Malaysia
Asia
#180 of 196 worldwide
#34 of 48 in Asia
Possession of 200 g or more is presumed trafficking, which can carry death (no longer mandatory since 2023). Registered cannabinoid medicines may be imported.
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
Under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952: possession of under 20 g carries up to five years in prison or a fine of up to RM20,000, or both; 20–50 g carries two to five years plus three to nine strokes of the cane; 50–200 g carries five years to life plus at least ten strokes. At 200 g you are presumed to be a trafficker.
Personal cultivation · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Cultivating a cannabis plant carries life imprisonment and caning.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10adds 2.0 of 20 points
Prison and caning for possession, and the death penalty still available for trafficking. The 2023 reform let over a thousand death-row prisoners apply for resentencing.
Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Any supply is trafficking. Since July 2023 the death penalty for trafficking is discretionary rather than mandatory; the alternative is life imprisonment — now 30 to 40 years — with at least twelve strokes of the cane.
Consumption · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Self-administration is an offence with up to two years or a fine, proved by urine test, and can lead to compulsory rehabilitation.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
More context not part of the score
None; hemp-derived CBD products require registration as medicines.
Medical or research use is lawful only with authorisation from the health minister, which is rarely granted. The government has studied a medical framework for several years without enacting one.
Registered drug users face supervision orders; foreigners are deported after serving their sentence.
All sources
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