Pakistan
Asia
#110 of 196 worldwide
#14 of 48 in Asia
Illegal, yet charas is widely used and largely tolerated in parts of the country. A regulatory authority for medical and industrial cannabis was created in 2024.
Score breakdown ▏world average
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Possession · 25%1/10adds 2.5 of 25 points
Under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act as amended in 2022, possessing up to 499 g of charas (hashish) carries prison of at least ten months and up to five years, plus a fine; sentences rise steeply above that. Charas is nonetheless smoked widely and police often ignore it or take a bribe, so the law's severity and daily reality diverge sharply.
Personal cultivation · 25%1/10adds 2.5 of 25 points
Cultivation is a criminal offence, though cannabis grows wild across the north and is farmed in the tribal districts.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10adds 2.0 of 20 points
Mandatory minimum prison terms on paper, with uneven enforcement that falls hardest on the poor.
Sharing & gifting · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Supply is trafficking, with sentences up to life or death for large quantities.
Consumption · 10%2/10adds 2.0 of 10 points
Use is illegal but culturally embedded, particularly at Sufi shrines, and bhang drinks are consumed at festivals.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
No legal source.
More context not part of the score
A Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority was created in 2024 to license cultivation and processing for medical and industrial purposes; the framework is still being built.
A narcotics conviction carries a criminal record.
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