Legality of cannabis by country

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This is a list of the legality of cannabis by country.

Main article: Legality of cannabis

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] List

Country	Legal Status	Notes
Argentina	Decriminalized	Decriminalized for personal use in small amounts and for consumption in private locations. Consumption for medical purposes is accepted (also in private locations). Cultivating or selling it is illegal and punishable by present laws.^[1]
Antigua and Barbuda	Illegal	Charges such as large fines and occasionally short prison sentences are common for small or personal amounts of Marijuana. Police will usually accept bribes for any amount of Marijuana (the more marijuana the larger the bribe), so drug dealers will usually pass without charges but local Rastas will not bribe and are therefore fined harshly.^{[citation needed]}
Australia	Mixed	Certain regions of Australia have decriminalized marijuana possession. In Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland one can be simply ticketed for up to 50 grams. If found in possession with intent to supply, convictions apply.^[2]
Bahrain	Technically Illegal	Usually tolerated in small, casual amounts depending on situation and people involved^{[citation needed]}. However it is officially an illegal substance.^{[citation needed]}
Bangladesh	Legal	Currently there are no laws relating to cannabis.^{[citation needed]}
Belgium	Decriminalized	Tolerated among adults in quantities up to approx. 3 grams and/or 1 female plant. Consumption at home legal.^[3]
Belize	Technically Illegal	Is illegal, but almost completely tolerated. Publicly sold and smoked.^{[citation needed]}
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Illegal	Also small quantities and use is illegal.^{[citation needed]}
Bolivia	Illegal	Simple possession is illegal. There is currently no move to decriminalize marijuana.^[4]
Brazil	Illegal	As of March 1995, the attorney general proposes to end jail-time and fines for possession of cannabis, substituting mandatory rehabilitation for users.^[5]
Britain	Illegal	Britain classifies Marijuana as a Class C drug. Under this classification, British police follow a "seize and warn" tactic. Arrest requires legislation.^[6]^[7] See United Kingdom (on this page)
Canada	Technically Illegal	Main article: Cannabis legalization in Canada Cannabis is a schedule II drug in Canada for amounts larger than 3kg. Amounts smaller than 3kg are classified as Schedule VII, and smaller than 30g as Schedule VIII. It is generally tolerated in small amounts for most of Canada (3 grams). It is legal for medicinal use with a federal permit.^{[citation needed]} In January 2003,an Ontario court ruled simple possession laws banning cannabis unconstitutional, although it is unclear what the long term implications of this might be. ^[8] In 2007, a Toronto judge ruled that Canada's pot possession laws are unconstitutional after a man argued the country's medicinal marijuana regulations are flawed.^[9]
Chile	Illegal	Law No. 20.000 dictates many drugs illegal including any plant from the Cannabis family. Personal use of marijuana in small quantities on a private place is not against the law.(More than one person using it at the same place is considered as a group and thus is considered illegal.) Possessing a plant with a permit from the Ministerio de Agricultura (Agriculture Ministry) is legal. Having a plant is not fully illegal without a permit if proved that its intended only for exclusive personal use.^[10] Trafficking is illegal and enforced. No attempts to decriminalize or legalize it have been made.
Colombia	Decriminalized	Decriminalized for small quantities (up to 20 grams for own use). Generally tolerated. Sale is illegal.^{[citation needed]}
Costa Rica	Illegal	Tolerated.^{[citation needed]}
Croatia	Illegal	Small amounts may result in fines of $500-1000 US, mandatory rehabilitation, and probation. Sale or possession of large amounts of cannabis may result in imprisonment.^[11]
Cyprus	Illegal	Not tolerated. Sold in comparatively lower proportion.^{[citation needed]}
Czech Republic	Illegal	As of November 2007, Sale and possession of marijuana is criminalized.^{[citation needed]}^[12] In March of 2008 the Czech Supreme Court ruled that growing of cannabis is not always the same as production of marijuana.^[13]
Denmark	Illegal	Not tolerated. Area known as Christiania in Copenhagen consumption is evident but not legal^{[citation needed]}
Dominican Republic	Illegal	Not tolerated.^{[citation needed]}
Egypt	Technically illegal	Tolerated in small amounts. Often not enforced.^{[citation needed]}
Ecuador	Illegal	Possession illegal. No move to decriminalize ^[14]
Estonia	Technically illegal	Licensed growing is legal. Smoking is taken very seriously. Licensed selling of leaves and seeds is legal.
Finland	Illegal	Generally not tolerated. Possession or manufacture of small amounts for personal use (less than 50 grams or 6 flowering plants) is punishable by a small fine (generally in the range of 120-500 euros). Commercial transactions involving cannabis are prosecuted to the fullest extent, however distribution and use within a "closed circle of other drug users" is generally considered part of personal usage.^{[citation needed]}
France	Illegal	Possession, use, and selling is strictly illegal. Prohibition is generally enforced.^{[citation needed]}
Georgia	Illegal	If tested positive, a monetary fine is administered, plus driver's license taken off for 3 years, and service in public sector prohibited for 3 years. Possession of any quantity, sale or cultivation is punished with prison sentence^{[citation needed]}
Germany	Technically illegal	Possession of small amounts for personal use at home is not prosecuted, but the drug is confiscated. The definition of "small amount" is different in each federal state; the tolerated amount ranges from 3 grams in Brandenburg to 30 grams in Schleswig-Holstein. The sale is illegal. Possession of larger amounts is usually only punished with a fine, unless the intention to sell is evident. Cultivation of cannabis is also illegal but usually not prosecuted if the plants are not in flower and the amount of plants is rather small (the plants will be confiscated though). Only flowering female plants are treated like the possession of cannabis products; the exact amount of THC in the buds will be lab analyzed and determines the assumed amount of processed marijuana.^[15]
Ghana	Legal in most areas.	^{[citation needed]}
Greece	Illegal	Cultivation, possession, sale, transportation and consumption are illegal. Greece prosecutes marijuana use very harshly and has strict laws, even for possession of small amounts of cannabis.^[16]
Honduras	Illegal	^{[citation needed]}
Hong Kong	Illegal	Possession, sale, cultivation and import are all forbidden under Hong Kong's Dangerous Drugs ordinance (as of June 30, 1997). Any offense is punishable by a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for 15 years.^[17]
Hungary	Illegal	There is no distinction in Hungarian law between illicit drugs according to dangers. Heroin use has the same consequences as cannabis use. Small amount of drugs (1 gram) cause you up to two years of prison, but there is a possibility for choosing "diversion into 6 months therapy". No medical use is permitted. if you possess more, you can go to jail for 5-10 years.^{[citation needed]}
Iceland	Technically Illegal	Consumption is illegal even in small amounts. Possession, sale, transportation and cultivation could result in jail time. Possession is not strictly enforced, Heavy Fines are given.(basically decriminalized)^{[citation needed]}
Indonesia	Illegal	Exceptions are made to certain ethnic group.^{[citation needed]}
India	Technically Illegal	Not enforced during observance of certain Hindu rituals. Government-owned shops in holy cities like Varanasi sell cannabis in the form of bhang. ^[18]
Ireland	Illegal	Tolerated in small amounts for personal use. Cannabis cultivation or holding large amounts for resale is taken very seriously by the Gardaí.
Israel	Illegal	Often unenforced. Very small scale of legal usage of Medicinal Cannabis for soldiers.^[19]
Italy	Technically illegal	Up to 1.5 grams is tolerated for personal use. Sale is illegal.^{[citation needed]}
Jamaica	Technically Illegal	Cultivation, retail and consumption is illegal. However it is often overlooked and sold openly.^[20]
Japan	Illegal	Not tolerated. Even a positive drug test can get you jail time.^{[citation needed]}
Kenya	Illegal	^{[citation needed]}
Korea	Illegal	Not tolerated. Hair tests can be taken upon suspicion. Jail time minimum 6 months.^{[citation needed]}
Kuwait	Illegal	Possession punishable by prison sentence, however minor cases usually overlooked. Sale and cultivation punishable by life in prison or death.^{[citation needed]}
Lithuania	Illegal	Punishable by fines and or prison sentence.^{[citation needed]}
Luxembourg	Illegal	Possession, transportation and consumption are illegal. Prosecution depends on the amount of cannabis one possesses. Since 2001, prison penalty has been substituted by a monetary fine ranging from 250 to 2500 euro.^[21]
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	Illegal	Possessors of small quantities don't get prosecuted.^{[citation needed]}
Malaysia	Illegal	Punishable by prison sentence and/or death^{[citation needed]}
Malta	Illegal	The law is not very clear. Small quantities may or may not be tolerated.^{[citation needed]}
Mauritius	Illegal	^{[citation needed]}
Mexico	Illegal	Main article: Mexican Drug War As of April 2006, a bill was sent through but has not yet been signed as a law, that would decriminalize amounts of marijuana under 5 grams.^[22]
Nepal	Technically Illegal	The law is rarely followed, as it is very available. It is tolerated publicly.^{[citation needed]}
Netherlands	Technically illegal	Main article: Drug policy of the Netherlands The Dutch politics reasoned that soft drugs do not have physically addictive qualities, and are not more harmful than, say, alcohol. Therefore the Netherlands allow limited forms of possession and trade in soft-drugs. You are allowed to purchase and possess up to five grams of Cannabis/Hashish. Possessing more is interpreted as if you want to trade it, which is illegal. Only specially permitted “Coffeeshops” are allowed to sell soft drugs, and never more than five grams per person, per day. You have to be 18 or over to access a Coffeeshop. Smoking in public is technically allowed, however in many places prohibited by local regulation, limiting consumption to Coffeeshops, your home, or a remote corner of a park. Coffeeshops are allowed to sell Cannabis and Hashish (and pay taxes on it), but can not legally buy stock. Also referred to as the ‘backdoor problem’. Coffeeshops have very strict rules to live by and are regularly checked by local authorities. Two strikes is out. ^[23]
New Zealand	Illegal	Cannabis is scheduled as a Class B substance. Cultivation, possession or sale of cannabis is illegal.^[24]
Norway	Illegal	Up to 15 grams is considered an amount for personal use, and is punished with a fine of 1500-5000 krone in the case of first-time offenders; possessing more is considered dealing and punished more harshly. Repeat offenders or dealers face prison charges.^[25]
Pakistan	Technically Illegal	Use of hash is generally accepted in Pakistan. A bribe can be bought in many cases to resist arrest for possession. ^[26]
Paraguay	Illegal	^[27]
People's Republic of China	Illegal	^{[citation needed]}
Peru	Decriminalized	As of March 1995, possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana is legal.^[28]
Philippines	Illegal	Punishable by prison sentence.^{[citation needed]}
Poland	Illegal	Possession leads to criminal prosecution even for very small quantities (<0.001). The Polish government in June of 2005 began offering rehabilitation services in place of jail time.^[29]
Portugal	Illegal	Decriminalized only for personal use in small amounts (10 dosages). Division in pieces is considered smuggling.^{[citation needed]}
Puerto Rico	Illegal	Considered as a misdemeanor but is fairly tolerated.^{[citation needed]}
Republic of China (Taiwan)	Illegal	Generally tolerated in the southern provinces of the country.^{[citation needed]}
Romania	Illegal	Illegal but not very hard to find at certain events or in special, sometimes secret, places. Unenforced. Possession of small quantities is punishable by a small fine of about $150-200 USD. Possession of large amounts may result in 3-6 years of jail time, and sale may result in more than 6 years jail time.^[30]
Russia	Decriminalized	As of 2008, possession of up to 6 g of marijuana, as well as small quantities of many other drugs, is decriminalized and punishable by fine or 15 days in jail. If necessary, rehabilitation services are available for most of the country's residents.^[31]
Saudi Arabia	Illegal	Punishable by death.^{[citation needed]}
Serbia	Illegal	Not tolerated; possession leads to criminal prosecution even for small quantities.^{[citation needed]}
Slovenia	Illegal	Easy to get on streets; small amounts are often tolerated, but most often first offenders get an official warning, and repeat offenses with large amounts can land up to 1-3 years of jail (if case is not an Organised Crime 3-15); decriminalization is currently under debate.^{[citation needed]}
Somalia	Illegal	Punishable by death, beheading, flogging and various types of torture.^{[citation needed]}
South Africa	Illegal	Possession of small quantities usually overlooked or given a warning.^{[citation needed]}
Spain	Technically illegal	Possession and consumption at private places is not prosecuted. Sale is illegal and will be punished, but few resources are put into combating it.^{[citation needed]}
Singapore	Illegal	Cannabis is a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, making it illegal to cultivate, sell, or possess.^[32]
Sweden	Illegal	Also small quantities and use is illegal. Drug testing may be used as evidence.^[33]
Switzerland	Illegal	Although tolerated in small amounts for personal use at home.^{[citation needed]}
Taiwan	Illegal	Cannabis is a schedule II narcotic. Simple possession can result in up to 3 years imprisonment.^[34]
Thailand	Illegal	Sellers are punishable by death, possession is usually considered as patients.^{[citation needed]}
Tanzania	Legal	^{[citation needed]}
Turkey	Illegal	Cultivation, sale, transportation punished 2 to 5 years in prison. (if case is not an Organised Crime) Consumption is illegal but may be tolerable at first time. Also consumption or buying are punished 1 to 2 years in jail and once in 3 months for a year medical test (as evidence of not using anymore).^{[citation needed]}
United Arab Emirates	Illegal	Even the smallest amounts of the drug can lead to a mandatory four year prison sentence^[35].
United Kingdom	Illegal	Main article: Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom Cannabis is an illegal, Class C drug in the UK. Possession: First time offenders - minors are likely to be arrested for even small amounts of cannabis, but are usually discharged following a reprimand. They may receive a final warning or a charge, depending on the seriousness of the offence. A subsequent offence following a warning will usually result in a charge, after which the offender will be referred to the Youth Offending Team for a rehabilitation programme. It is unlikely that first time adult offenders will be arrested for possession, but smoking in public, repeat offenses and possession in the proximity of premises used by children (e.g. schools) are likely to be charged. Can affect passport status. The maximum penalty for possession is two years in prison plus an unlimited fine.^[36] Supply: Dealing is considered a very serious offense in the UK. In the eyes of the law, this includes giving drugs to friends. People who grow cannabis in their homes or carry large amounts on them also risk being charged with intent to supply. The maximum penalty for supply is 14 years in prison plus an unlimited fine.^[37].
United States of America	Illegal	Main article: Legal history of marijuana in the United States Laws vary by state although federal law classifies cannabis as a Schedule I substance, the same classification as heroin and LSD. Many advocate a reclassifying of the drug to Schedule II to allow medicinal use. For instance, marijuana is Legal for medicinal use under the State-level laws of certain states. However, due to the nature of the United States' federalist system, federal laws nonetheless remain in effect in these states. As a result, federal, as well as state and local prosecutors can and sometimes do prosecute violators under federal law. This is true regardless of whether state law purports to decriminalize use or possession.^[38]
Uruguay	Technically Illegal	Personal amounts are overlooked. ^[39]
Venezuela	Decriminalized	Possession of up to 20 grams only results in a mandatory drug treatment program.^[40]
Vietnam	Illegal	Illegal but usually tolerated. Laws are harsh if caught.^{[citation needed]} Jandu is illegal^{[citation needed]}