Facts with sources
Worldwide: cannabis & the law
In some countries cannabis is legal for adults; in others people face long prison sentences or even the death penalty for trafficking. The map and table show the situation for the countries where I have checked reliable sources.
No legal advice. This overview is a simplified summary of laws and reputable compilations. Laws change, and rules often differ by region, quantity and situation. Always check the law that currently applies where you are. This website does not encourage anyone to break the law – in any country.
90 countries covered · 6 with unclear details · as of 22/10/2026
World map
Colours show the legal status for adults. Tap or click a country to see its details in the table. Grey means: not covered – not: allowed.
Legend – tap to filter
Country table
Tap a column heading to sort. “–” means not covered, because I have not checked a reliable source for it.
| Sources & date | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Argentina | Medical only | – | – | only with medical registration | – | – | [20]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Armenia | Decriminalised / tolerated | administrative offence | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Australia | VariesRules differ by state/province. | – | – | differs by region | – | – | [30] [31]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Austria | Prohibited | up to 6 months in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Bahrain | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Bangladesh | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Belgium | Decriminalised / toleratedTolerance policy – still illegal in law. | fine (up to 3 g) | – | tolerated (up to 1) | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Brazil | Decriminalised / toleratedBased largely on a court ruling. | not a crime up to 40 g | – | tolerated (up to 6) | – | – | [15]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Brunei | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Bulgaria | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Canada | Legal for adultsRules differ by state/province. | legal up to 30 g | up to 14 years in prison | partly (4 plants, differs by region) | – | – | [3]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Colombia | Decriminalised / toleratedBased largely on a court ruling. | not a crime up to 20 g | – | unclear | – | – | [14]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Croatia | Decriminalised / tolerated | administrative offence | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Cuba | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Cyprus | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Czech Republic | Legal for adults | legal up to 25 g / 100 g | – | yes, 3 plants | – | – | [7]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Denmark | Prohibited | up to 2 years in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Egypt | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Estonia | Decriminalised / tolerated | administrative offence | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Finland | Prohibited | up to 6 months in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| France | Medical only | up to 1 years in prison | up to 10 years in prison | no | – | – | [2] [18]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Georgia | Decriminalised / tolerated | administrative offence | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Germany | Legal for adults | legal up to 25 g / 50 g | – | yes, 3 plants | – | – | [1] [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Greece | Prohibited | up to 5 months in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Grenada | Decriminalised / toleratedHome growing only with registration. | not a crime up to 56 g | – | yes, 4 plants | – | – | [9]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Hungary | Prohibited | up to 2 years in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| India | Prohibited | – | – | no | yes [38] | in law only | [37] [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Indonesia | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – frequently applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Iran | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – frequently applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Iraq | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Ireland | Prohibited | up to 3 years in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Italy | Decriminalised / tolerated | administrative offence | – | unclear | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Jamaica | Decriminalised / tolerated | not a crime up to 2 oz (≈ 57 g) | – | yes, 5 plants | – | – | [10]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Japan | Prohibited | up to 7 years in prison | up to 10 years in prison | no | – | – | [34]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Jordan | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Kazakhstan | Prohibited | – | – | no | yes [35] | – | [35]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Kuwait | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – frequently applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Prohibited | – | – | no | yes [35] | – | [35]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Laos | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Latvia | Decriminalised / tolerated | administrative offence | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Libya | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Lithuania | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Luxembourg | Legal for adults | legal at home (in public: fine) | – | yes, 4 plants | – | – | [6] [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Malaysia | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Maldives | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Malta | Legal for adults | legal up to 7 g / 50 g | – | yes, 4 plants | – | – | [5] [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Mauritania | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Mexico | Decriminalised / tolerated | not a crime up to 5 g | – | unclear | – | – | [13]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Moldova | Decriminalised / tolerated | administrative offence | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Montenegro | Decriminalised / tolerated | fine | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Myanmar | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Nepal | Prohibited | – | – | no | yes [36] | – | [36]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Netherlands | Decriminalised / toleratedTolerance policy – still illegal in law.Pilot trials with regulated sales. | tolerated up to 5 g | – | tolerated (up to 5) | – | – | [11] [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| New Zealand | Medical only | up to 3 months in prison | – | no | – | – | [21] [22]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| North Korea | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – frequently applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Norway | Prohibited | up to 6 months in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Oman | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Pakistan | ProhibitedDeath penalty for drug offences abolished in 2023; according to HRI, people remain on death row. | – | – | no | – | abolished in 2023 | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Palestine | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | yes – data unclear | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| People's Republic of China | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | yes [40] | yes – frequently applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Philippines | Prohibited | – | up to life imprisonment | no | – | – | [39]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Poland | Prohibited | up to 3 years in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Portugal | Decriminalised / tolerated | administrative offence | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Qatar | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Romania | Prohibited | up to 2 years in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Russia | Prohibited | administrative offence | – | no | yes [33] | – | [32] [33]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Saudi Arabia | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – frequently applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Singapore | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – frequently applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Slovakia | Prohibited | up to 1 years in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Slovenia | Decriminalised / tolerated | fine | – | – | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| South Africa | Legal for adultsBased largely on a court ruling. | legal in private | – | yes | – | – | [8]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| South Korea | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| South Sudan | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Spain | Decriminalised / tolerated | fine | – | unclear | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Sri Lanka | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Sudan | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Sweden | Prohibited | up to 6 months in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Switzerland | Decriminalised / toleratedPilot trials with regulated sales. | not a crime up to 10 g | – | no | – | – | [12] [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Syria | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | yes – data unclear | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Taiwan | Prohibited | – | – | no | – | in law only | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Thailand | Medical onlyFlowers only with a prescription issued in Thailand (30 days at most).Cannabis has not been on the narcotics list since 2022; the death penalty concerns other drugs. | – | – | unclear | – | yes – rarely applied | [23] [24] [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Turkey | Prohibited | up to 5 years in prison | – | no | – | – | [2]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Ukraine | Medical only | – | – | no | unclear | – | [19]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| United Arab Emirates | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| United Kingdom | Medical only | up to 5 years in prison | up to 14 years in prison | no | – | – | [16] [17]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| United States of America | VariesRules differ by state/province.Federal law: since 28 Apr 2026 only cannabis under a state medical licence is in Schedule III; recreational cannabis remains Schedule I. | up to 1 years in prison | up to life imprisonment | differs by region | yes [29] | in law only | [26] [27] [28] [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Uruguay | Legal for adultsHome growing only with registration. | legal up to 40 g | – | yes, 6 plants | – | – | [4]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Vietnam | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – frequently applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
| Yemen | Prohibited – death penalty possible | – | death penalty possible | no | – | yes – rarely applied | [25]As of: 22/10/2026 |
Method & sources
- Only countries for which I have checked a primary source (statute, authority, court) or a reputable compilation (EUDA, UNODC, Harm Reduction International) are covered. Grey countries are not covered – that does not mean anything is allowed there.
- Penalties are the statutory maximum for simple possession of small amounts for personal use, or for trafficking – only where the source supports it. Practice can be milder or harsher.
- The column “Death penalty for drug offences” follows the 2025 report by Harm Reduction International. Whether, and from what quantity, it also applies to cannabis differs by country.
- “Wild/feral” means documented wild-growing or feral cannabis populations exist. That does not make picking or possessing it legal anywhere.
- The EUDA data dates from 09/2024; later reforms (e.g. Czechia 2026, Grenada 2026) were added from their own sources.
- Spotted a mistake? Corrections with a source are welcome – contact Flo on X: @MisterSm3ilz420.
Sources & date
- Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG), gesetze-im-internet.de
- EUDA: Penalties for drug law offences in Europe at a glance (data as of 04/09/2024)
- Cannabis Act (S.C. 2018, c. 16), Justice Laws Website
- Ley N° 19.172 (2013), IMPO Uruguay
- Act No. LXVI of 2021, legislation.mt
- Loi du 10 juillet 2023, Legilux
- Zákon č. 270/2025 Sb., e-Sbírka
- Constitutional Court: Minister of Justice v Prince [2018] ZACC 30, SAFLII
- Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) (Amendment) Act 2026, Parliament of Grenada
- Cannabis Licensing Authority Jamaica: Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act 2015
- Government.nl: Possession, production and dealing of drugs
- Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BetmG), fedlex.admin.ch
- Ley General de Salud (Art. 479), Cámara de Diputados
- Ley 30 de 1986, Secretaría del Senado
- STF: 40 gramas como critério (RE 635.659, 2024)
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Schedule 4, legislation.gov.uk
- NHS: Medical cannabis
- ANSM: Cannabis à usage médical
- Закон України № 3528-IX (in Kraft seit 16.08.2024), zakon.rada.gov.ua
- Ley 27.350 (2017), argentina.gob.ar
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, legislation.govt.nz
- Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Act 2018
- Thailand.go.th: Cannabis now strictly regulated (2025)
- Nation Thailand: Cannabis buds remain prescription-only, ONCB
- Harm Reduction International: The Death Penalty for Drug Offences – Global Overview 2025 (data as of 2025)
- Federal Register, 28.04.2026: Rescheduling (FDA-approved / state medical) to Schedule III
- 21 U.S. Code § 844 (Cornell LII)
- 21 U.S. Code § 841 (Cornell LII)
- Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (US DOJ/OJP) (data as of 1989)
- Drugs of Dependence (Personal Cannabis Use) Amendment Act 2019 (ACT)
- TGA: Medicinal cannabis hub
- КоАП РФ (ст. 6.8), КонсультантПлюс
- ТАСС: итоги операции «Мак-2025» (дикорастущая конопля) (data as of 2025)
- MHLW: About the Penalties for Drug Offenses
- UNODC: Illicit Drug Trends in Central Asia (data as of 2008)
- UN Nepal / UNODC: Drug situation report Nepal
- PIB (Government of India): CBN destroys illicit cannabis, 2022 (data as of 2022)
- McPartland & Small 2020, PhytoKeys: wild relatives of Cannabis in the Himalaya (data as of 2020)
- Republic Act No. 9165, Official Gazette
- Ren et al. 2021, Science Advances: domestication history of Cannabis sativa (data as of 2021)
💬 Personal opinion – not a statement of fact
Why I do this – Flo's view
I want to reach people worldwide, because it can't be right that in some countries this plant can land you in prison while in others it grows by the roadside.
That's why I calmly collect what the laws actually say – with sources. The map and table above are facts; this box is my personal opinion.
I am not calling on anyone to break the law. Please respect the law of your country. If you want to change something, you can do so legally: inform yourself, discuss things factually and argue with facts.
– Flo, hobby botanist