Legality of cannabis by country

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Main article: Legality of cannabis - it has additional info by country.

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

[edit] Legality of cannabis by country

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Country	Continent/Islands	Legal Status	Notes
Albania	Europe	Illegal	Cannabis is illegal but growing and usage is widespread. In the last five years there have been fewer than ten prosecutions.^[1]
Argentina	South America	Illegal (Decriminalized)	Decriminalized for personal use in small amounts and for consumption only in private locations. Public consumption is generally accepted among the young adults and overlooked by police in the suburbs. Consumption for medical purposes is accepted but not legislated (only in private locations). Cultivating, selling and transporting large amounts is illegal and punishable by present laws.^[2]
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia	Australia	Illegal (Decriminalized)	Decriminalized for personal use in small amounts in some states, a criminal offence in others. Enforcement varies from state to state.^[3]
Austria	Europe	Illegal	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)^[4]
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium	Europe	Illegal (Decriminalized)	For adults in Belgium, consumption in one's home and possession of quantities of up to 3 grams or one female plant is legal.^[5]
Belize
Bermuda	Caribbean
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bolivia	South America	Illegal	Possession is illegal.^[6]
Brazil	South America
Bulgaria	Europe	Illegal	Until 2004 a loosely defined "personal dose" existed, since then all quantities are punishable by prison time up to 15 years [3]
Canada	North America	Illegal	Main article: Cannabis legalization in Canada
Chile	South America	Illegal (Decriminalized)	Cultivation of Cannabis plants other than for personal use is considered illegal without a permit from the Agriculture Ministry. Though consumption and possession in small quantities alone on a private property is legal, consumption by a group of individuals is illegal.^[7]
China	Asia
Colombia	South America	Illegal (Decriminalized)	Since 1994, cannabis has been decriminalized for possession of small amounts up to 20 grams for personal consumption, however sale and cultivation remains illegal.^[8]
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia	Europe
Cuba
Cyprus	Europe
Czech Republic	Europe
Denmark	Europe	Illegal	^[9]^[10]
Dominica	Caribbean	Illegal	Class B drug to cultivate, sell or possess ^[11]
Dominican Republic
Egypt	Africa
Ecuador	South America	Illegal	Possession illegal. No move to decriminalize.^[6]
Estonia	Europe	Illegal	Possession illegal.^[12]
Finland	Europe
France	Europe	Illegal	Cultivating, selling, owning or consuming cannabis is prohibited.^[13]
Georgia
Germany	Europe	Illegal (Decriminalized)	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.^{[citation needed]} Possession of small amounts of marijuana/hashish was ruled legal by the German Federal Constitutional Court in 1994.^[8]
Ghana
Greece	Europe
Guatemala
Honduras
Hungary	Europe	Illegal	There is no distinction in Hungarian law between illicit drugs according to dangers. Heroin use has the same 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.^[14]
Iceland	Europe	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.^[15]
Indonesia	Asia	Illegal	Personal use in small amounts: Maximum sentence of four (4) years in prison (additional fines may apply) if caught by the police in possession, intoxication or by positive urine test. However, if the user voluntarily reports himself/herself to the police, or is reported by his/her family, the sentence shall be no more than 6 months in prison or a fine of not more than Rp 2.000.000 (two million Indonesian Rupiah/USD$200–250). ^[16]^{[dead link]}
India	Asia	Legal (Regulated by Government)	Used during observance of certain Hindu rituals. Government-owned shops in holy cities like Varanasi sell cannabis in the form of bhang.^[17]
Ireland	Europe
Iran	Asia	Legal/Illegal	Growing cannabis is legal if planted for food purposes as the seeds are eaten by the Iranian people, and companies often draw oil from the seeds which is sold legally. Using cannabis for psychoactive purposes is technically illegal and so smoking it in public is an example of what can be considered an illegal ingestion, but the enforcement of this is next to nothing since it is usually not possible to tell what a person is smoking and since smoking other herbs is tolerated or legal, not much is ever done. ^[18]
Israel	Asia	Illegal	Very small scale of legal usage of medicinal cannabis. ^[19]
Italy	Europe
Jamaica	Caribbean	Illegal	Cultivation, retail and consumption is illegal. However this is often overlooked and cannabis is sold openly.^[20]
Japan	Asia	Illegal	Possession is punishable by up to five years in prison with forced labor^[21]
Kenya	Africa
South Korea	Asia
Kuwait
Latvia	Europe
Liberia
Lithuania
Luxembourg	Europe	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 Euros.^[22]
Lebanon	Asia
Republic of Macedonia	Europe	Illegal (Decriminalized)	If one possesses a larger amount, a jail sentence of anywhere from three months to five years could possibly be given.^[23]
Malaysia	Asia	Illegal	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. ^[24]
Malta	Europe
Mauritius
Mexico	North America	Illegal (Decriminalized)	Main article: Mexican Drug War
Moldova	Europe
Morocco	Africa
Nepal	Asia
Netherlands	Europe	Legal/Illegal	Main article: Drug policy of the Netherlands
New Zealand	Oceania	Illegal	Cannabis is scheduled as a Class C substance. Cultivation, possession or sale of cannabis is illegal.^[25]
Norway	Europe	Illegal	Up to 15 grams is considered an amount for personal use, and is punished with a fine of 1500-5000 kroner in the case of first-time offenders; possessing more is considered dealing and punished more harshly. Repeat offenders or dealers face prison charges.^[26]
Pakistan	Asia	Legal/Illegal	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. ^[27]
Paraguay	South America	Illegal	^[6]
Peru	South America	Illegal (Decriminalized)	Possession of up to 8 grams (0.28 oz) of marijuana is legal as long as one isn't in possession of another drug.^[28]
Philippines	Asia
Poland	Europe	Illegal	Possession leads to criminal prosecution even for very small quantities (1 gram). The Polish government in June 2005 began offering rehabilitation services in place of jail time.^[29]
Portugal	Europe	Decriminalized	^[30]
Puerto Rico
Romania	Europe	Illegal	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.^[31]
Russia	Eurasia	Illegal (Decriminalized)	In 2003, possession of up to 20 g of marijuana, as well as small quantities of many other drugs, ceased to be a criminal offence. ^[32] Since 2006, this "legal" amount was lowered to 6 g.^[33]
Saudi Arabia	Asia	Illegal	Use and possession for personal use of any kind of drugs is punishable by imprisonment if caught. Imprisonment for personal use could go up to 6 months jail time or more. Dealing and smuggling of high amounts of drugs usually result in harsher prison time or even execution, although recently executions are rare. Foreigners who use drugs might be deported.^[34]
Serbia	Europe
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain	Europe
Sierra Leone
Singapore	Asia	Illegal	Cannabis is a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, making it illegal to cultivate, sell, or possess.^[35]
Sri Lanka	Asia	Illegal	Cannabis is illegal in Sri Lanka though it is commonly used in Ayurvedic traditional medicines.^[36]
Sweden	Europe	Illegal	Possession of all quantities as well as use is illegal.^[37] The maximum penalty of six months imprisonment for minor offenses (such as personal use) makes the police eligible to arrest and take drug test upon suspicion. The attorney generals office recommends 30 day-fines (each at 50-1000 SEK) for single consumption and possessions of amounts equaling a few doses (up to 1 gram (0.035 oz)). If 10 grams (0.35 oz) is held of for personal use the same office recommends 60 day-fines and at 50 grams (1.8 oz) the office recommends the maximum of 150 day-fines.^[38] The maximum sentence for aggravated drug offenses (and smuggling, which is regulated in a separate law) is ten years imprisonment. The criminal code admits even longer combined sentences up to 14 or 18 years, the latter when crimes is committed while serving time.
Switzerland	Europe	Illegal	Although tolerated in small amounts for personal use at home.^[39]
Taiwan	Asia	Illegal	Cannabis is a schedule 2 narcotic in Taiwan, and possession can result in up to 3 years imprisonment.^[40]
Tanzania	Africa
Thailand	Asia
Turkey	Europe
United Arab Emirates	Asia	Illegal	Even the smallest amounts of the drug can lead to a mandatory four year prison sentence^[41].
United Kingdom	Europe	Illegal	Main article: Cannabis reclassification in the United Kingdom Cannabis is an illegal, Class B drug in the UK.
USA	North America	Illegal	Main article: Legal history of marijuana in the United States Laws vary by state, though state law is superseded by federal law which classifies cannabis as a Schedule I substance, the same classification as heroin and LSD. Now decriminalized in MA as well as parts of CA.
Uruguay	South America	Legal/Illegal	"Possession for personal use not penalized; law does not specify quantity for "personal amount."^[42]
Venezuela	South America	Illegal (Decriminalized)	"Possession of up to 20 grams not punished; users must go through drug treatment program."^[43]
Vietnam	Asia	Illegal	^[44]