Cannabis Freedom Index
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Nauru

Oceania

Severe prohibition

#165 of 196 worldwide
#14 of 14 in Oceania

Recreational: IllegalMedical: None

Possession of any illicit drug carries a mandatory minimum of 12 months in prison.

Score over time

History

Score breakdown ▏world average

Select a segment to show or hide the exact rules and sources.

Possession · 25%0/10
adds 0.0 of 25 points

Possessing any illicit drug without lawful authority is an offence under section 6 of the Illicit Drugs Control Act 2004. As recently amended it carries a mandatory minimum of 12 months in prison and a maximum of three years. Courts treat cannabis, a Class B drug, as a 'soft' drug and sentence toward the bottom of that range.

Personal cultivation · 25%0/10
adds 0.0 of 25 points

Cultivation is an offence under the Act.

Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10
adds 2.0 of 20 points

A mandatory year in prison for simple possession makes this the harshest regime in the Pacific islands for users.

Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10
adds 0.0 of 10 points

Supply carries heavier penalties.

Consumption · 10%1/10
adds 1.0 of 10 points

Use is covered by the possession offence.

Legal access · 10%0/10
adds 0.0 of 10 points

None.

History

More context not part of the score

Commercial production

None.

Products

None.

Medical use

No medical cannabis.

Other consequences

A conviction is a criminal record.

All sources

  1. PacLII — Nauru District Court sentencing judgment for cannabis possession (2024)
  2. PacLII — Illicit Drugs Control Act 2004 (Nauru)

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