North Korea
Asia
#167 of 196 worldwide
#27 of 48 in Asia
Legal status is opaque. Officially a controlled substance; hemp is widely grown. Scored with low confidence.
Score breakdown ▏world average
Select a segment to show or hide the exact rules and sources.
Possession · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Contrary to a persistent internet myth, cannabis is not legal in North Korea. The penal code lists it as a controlled substance alongside cocaine and heroin, and a 2005 narcotics-control law classifies cannabis and hemp resin as narcotics. What penalties are applied in practice is unknown; this entry is scored with low confidence.
Personal cultivation · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Drug cultivation is prohibited. Industrial hemp with low THC is legal and widely grown for cloth, oil and other consumer goods — one source of the myth.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10adds 2.0 of 20 points
Unknown. Drug offences in general can bring labour-camp sentences, and executions for drug trafficking have been reported.
Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Distribution is prohibited by the narcotics law.
Consumption · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Use is prohibited. Reports of people openly smoking 'weed' probably refer to ipdambae, a rough blend of herbs and tobacco leaf.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
None. A Western diplomat based in Pyongyang said there should be no doubt that drugs, including marijuana, are illegal.
More context not part of the score
All sources
Last updated: