more history (3)

2002-06-07

The Philippines replace theiradopts its present drug law

The Comprehensive Dangerous DrugsRepublic Act raised penalties sharply9165 replaced the 1972 law, up tocreated the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and lowered the life in prison for possessing-or-death threshold from 750 g to 500 g of marijuana. Below 300 g, possession still carried 12 years and created the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agencyone day to 20 years; use remained a separate offence.

title WikipediaLawPhil — Cannabis in the PhilippinesRepublic Act No. 9165 · url https://enlawphil.wikipedia.orgnet/wikistatutes/Cannabis_in_the_Philippinesrepacts/ra2002/ra_9165_2002.html

1975-12-12

Singapore introduces themandatory death penaltysentences for drugsdrug trafficking

An amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act made death mandatory for trafficking above set amounts, later fixed for cannabis at 500importing or exporting more than 30 g of morphine or 15 g of diamorphine. Cannabis was not yet covered by a capital threshold; that change came in 1990.

title WikipediaMHA Home Team Journal — Cannabis in SingaporeTimeline of MDA amendments introducing the mandatory death penalty (PDF) · url https://enwww.wikipediamha.orggov.sg/wikidocs/Cannabis_in_Singaporehta_libraries/publications/ht-journale-jan-2020-%28special-edition%29.pdf

1973-07-07

Singapore passes the's Misuse of Drugs Act takes effect

The Act gavereplaced the narcotics bureau powers to1951 Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and the 1969 Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act. It consolidated drug offences and gave CNB broad arrest, search and test without a warranturine-testing powers, alongside compulsory treatment and made consumption itself an offence proved by a urine testheavier penalties.

title Wikipedia — Cannabis in Singapore Statutes Online — Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 legislative history · url https://ensso.wikipediaagc.orggov.sg/wikiAct/Cannabis_in_SingaporeMDA1973?ProvIds=xv-

1972-03-30

Republic Act 6425 prohibitedcreated the Dangerous Drugs Board and a comprehensive offence system. Marijuana possession, or use carried six months and cultivation of Indian hempone day–six years, with long prison termsgiving it a lower range than other prohibited drugs, while cultivation carried 14 years and one day to life.

possession 100 · cultivation 100 · enforcement 102 · sharing 100 · consumption 100 · access 80

title WikipediaLawPhil — Cannabis in the PhilippinesRepublic Act No. 6425 · url https://enlawphil.wikipedia.orgnet/wikistatutes/Cannabis_in_the_Philippinesrepacts/ra1972/ra_6425_1972.html

A colonial narcotics ordinance prohibited growing cannabis and tightly restricted its possession, possessinguse and trading cannabisdistribution across the archipelago. Independent Indonesia kept the banMedical and later made it far harsherscientific activity required prior authorisation; other offences brought fines or up to six months in prison.

title WikipediaTransnational Institute — Cannabis in Indonesia, patterns in consumption, production and policies · url https://enwww.wikipediatni.org/wikifiles/Cannabis_in_Indonesiapublication-downloads/dpb_44_13012016_map_web.pdf

The British colony that included Singapore prohibited cannabis amid concern about use among Indian labourers, making it one of the first cannabis bans in Asia.

Life imprisonmentPrison is possible for possession of 10any amount; 500 g of resinflower or 50010 g of flowerresin carries life imprisonment. A compassionate special permitThere is the onlyno medical route-cannabis programme, only case-specific compassionate access to an imported medicine.

Under Section 11 of Republic Act 9165, possession of even the smallest amount of marijuana … g or more of marijuana, or 10 g or more of resin, carries life imprisonment and a fine of up to ₱500,000–10 million. There is no lesser tier for personal use.

ra, death

Cultivating any marijuana plantsplant carries life imprisonment and a fine of ₱500,000–10 million. The land or greenhouse can also be confiscated.

ra, death

DecadesA small personal amount exposes its possessor to a sentence of more than 12 years. The nationwide anti-long sentences for possession,drug campaign launched in a country where the 2016–2022 'war on drugs' also killed thousands of suspected usersalleged drug suspects; the UN found serious rights violations and dealersnear impunity.

ra, ssohchr

SaleSelling, delivering or giving away cannabis carries life imprisonment regardless ofand a ₱500,000–10 million fine, with no lower quantity tier.

ra, death

Use is a separate offence:. After a firstconfirmatory positive test, a first offence means at least six months in a government rehabilitation centre; a second brings six years and one day to twelve12 years in prison and a ₱50,000–200,000 fine.

ra, ss

NoneNo dispensary or ordinary pharmacy route exists. For a seriously ill patient, a treating physician or health institution may seek an FDA compassionate special permit to import an unregistered cannabis-based medicine for restricted use.

malayapna, fda

None. Republic Act 9165 prohibits every form of unauthorised cannabis cultivation.

malayara

NoneNo cannabis or CBD consumer products are lawful. The statutory definition covers every part of the plant and its seeds, resin, extract and tincture.

malayara, ddb

The only routeThere is a 'compassionate special permit' from theno medical-cannabis programme. The health department to importsays marijuana remains illegal unless an unregistered medicine for a named patientFDA compassionate special permit covers its use and importation. In September 2025On 24 February 2026, two House committees approved a consolidated medical-cannabis bill subject to allow cannabis in pharmaceutical form on prescription from accredited doctors;style and amendments, but it ishas not yetbecome law.

malayapna, fda, house

Plea bargaining is restricted, bail is hard to obtain inForeign nationals are deported after serving their sentence. Qualifying defendants may seek a plea bargain under the Supreme Court's drug cases-case framework, and compulsory rehabilitationbut acceptance is commondiscretionary rather than a right.

ra, sc

Republic Act No. 9346 — prohibition of the death penalty (LawPhil) Dangerous Drugs Board and PDEA — statement on the reclassification of cannabis FDA — 2025 guidelines for compassionate special permits Philippine News Agency — DOH sets conditions on proposed medical-cannabis legalisation House of Representatives — panel approves medical-cannabis bill (February 2026) UN Human Rights Office — report on killings and impunity in the anti-drug campaign Supreme Court — clarificatory guidelines on plea bargaining in drug cases Malaya — House joint panel okays medical marijuana bill (2025) SunStar — Decriminalize marijuana use or not? 1 unchanged

Prison and flogging for userspossession and use; thelong terms or death penalty for trafficking. Discretionary flogging ended in 2020, withbut drug executions for hashish resumed sincein 2022 and continued in hashish cases through 2026.

PossessionArticle 41 punishes possessing, buying, receiving or otherwise obtaining cannabis for personal use is punished with prison — sources give one to six months for first-time users and six months to two years more generally — with fines and, at the judge's discretion, floggingin prison. There is no exempt personal amount.

wiki, crlaw

CultivationCannabis and its seeds are listed as prohibited plants. Unauthorised cultivation is a crime and cultivation connected with supply is treated as production forunder the law's trafficking provisions.

crlaw, schedule

Corporal punishment andPersonal users face prison. Article 37 permits death sentences for usersimporting, executionexporting, manufacturing or receiving drugs for traffickersdistribution, although a court may reduce the sentence to at least 15 years in prison. Saudi Arabia resumed drugDiscretionary flogging was abolished in 2020, but executions resumed in late 2022, and people have since been beheadedwere executed for hashish traffickingsmuggling as recently as July 2026.

crlaw, wikiun, amnesty, hrw

Dealing brings twoGiving cannabis to tenanother person for promotion, even without payment, is treated as dealing. Article 38 provides five to 15 years with flogging; one reported case ended in ten yearsprison and 1,200 lashes for 59 kg. Smuggling anda fine; aggravated or repeat dealingtrafficking can bring thelonger imprisonment or death penalty.

wiki, gdnlaw

Use is a crime; users who seek within Article 41's six-month-to-two-year prison range. A dependent user may be sent to treatment instead, and someone who voluntarily mayseeks treatment can avoid prosecution if the law's conditions are met.

wikilaw

None. Cannabis is a prohibited plant and there is no medical or adult-use supply route.

wikischedule

None. The official schedules prohibit cannabis plants, their fibre and their seeds; there is no licensed cannabis-production programme.

wikischedule

NoneCannabis is controlled under names including hashish and marijuana, and the prohibition extends to every part of the plant. No general hemp or CBD exemption is provided.

crschedule

No medical cannabis programme. The law licenses some medicines containing controlled drugs, but cannabis itself remains on the prohibited-plant schedule rather than a patient-access pathway.

wikilaw, schedule

wikilaw

Saudi Bureau of Experts — Law of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Umm Al-Qura — Schedules to the Law of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances UN Committee against Torture — Saudi Arabia's third periodic report Amnesty International — Saudi Arabia resumes executions for drug-related offences Human Rights Watch — Saudi Arabia, new executions of Ethiopian migrants Wikipedia — Cannabis in Saudi Arabia GDN Online — Saudi drug trafficker gets 10 years jail, 1,200 lashes CannabisRegulations.ai — Is weed legal in Saudi Arabia?

Mandatory deathDeath penalty for trafficking over 500 g, subject to narrow exceptions; caning and prison for possession. Citizens can be prosecuted for use abroad. Cannabinoid pharmaceuticals are approved case by case.

The harshest regime in the index. Trafficking, importing or exporting more than 500 g of cannabis carries the mandatory death penaltyis a capital offence, and executionswith narrow exceptions for cannabisqualifying couriers. Cannabis executions have been carried out as recently as 2023April 2026. Between 330 g and 500 g: 20 to 30 years or life, plus 15 strokes of the cane.

cnb, cnb_execution, mh

Central Narcotics Bureau — Execution of a convicted drug importer, 16 April 2026 3 unchanged