Difference between revisions of "Legality of cannabis by country"

| Albania || no ||no|| no || no |

| Algeria || no || no || no || no || Possession is illegal

| Argentina || partial || no || no || no || Legal for personal use in small amounts and for consumption in private locations. Public consumption is generally accepted among young adults. Consumption for Medical cannabis|medical purposes is accepted but not legislated (only in private locations). Cultivating, selling and transporting large amounts is illegal and punishable by present laws.

|Australia || partial (decriminalized in some states) || no || no || partial|One or two plants may be privately grown for personal use in the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. Personal grows of up to two plants are decriminalized in the Northern Territory. || main|Cannabis in Australia Decriminalized for personal use in small amounts in the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a criminal offence in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria (Australia)|Victoria and Tasmania. In SA a person can legally grow 1 non-hydroponic plant, and in the ACT 2 non-hydroponic plants may be grown on their own property for personal use, and in the N.T two non-hydroponic plants can be fined $200 with 28 days to pay rather than face criminal charge.  Enforcement varies from state to state, With the rapid expansion in hydroponically grown cannabis cultivation, the Australian Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act (1985) was amended in 2006, reducing the amount of cannabis grown indoors under hydroponic conditions that qualifies as a 'commercial quantity' or as a 'large quantity'

|Austria || partial || no || no || no || Possession (which includes the act of smoking) is punishable by prison time of up to 1 year (option of alternative therapy and subsequent waiving of sentence) If it was possessed for personal use the penalty is only up to half a year

| Belgium || no || no || no| || partial|| Since 2003 adults over the age of 18, in Belgium, were allowed to possess up to 3 grams. But since the 10th of October it has been made illegal again.

| Belize || partial || no || no| || no || Cannabis use in Belize is common and largely tolerated; however, possession can result in fines or imprisonment.

| Bolivia || no || no || no || no || Possession is illegal.

| Botswana || no || no || no||| no || Cannabis (or Dagga) is illegal, but this is often unenforced.

| Brazil || partial || no || no || no || The possession of illegal drugs in Brazil, for personal consumption, entails a warning, [[community service]] and education on the effects of drug use. The same applies for the planting and/or preparation of small amounts of any illegal drug.

Selling and transportation of any illegal drugs, as well as the possession or cultivation of larger amounts is characterized as drug trafficking, a criminal act punished with 5 to 15 years in prison and a significant fine.

| Belarus || no || no || no || no ||  

| Bulgari || no || no || no| || no || Cannabis is class A (High-risk) drug, together with Heroin, Cocaine, [[Amphetamines and MDMA (ecstasy). Until 2004 a loosely defined "personal dose" existed. Since 2006, after the last amendment of the Penal Code, the penalty for possession is 1 to 6 years in prison and a fine between 1,000 and 5,000 euros. For possession with an aim of distribution (drug-dealing) the sentence can range from 2 to 8 years for small amounts, through 3 to 12 years for large amounts, up to 5 to 15 years when executed by an organized criminal group. In these cases the maximum fine to be determined together with the prison time is 50,000 euros. Growing is punishable by 2 to 5 years and a fine up to 5,000 euros. The organizer of a growers group can receive from 10 to 20 years and has to pay a fine up to 100,000 euros and a participant in such a group – 3 to 10 years in prison and a fine of 2,500 to 5,000 euros.

| Cambodia ||partial||| partial || partial || partial || While technically illegal, the use of cannabis is widespread among the Khmer people and foreigners visiting the country. Marijuana can easily be purchased and smoked in public areas without the threat of arrest. Many "Happy" restaurants located in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville publicly offer food cooked with marijuana, or as a side garnish.

| Canada || partial || no || no || no| || Legal with government issued licence for medical or industrial purposes. See Legislation: "Controlled Drugs and Substances Act"{{Main|Legal history of cannabis in Canada}}

| Chile || no || no || no} || partial (Chile plants cannabis for medicinal use)|| Personal consumption, possession and cultivation (of any drug) is decriminalized when in private locations. Chilean authorities permits the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes only. In 2014, the Chilean authorities have given a local woman permission to import drugs made from cannabis.

| People's Republic of China || no || no| || no || no || Cannabis is cultivated for its seeds and for fiber, and has a long medicinal history.

| Colombia || partial || no || no| || partial| (Legal up to 20 plants for personal consumption) || Since 1994, cannabis has been decriminalized for possession of small amounts up to 22 grams for personal consumption, however sale remains illegal.

| Comoros || no || no || no || no || Cannabis was legal during the Comorian historical period between January 1975 and May 1978, when president Ali Soilih legalized cannabis consumption among other measures

| Costa Rica || partial (decriminalized) || no || no || {{partial (decriminalized) || Cannabis is illegal but there is a high tolerance of smoking marijuana throughout the country, a decriminalization system is implemented de facto since police officers do not detain people carrying enough for only personal consumption, yet no amount has been defined as a minimum for possession. Usage of Cannabis in Costa Rica is very high.

| Croatia || partial (decriminalized) || no || no || no || From 2013 there is distinction in the Croatian penal code between various illegal substances, they are now separated on heavy drugs and light drugs like Marijuana. According to the law, growing or selling cannabis is considered a felony punishable by a [[mandatory prison sentence]] (three years minimum) and from 2013 the possession of small amount of marijuana and other light drugs is a misdemeanor which leads to a fine of 5000–20000[[Croatian kuna|kn]] ($800–3500) depending on the case in question.

| Cuba || no || no || no || no ||

| Cyprus || partial (small amount Legal for medical uses)}} || no || no || {{partial (Legal for some farms to grow Hemp) || Class B substance – life imprisonment is possible for use and maximum 8 years for possession (maximum 2 yrs for first offence for under 25 yr old). In practice, warning may be given to a minor unconscious first offender.

| Czech Republic || partial (decriminalized) || partial|Illegal (purchase legal; sale of medical cannabis legal, otherwise sale illegal) || partial (decriminalized) || partial (decriminalized) || {{main|Drug policy of the Czech Republic}}Possession of up to fifteen grams for personal use or cultivation of up to five plants is merely a misdemeanor. Popular destination for smokers. Medical use of cannabis on prescription has been legal and regulated since 1 April 2013.

| Denmark || partial, but mostly tolerated || no || no || no || As with all drugs, cannabis-related offences are punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to 2 years Freetown Christiania, a self-declared autonomous region, is known for its cannabis trade.

| Dominica || no || no || no || no || Class B drug to cultivate, sell or possess

| Ecuador || {{partial (decriminalized) || no || no || no || Possession is not illegal, defined by Law 108.

| Egypt || no || no || no || no || Technically illegal. However, use is widespread and part of every day culture. Convictions are very rare for personal use . Formerly a plant of high status, with several documented medicinal uses in ancient times, cannabis was made illegal in 1925 with the League of Nations’ Geneva International Convention on Narcotic Control, and has been aggressively targeted at various points since then.

| Estonia}} || partial(decriminalized) || no || no || no || Up to 7.5 grams is considered an amount for personal use, and is punished with a fine. Large amounts and distribution are criminal offences, and are punishable with a fine or by up to 5 years in prison.

| Ethiopia || no || no || no || no || Despite being the spiritual homeland of the Rastafari movement, possession of cannabis can result in up to 6 months imprisonment.

| Finland || no || no || no || no || Extremely limited group of medicinal users (12 people as of 31 January 2010) are permitted to purchase Sativex mouth spray from one special pharmacy in the city of Turku.

| France || no ||no || no || no || Cultivating, selling, owning or consuming cannabis is prohibited. However, legislation was enacted in June 2013 permitting the sale of medications containing cannabis derivatives.

| Germany || no ||{no || no || no || The possession is illegal, while consumption itself is legal on the basis of it being considered [[Self-harm#Drugs and alcohol|self-harm]], which is not considered a crime. The possession of small amounts is prosecuted, but charges are virtually always dropped. The definition of this "small amount" varies depending on the Federal state (Germany)|federal state, the state of Berlin being the most liberal, allowing 15 grams for personal use in most cases, while most states do not prosecute up to 6 grams.

| Greece || no || no || no || no || Possession or use of even small amounts is illegal in Greece. Individuals are arrested, although rarely convicted by court. Possession of large quantities may lead to several years in prison.

The Government was said to be preparing a bill that would decriminalize the use of drugs in August 2011, but finally the legislation was not changed at all.

| '|Greenland|| no || no|| no| || no ||

| Hondura || no || no || no || no || The possession, sale, transportation and cultivation of cannabis is illegal in Honduras.

| Hong Kong || no ||no || no || no || The possession, sale, transportation, cultivation of cannabis is illegal under the Dangerous Drug Ordinance (Chapter 134 of the Law of Hong Kong).

| Hungary || no || no || no ||no || There is no distinction in Hungarian law between illicit drugs according to dangers. Heroin use has the same legal consequences as cannabis use. Hungarian law prohibits the distribution, and any use (including medical use). However the Penal code distinguishes the punishment between sale and personal use. 283. § (1) paragraph (a) states that "One cannot be punished for drug misuse; if a small, personal amount is produced, acquired, or in possession..." and continues to state that "... provided that before final verdict is determined a verification is provided that continuous 6-month therapy has taken place" The law determines that a "personal quantity" is defined as 1 gram of active substance (i.e. THC), therefore this equates to 12–100 grams of marijuana if calculated that marijuana contains 1–8% THC per unit mass. Possession of larger amounts can lead to a 5–10-year prison sentence.

| celand || no || no || no || no || 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.

| Indonesia || no || no || no || no || Minimum sentence of four years in prison (additional fines may apply) if caught in possession. However, if the user voluntarily reports himself/herself to the police, or is reported by his/her family, the charges will be dropped in accordance to 2009 Narcotics Act, article 24 paragraph 2, 3, 4.  

| India || No || No(with government regulated license) || no || no || Used during observance of certain Hindu rituals. Government-owned shops in holy cities like Varanasi sell cannabis in the form of bhang. Despite the high prevalent usage, this law is Illegal but rarely enforced and treated as a low priority across India. Tourist may often be searched by police officers, but usually in the goal of being bribed and not punished. Further, large tracts of cannabis grow unchecked in the wild in many parts of northern and southern India in many states such as West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.Many states such as West Bengal, Tripura, and the North East have their own laws allowing cannabis, locally known as ganja.

| Ireland || no || no || no || no || In November 2013 a bill was presented to the Irish government by Teachta Dála|TD Luke 'Ming' Flanagan to legalize Cannabis in the country. However the ''Cannabis Regulation Bill 2013'' was defeated by a margin of 111–8 in Dáil Éireann on 6 November.It was the first bill of its kind in a National Parliament in Europe.

| Israel || no || no || no| || no || Very small scale of legal usage of medicinal cannabis. However, personal use is relatively decriminalized with little to no penalties for convicted first time violators.

| Italy || {{partial (decriminalized) || no || no || no || Possession of small amounts for personal use is a misdemeanor subject to fines and the suspension of documents (passports and/or drivers licenses). The sale of cannabis products is illegal and punishable by imprisonment; cultivation is likewise punishable by imprisonment, even if in small amounts and for exclusive personal use. Licensed cultivation for medical and industrial use is strictly regulated.

| Jamaica || partial (tentatively decriminalized) || partial (tentatively decriminalized) || no| || partial (tentatively decriminalized)|| Cultivation, retail and consumption is illegal. However this is often overlooked and cannabis is sold openly. As of 22 January 2015, the Jamaican cabinet has approved a bill to decriminalise possession of small amounts of the drug and allow limited private cultivation.

| Japan || no || no || no || no || Possession is punishable by up to five years in prison. Importing or selling cannabis is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and up to 30 million yen.

| Jordan || no || no || no || no || Possession is illegal and may be punishable by prison sentence.

| Laos || no || no || no || no || As of 2009, a mandatory death penalty is applied for certain cases.

| Latvia || no || no || no || no || Cannabis is illegal in Latvia. Possession of larger quantities can be punished with up to 15 years in prison. Possession of quantities up to 1g are fined up to 280 euro, for second offences within a year period criminal charges are applied.  

| Lebanon || no || no || no || no || Possession is illegal. However, large amounts are grown within the country and personal use, as long as not in public is not a major issue.

| Lithuania || no || no || no || no ||

| Luxembourg || no || no || no || no || 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 Euros.

| Macau || no || no || no || no ||

| Macedonia || no || no || no || no || If one possesses a larger amount, a jail sentence of anywhere from three months to five years could possibly be given.

| Malaysia || no || no || no || no || Malaysian legislation provides for a mandatory death penalty for convicted drug traffickers. Individuals arrested in possession of 15 grams (1/2 ounce) of heroin or 200 grams (seven ounces) of marijuana are presumed by law to be trafficking in drugs.

| Malta || no || no || no || no || Chapter 101 of Maltese law (Dangerous Drugs Ordinance) does not specify amounts considered to indicated differences between possession and trafficking (persons with as little as three grammes of cannabis have been charged with dealing) and treats all illegal drugs the same. Penalties for trafficking any illegal drug range between four years and a life sentence and a fine between 2,329.37 Euro and 116,468.67 Euro. Penalties for possession are between 12 months to ten years imprisonment and 465.87 Euro and 23,293.73 Euro in fines.

| Mexico || partial (decriminalized) || no || no || On 21 August 2009 Mexico decriminalized "personal use" possession of up to five grams of Cannabis. Growing and selling Cannabis is illegal.

|Nepal || partial (decriminalized) || no || no || no || Marijuana and its derivatives, such as Hashish, are widely available throughout Nepal.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}

| Netherlands || yes (in smoking areas, decriminalized for personal) || yes(only for coffeeshops) || partial (but for coffee shops not enforced) || partial (exceptions for personal use) || Main|Drug policy of the Netherlands}} Cannabis products are only sold openly in certain local [[Cannabis coffee shop|"coffeeshops" and possession of up to 5 grams for personal use is decriminalized. Other types of sales and transportation are not permitted, although the general legal approach toward cannabis was before de facto decriminalization.

| New Zealand || no || no || no || no || {{See also|Cannabis in New Zealand}}

Cultivation, possession or sale of cannabis is illegal. The fruit, seeds, and any other part of the plant are scheduled as Class C substances.[[Hashish]], [[hash oil]], [[THC]], and any other preparations containing THC made by processing the plant are scheduled as Class B substances. In July 2009, a bill promoted by [[Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand|Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei amending the law to permit the use of [[medicinal cannabis]] was defeated 84–34 at its first reading, with all members of the ruling New Zealand National Party|National Party voting against it.

| North Korea || yes || yes || yes || yes || Although several drugs are illegal in North Korea, Cannabis is not one of them. title=When It Comes To Marijuana, North Korea Appears To Have Liberal Policy Of Tolerance|work=The Huffington Post|accessdate=14 January 2015

| Northern Mariana Islands || {{no || no || no || no || Main|Legal history of cannabis in the United States|United States. A bill was passed to legalize marijuana. But the governor will only allow medical cannabis to be legal.

| Norway || no || no || no || no || Up to 15 grams is considered an amount for personal use, and is punished with a fine of 1500-15000 Norwegian krone|kroner in the case of first-time offenders; possessing more is considered dealing and punished more harshly. Repeat offenders or dealers face prison charges.

| Pakistan || partial, but mostly tolerated || no || no || partial || Laws prohibiting the sale and misuse of cannabis exist, but are very rarely enforced. As with hash, the occasional use of cannabis in community gatherings is broadly tolerated as a centuries old custom, despite its association with lower-income groups. The open use of cannabis by Sufis and Hindus as a means to induce euphoria has never been challenged by the state. Further, large tracts of cannabis grow unchecked in the wild.

| Panama || no || no || no || no ||  

Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Panama are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

| Peru || partial || no|| {{partial| || {{partial || Possession is not illegal, defined by Art. 299. Possession of under 8 grams is considered personal use and it is legal and not punished.

| Philippines | no || no || no || no || Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, makes provision for restricted medical use.

| Poland || no || no || no || no || On 26 May 2011, Poland introduced legislation to terminate the prosecution for possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use. The law introduces the possibility when a person has negligible amounts of drugs for personal use and is not a dealer. But this is only theory, in practice it's still illegal. The legislation raised the maximum possible penalty for placing a large number of drugs from 10 to 12 years in prison. However, for possession of large quantities of drugs would result up to 10 years in prison (previously up to 8 years).