Legality of cannabis

The use of cannabis for recreational purposes is prohibited in most countries; however, many have adopted a policy of decriminalization to make simple possession a non-criminal offense (often similar to a minor traffic violation). Others have much more severe penalties such as some Middle Eastern and Far Eastern countries where possession of even small amounts is punished by imprisonment for several years. Countries that have legalized various recreational uses of cannabis are Canada, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, South Africa, and Uruguay, plus 24 states, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia in the United States and the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. Commercial sale of recreational cannabis is legalized nationwide in two countries (Canada and Uruguay) and in all subnational U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized possession except Virginia and Washington, D.C. A policy of limited enforcement has also been adopted in many countries, in particular the Netherlands where the sale of cannabis is tolerated at licensed coffeeshops.

The legalization of recreational cannabis has been put forward as a solution to restrict access to the drug by minors, a method of harm reduction, a way of reducing organized crime, aid economic growth and revenue, as well as enable job creation. Unregulated cannabis from the illegal black market comes with increased health risks, such as unknown THC rate, unknown potency, possible toxic additives and contaminants and synthetic cannabinoids. Whereas, a legal and regulated cannabis system enables product quality and safety requirements to be mandated for public safety and consumer awareness. Cannabis illegality tends to become a burden on the criminal justice system, with legalization as a way to free up police time and resources to focus on more serious crimes, reduce the prison population of non-violent drug offenders and thus save taxpayers money. As of 2023, the legalization of cannabis has helped to create 151,000 jobs in Canada since its legalization in 2018. Legal market capture of cannabis in Canada after 5 years of legalization was approximately 78%. Between the start of legalization in October 2018 and August 2025, Canada collected over $5.4 billion in cannabis tax revenue, though cannabis education spending did not meet the original projection.

Countries that have legalized medical use of cannabis include Albania, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Others have more restrictive laws that allow only the use of certain cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals, such as Sativex, Marinol, Cesamet, or Epidiolex. In the United States, 41 states, 4 territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of cannabis, but at the federal level its use remains prohibited.

Legalization timeline