Philippines
Asia
#194 of 196 worldwide
#46 of 48 in Asia
Life imprisonment is possible for possession of 10 g of resin or 500 g of flower. A compassionate special permit is the only medical route.
Score breakdown ▏world average
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Possession · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Under Section 11 of Republic Act 9165, possession of even the smallest amount of marijuana carries 12 years and one day to 20 years in prison and a fine of ₱300,000–400,000. Possessing 500 g or more of marijuana, or 10 g or more of resin, carries life imprisonment and a fine of up to ₱10 million. There is no lesser tier for personal use.
Personal cultivation · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Cultivating marijuana plants carries life imprisonment.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%0/10adds 0.0 of 20 points
Decades-long sentences for possession, in a country where the 2016–2022 'war on drugs' killed thousands of suspected users and dealers.
Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Sale or giving away carries life imprisonment regardless of quantity.
Consumption · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Use is a separate offence: a first positive test means at least six months in a government rehabilitation centre; a second brings six to twelve years in prison.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
More context not part of the score
The only route is a 'compassionate special permit' from the health department to import an unregistered medicine for a named patient. In September 2025 House committees approved a bill to allow cannabis in pharmaceutical form on prescription from accredited doctors; it is not yet law.
Plea bargaining is restricted, bail is hard to obtain in drug cases, and compulsory rehabilitation is common.
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