished. Production and sale are still prohibited and can lead to 8–15 years in prison. Legalized for medical use in 2017.
Philippines	Illegal	Illigal	Medical use of cannabis is possible with a special permit from the Food and Drugs Authority for use by individuals with serious or terminal illness.
Poland	Illegal	Legal	Though illegal, prosecutors can choose to drop charges for possession of a minimal amount of cannabis. Legalized for medical use in 2017.
Portugal	Decriminalized	Legal	Portugal decriminalized all drug use in 2001 (the first country to do so). Up to 25g of plant material or 5g of hashish are acceptable. Legalized for medical use in July 2018.
Qatar	Illegal	Illegal	—
Republic of the Congo	Illegal	Illegal	Known locally as mbanga.
Romania	Illegal	Selective	Cannabis products with less than 0.2% THC legalized for medical use in 2013.
Russia	Illegal	Illegal	According to Russian law, possession of up to 6g of cannabis (or 2g of hashish) is an administrative offense and can result in a fine of RUB 5,000 or up to 15 days imprisonment. Possession of larger amounts warrants greater punishment. Foreign nationals and stateless individua…
Rwanda	Illegal	Legal	Legalized for medical use in July 2021.
Saint Lucia	Decriminalized	Illegal	Decriminalized for amounts up to 30g on 14 Sept. 2021 .
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Decriminalized	Illegal	Decriminalized for amounts up to 56g (2oz) in 2019.
Samoa	Illegal	Illegal	—
San Marino	Illegal	Legal	Legalized for medical use in 2016.
Sao Tome and Principe	Illegal	Illegal	—
Saudi Arabia	Illegal	Illegal	Drug use is punishable by imprisonment (or deportation for foreigners), trafficking can result in death penalty.
Senegal	Illegal	Illegal	Cannabis is called samba in Senegal.
Serbia	Illegal	Illegal	—
Seychelles	Illegal	Illegal	—
Sierra Leone	Illegal	Illegal	—
Singapore	Illegal	Selective	Offenders carrying 500g or more are assumed to be dealers and may be sentenced to death. Epilepsy patients may obtain permission to use cannabis-related medications.
Slovakia	Illegal	Illegal	As of 2022, Slovakia is the only country in the European Union that still considers CBD a dangerous substance.
Slovenia	Decriminalized	Selective	Possession of personal use amounts is a misdemeanor only. Medically, cannabis-based drugs were legalized in 2013, but cannabis itself was not.
Solomon Islands	Illegal	illegal	—
Somalia	Illegal	Illegal	—
South Africa	Legal (but obstructed)	Legal (but obstructed)	Legal for private use and cultivation, but purchase, sale, and public use are prohibited. Legalized for medical use, but no legal way to buy or sell medicinals exists.
South Korea	Illegal	Selective	Medical use was legalized in November 2018 but is limited to Epidiolex, Marinol and Sativex.
South Sudan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Spain	Decriminalized	Selective	All personal use activities are a fine-able misdemeanor only. Legal "cannabis social clubs" exist. Legalized for medical use in certain forms (Sativex).
Sri Lanka	Illegal	Legal	—
Sudan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Suriname	Illegal	Illegal	—
Sweden	Illegal	Selective	Legal for specific medicinal uses but requires license.
Switzerland	Decriminalized	Legal	Decriminalized in 2012 such that possession of 10g or less is punishable by fine only.
Syria	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal, but rarely enforced since the start of the Syrian civil war except in areas controlled by the jihadist Al-Nusra Front.
Taiwan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Tajikistan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Tanzania	Illegal	Illegal	—
Thailand	Legal	Legal	Legalized on 9 June, 2022. Possession, cultivation up to 6 plants, distribution, and private consumption are legal. Sales are legal except to minors and pregnant women. Oils and tinctures with THC of over 0.2% are still illegal unless prescribed. Legalized for medical use in 2…
Togo	Illegal	Illegal	—
Tonga	Illegal	Illegal	—
Trinidad and Tobago	Decriminalized	Illegal	Decriminalized in Dec 2019 for possession of up to 30g and cultivation of up to 4 plants.
Tunisia	Illegal	Illegal	—
Turkey	Illegal	Selective	Legalized for medical use in certain forms (Sativex, etc.) in 2016.
Turkmenistan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Tuvalu	Illegal	Illegal	—
Uganda	Illegal	Illegal	—
Ukraine	Illegal	Legal	In December 2023, Parliament adopted a bill to legalize medical cannabis on second reading. It was signed into law by President Zelensky on 15 February 2024
United Arab Emirates	Illegal	Illegal	As of Jan. 2022, possession of cannabis-related products is no longer a criminal offense, though the products will still be confiscated and destroyed.
United Kingdom	Illegal (but tolerated)	Selective	Possession may result in warning or fine instead of arrest. Legal for medicinal use since Nov. 2018 but must be prescribed by specialist as a last resort. The U.K. is one of the world's leading exporters of legal cannabis.
United States	Selective	Selective	Recreational and medicinal legality vary greatly by state.
Uruguay	Legal	Legal	Legal for recreational use, but buyers must be registered citizens. Foreigners cannot purchase. Cultivation of up to 6 plants is legal, as are non-profit cannabis social clubs.
Uzbekistan	Illegal	Illegal	—
Vanuatu	Illegal	Legal	Legalized for medical use in 2018.
Vatican City	Illegal	Illegal	—
Venezuela	Illegal	Illegal	—
Vietnam	Illegal	Illegal	—
Yemen	Illegal	Illegal	—
Zambia	Illegal	Legal (but obstructed)	May be legally cultivated for medicinal use as of 2017, but requires a license and health minister has refused to grant any licenses.
Zimbabwe	Illegal	Legal	Cannabis is often called mbanje in Zimbabwe.

Quick answers

Where does this countries where weed is illegal data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Legality of cannabis - Wiki; Where in the World is Cannabis Legal? - THCaffiliates; Top 20 Countries Where Weed is Legal in 2023 - Yahoo Finance; Mexico’s Stalled Pot Market Isn't Deterring Canadian CBD Maker - Bloomberg.