# Cannabis Freedom Index > A score from 0 to 100 for every country, for how free a person is to possess, grow, share and use cannabis. 196 countries and 23 disputed territories and dependencies are scored, each with a written explanation, sources and a dated history of how its law changed. 2026 edition, last updated 24 October 2026. Important when using this data: - Scores are editorial estimates that blend the written law with how it is enforced. They are not legal advice, and laws change: give the date above when quoting a score. - A score of 10 in a segment means no cannabis-specific rule at all. Every cap, licence and registry costs points, so even the most liberal countries are around 50. The world average is 13.2. - The index measures the freedom of an ordinary adult. Rules for industry, products and medical programmes are described but not scored. - Federal countries (United States, Canada, Australia, India) get one national score that hides large internal differences. - Data is CC BY 4.0. Credit "Cannabis Freedom Index" and link to https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/. ## How the score is built Six segments, each scored 0 to 10 against fixed levels, are combined by weight into the index. - **Possession** (weight 25%): Can an adult hold a small amount for personal use? - **Personal cultivation** (weight 25%): Can you grow your own plants at home? - **Punishment & enforcement** (weight 20%): How hard does the law come down on personal users in practice? - **Sharing & gifting** (weight 10%): Is passing cannabis to another adult, unpaid, treated differently from dealing? - **Consumption** (weight 10%): Is using itself an offence, and where may you do it? - **Legal access** (weight 10%): Is there a lawful way to obtain cannabis without growing it yourself? ### Levels **Possession** - 0: Prison is a realistic outcome for a small amount - 1: A crime, but usually ends in a fine or diversion - 3: Decriminalised: at most an administrative fine - 5: Legal up to a small cap (around 30 g) - 7: Legal with a generous cap or none at home - 10: Unlimited — like any vegetable **Personal cultivation** - 0: Treated as drug production, prison - 1: A crime, lesser penalties for a few plants - 2: A few plants tolerated or decriminalised - 4: Legal for a handful of plants (3–6) - 6: Legal with no fixed plant cap, private only - 10: Unlimited, indoors or out, no registration **Punishment & enforcement** - 0: Death penalty, corporal punishment or long sentences - 1: Users are routinely jailed - 2: Prison possible, fines typical - 4: Fines or diversion only - 6: Nothing inside the limits, prison for going beyond them - 10: No cannabis offences at all **Sharing & gifting** - 0: Sharing equals trafficking - 2: Illegal, but not pursued in practice - 3: Legal grey area - 5: Gifts between adults legal up to a cap - 10: Give away any amount **Consumption** - 0: Use itself is a crime - 1: Illegal, lightly enforced - 3: Legal or tolerated in private only - 5: Legal in public with many restrictions - 7: Allowed wherever tobacco is - 10: No cannabis-specific rules **Legal access** - 0: No lawful source - 1: Medical route only, hard to use - 3: Tolerated shops or clubs, or easy medical access - 4: Legal clubs or state outlets with registration and caps - 6: Licensed shops with purchase caps - 10: Sold by anyone, no licence — like produce ## Countries, freest first ### Northern Mariana Islands Score 55/100 (Legal with limits), Unincorporated territory, not ranked. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mp/ The Northern Mariana Islands legalised adult and medical use in September 2018. Adults 21 and over may carry an ounce, keep eight at home and grow their own. Licensed shops and lounges opened in 2021; the commission reported retailer-delivery rules in 2025. - **Possession 6/10.** Adults 21 and over may possess up to 1 oz in a public place and up to 8 oz of usable cannabis at home, plus up to 16 oz of solid and 72 oz of liquid cannabis products and 5 g of extracts. Possession is barred in cannabis-free zones such as government buildings, schools, federal buildings and businesses licensed to serve alcohol. - **Personal cultivation 5/10.** Adults may grow up to six mature and twelve immature plants per household or cultivation site, out of public view and secured against unauthorised access and access by people under 21. A homegrown-registry card is required, with a statutory annual fee of $75. The 2019 amendment protected compliant growing while registry rules were unfinished, subject to obtaining a card when available. Homegrown cannabis may not be sold. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Inside the limits nothing is punished. Using cannabis while driving brings fines of up to $500 and suspension of the licence for up to six months for a first offence, and up to $1,000 and a year for a repeat. - **Sharing & gifting 5/10.** Adults 21 and over may give another adult up to one ounce of usable cannabis, 16 ounces of solid products, 72 ounces of liquid products, five grams of extracts or six immature plants for noncommercial purposes. The recipient must accept the gift. Homegrown cannabis and plants may not be sold for consideration. - **Consumption 4/10.** Use is legal in private, but using or displaying cannabis in a public place, on public property or in front of anyone under 21 is unlawful. Licensed lounges allow on-site consumption. - **Legal access 6/10.** The commission licenses producers, processors, retailers, wholesalers, lounges and testing. Saipan Select held a soft opening on 14 July 2021 and its grand opening on 16 July. Seven retailers renewed licences in 2025; the commission’s 2025 report also records amended retailer-delivery rules and a compliance advisory for delivery from licensed premises. - *Commercial production.* Licensed producers grow under canopy classes; the commission counted eight producer licensees in 2025, and licensees employed about sixty people. There is no certified testing laboratory in the Commonwealth. - *Products.* Flower, extracts, edibles and other products from licensed processors. In 2025 the commission was working on potency limits for concentrates, edibles, tinctures and topicals. - *Medical use.* The 2018 law covers medical as well as adult use. A patient or caregiver may grow up to twelve mature and twenty-four immature plants when a physician considers it necessary and practical for treatment, with a registry card and physician statement. The 2019 law allows licensed sales to patients aged eighteen to twenty-one with a valid doctor’s recommendation, including qualifying recommendations from a nonresident patient’s country of origin. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Licensed lounges, where adults consume on site, take the place clubs fill elsewhere. - *Other consequences.* Cannabis excise and surtax brought in $686,979 in fiscal 2024 but only $113,880 by July 2025. In 2025 the commission cut licence fees by 25% and adopted rules for a seed-to-sale tracking system. ### Canada Score 53/100 (Legal with limits), rank 1 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ca/ Fully legal since October 2018: 30 g in public, four plants per household in most provinces, gifting between adults, and licensed retail and delivery across the country. - **Possession 6/10.** Adults (18+, 19 or 21 in most provinces) may carry up to 30 g of dried cannabis in public, or its equivalent in other forms (for example 150 g of fresh cannabis or 7.5 g of concentrate). Federal law sets no cap at home, though some provinces add one, and Nunavut provides that a person shall not possess more than 150 g of dried cannabis or its equivalent. Cannabis grown at home from lawful seed, or given by another adult within the gift limit, may be possessed. What is forbidden is any cannabis the person knows is illicit. Carrying more than 30 g in public is an offence punishable by up to five years less a day. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** An adult may grow up to four cannabis plants at a time in their dwelling-house. Where two or more adults live there, the household may not grow more than four, and a further plant is an offence. The plants have to come from seed or plant material the grower does not know is illicit. A gift within the federal sharing limits, or a purchase from an authorised retailer, is a lawful source. Quebec prohibits cultivation for personal purposes. Growing four plants or fewer in a dwelling-house is a fine of $250 to $750. Since 1 May 2025 a person 19 or older in Manitoba may grow up to four plants in their ordinary residence, and the household may not exceed four. The plants must be indoors, in a locked room or container or somewhere a young person cannot reach, and must come from seed or plant material that is not illicit. Newfoundland and Labrador allows four plants inside the grower's ordinary dwelling or an enclosed structure on the premises, and not in the yard. The Northwest Territories also allow four plants and require the growing to be indoors. In New Brunswick the plants must be at the person's dwelling-house. Outdoors they must stand inside a locked enclosure at least 1.52 metres high, and indoors in a separate locked space. In Prince Edward Island the plants must be at the person's private dwelling. Indoors the space must be inaccessible to anyone under 19 and to anyone who has not been invited in. Outdoors they must stand inside a locked enclosure at least 1.52 metres high and out of sight from public space beyond the property. A tenant needs the landlord's written permission. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Personal conduct inside the limits is not punished. Outside them the Act is severe: up to 14 years for unlicensed sale, production, export or supplying a minor, with ticketing for small overages. - **Sharing & gifting 5/10.** Adults may give up to 30 g of dried cannabis, or the equivalent, to another adult without payment. That includes cannabis the giver grew. Any payment turns it into unlicensed sale, and giving to anyone under 18 carries up to 14 years. - **Consumption 5/10.** Using is legal, but where is decided by provinces and cities. Some treat it like tobacco; others restrict it to private residences. Landlords and condo boards can ban smoking, and licensed consumption lounges remain rare. - **Legal access 6/10.** Licensed shops and online ordering exist in every province and territory, privately run in some and government monopolies in others. Purchases are capped at 30 g per transaction. Only provincially authorised retailers may sell; everything else is a criminal market. - *Commercial production.* Anyone can apply for a federal cultivation or processing licence, including small 'micro' classes, and there is no cap on licence numbers. But security clearances, site requirements, excise stamps and compliance costs are heavy, and unlicensed commercial production carries up to 14 years. - *Products.* Flower, pre-rolls, oils, edibles, drinks, vapes, concentrates and topicals are all legal. Limits: edibles are capped at 10 mg THC per package, extracts at 1,000 mg per container, with plain packaging, health warnings and a near-total ban on promotion. Health Canada's classification guidance treats ingestible products marketed for mixing with food or drinks as edibles, subject to the 10 mg limit. - *Seeds and clones.* Licensed sellers may sell cannabis seeds and cannabis plants. An adult may also give another adult up to 30 cannabis seeds, because one seed counts as one gram of dried cannabis toward the 30 gram distribution limit, and up to four plants that are not budding or flowering. Selling cannabis without authorisation is prohibited. Home growers buy seeds or immature flowering plants from an authorised retailer, and growing from a seed or plant the person knows is illicit is an offence. An adult may possess up to four plants that are not budding or flowering. - *Medical use.* Any physician or nurse practitioner can authorise medical use with no list of qualifying conditions. Patients buy from federal licence holders by mail, or register with Health Canada to grow their own or designate a grower. Still a registration system, and not covered by ordinary public health insurance. A separate Veterans Affairs benefit reimburses eligible patients, with its ceiling reduced from C$8.50 to C$6 per dried gram or equivalent for orders from 1 April 2026. - *Cannabis clubs.* Legalisation built a system of licensed producers and shops and left no room for members' clubs: cannabis may only be sold with a federal or provincial licence. The medical compassion clubs that had sold openly since the 1990s were not absorbed into it, and those that carried on are treated as unlicensed sellers. The best-documented cases are in British Columbia. The B.C. Compassion Club Society in Vancouver closed in 2022 after about 25 years of selling without a licence. The Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club has been raided four times by the provincial Community Safety Unit, in 2019, 2020, 2022 and April 2026, and the courts upheld a 3.2 million dollar penalty against it in 2024; the unit says it sells contrary to both the provincial licensing act and the federal Cannabis Act. By 2022 the province reported having shut 186 unlicensed retailers. Patient groups asked the federal review of the Act to allow some form of storefront medical sale. - *Black market.* The legal market has taken most of the trade. In Health Canada's 2024 survey, 72% of people who used cannabis usually bought it from a legal shop or website, up from 37% in 2019, and only 3% from an illegal shop, website or dealer, down from 16%. Another 15% got it from friends or family and 5% grew their own. Users spent about 53 dollars a month on legal cannabis and 8 dollars on illegal, and paid on average 8.41 dollars for a gram of dried flower. - *Driving.* Federal criminal law sets fixed blood limits. Between 2 and 5 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood is a summary offence with a fine of up to 1,000 dollars. At 5 nanograms or more, a first offence carries a mandatory minimum fine of 1,000 dollars and up to ten years in prison. A third offence covers THC with alcohol: 2.5 nanograms or more together with 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, with mandatory minimums of a 1,000 dollar fine, then 30 days and 120 days in prison for repeat offences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no residency rule: any adult of the provincial minimum age (18 in Alberta, 21 in Quebec, 19 elsewhere) may buy from authorised retailers and carry up to 30 g in public, and the federal government tells people to know the law of the province they live in or visit. The border is the hard limit. Taking cannabis into or out of Canada in any form, including CBD oil and cannabis authorised for medical use, is a serious criminal offence whatever the amount, and failing to declare it on entry can also lead to arrest and prosecution. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Police recorded 8,879 cannabis offences in 2024, or 22 per 100,000 people, down 89% from 194 per 100,000 in 2014, when nearly 70,000 cannabis offences made up two-thirds of all drug crime; in 2024 they were 17%. What is left is mostly border crime: of the offences under the Cannabis Act, 66% were importation or exportation, 13% possession, 7% distribution, 7% sale and 3% production. The cannabis rate rose 30% between 2023 and 2024, by 2,272 incidents. - *Other consequences.* Drug-impaired driving law uses per-se THC blood limits, so a regular user can be over the limit without being impaired. Past simple-possession convictions can be cleared through a free, expedited record suspension — on application, not automatically. Admitting to cannabis use can still get a traveller refused at the US border. ### Uruguay Score 52/100 (Legal with limits), rank 2 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/uy/ First country to legalise (2013). Registered residents choose between growing six plants, joining a club, or buying up to 40 g a month in pharmacies at state-set prices. - **Possession 6/10.** The drug law exempts a person who carries or keeps a quantity meant for their own use. The judge decides that question, and the law treats up to 40 g of marijuana as a personal amount. That exemption stands whether or not the cannabis came from a pharmacy, a club or a registered home grow. A harvest from up to six plants at home, or a club's harvest, is covered when it was grown as the law allows. The regulating decree authorises possession for personal use on the same 40 g measure. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Registered residents may grow up to six flowering plants per household with an annual harvest of at most 480 g. Registration with the state regulator IRCCA is mandatory, and choosing home growing excludes you from pharmacies and clubs. Unregistered growing is an offence. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Personal possession is exempt when the cannabis is for the person's own use, whether or not that person is on a register. Growing, selling and other supply without authorisation remain criminal offences. - **Sharing & gifting 4/10.** Sharing or giving cannabis that was obtained legally, from a pharmacy, a registered club or a registered home grow, is not penalised. The 2026 national evaluation counts that sharing as legal access: 20.9% of people who had used cannabis in the past year most often got it that way. Buying cannabis for someone else, and sharing cannabis from an unregistered grow or from a dealer, sit outside that rule. Sale without a licence remains a criminal offence. - **Consumption 7/10.** Smoking is allowed wherever tobacco is: not in enclosed public spaces, workplaces, schools or health facilities. Using in the street or a park is lawful, one of the most permissive rules anywhere. Working or driving under the influence is prohibited. - **Legal access 4/10.** Only registered Uruguayan citizens and permanent residents aged 18+ can buy, at participating pharmacies, verified by fingerprint, up to 10 g a week (40 g a month) at a state-set price. Tourists are excluded. Each person must pick one route: pharmacy, club or home grow. - *Commercial production.* Cannabis for pharmacies is grown by a handful of companies chosen by state tender, on state-controlled land, with the state setting price and genetics. Membership clubs (15–45 members, up to 99 plants) are the only other producers. There is no open commercial licensing. - *Products.* Pharmacies sell only a few state-specified flower varieties with capped THC — launched at very low potency and since raised, with the newest variety at up to about 20%. No edibles, concentrates or vapes in the legal market. - *Seeds and clones.* Seeds and cuttings move only inside the regulated system. The regulator IRCCA alone imports them, for licensed producers, registered home growers and membership clubs. Licensed producers may produce and dispense them, and home growers and clubs may produce seeds or cuttings only for their own crop, after registering with the national seed institute. - *Medical use.* Medical cannabis is legal and a 2019 law aimed to widen access, but few registered products exist, they are expensive, and most patients rely on the adult-use channels or home-made preparations instead. - *Cannabis clubs.* Membership clubs are one of three legal routes, alongside pharmacies and home growing, and a resident may register for only one. A club is a non-profit association of at most 45 members growing up to 99 flowering plants. At the end of 2025 there were 557 clubs, in every department. By March 2026 some 575 clubs had about 20,200 members; with under a quarter of registered users they say they supply more than half of the legal cannabis, about 4.75 tonnes against 4.25 tonnes sold by pharmacies. The clubs are pressing to be allowed to serve tourists. - *Black market.* Eleven years after legalisation, the government's second evaluation of the law found that 46% of current users were registered for one of the legal routes. Classic trafficking of pressed cannabis, the main source in 2014, supplied only 6.7% of users in 2024. What remains is mostly a grey market of about 30%: cannabis from unregistered home growers and informal swaps, which the report calls distinct from traditional trafficking and less criminal, and one of the main unsolved problems. Pharmacies had 74,583 registered buyers at the end of 2024, but only 20 to 40% of them bought in any month, and the report says supply and distribution problems keep the legal market at about half its potential. - *Driving.* The regulating decree treats a driver's capacity as impaired whenever THC is detected in the body; it sets no numerical threshold. Traffic police, municipal inspectors and the coast guard may test, with devices chosen by the cannabis institute, and a driver who tests positive may ask for a confirming test at their own cost. The licence is withheld and the penalties of the road traffic law apply. The government's 2026 evaluation notes that roadside testing has so far been unsystematic and experimental, with regular monitoring planned from 2026. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The legal market is closed to visitors. To buy in a pharmacy, join a club or register as a home grower, a person must be an adult with Uruguayan citizenship, natural or legal, or with proven permanent residence, and must be entered in the register with a Uruguayan identity card and proof of address; each person may use only one of the three routes. A tourist has no legal source. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Uruguay publishes prosecutions for all drug offences together, not for cannabis alone. People charged with drug offences numbered 1,187 in 2013, the year the law passed, fell to 935 in 2018, and then rose to 2,085 in 2024, the highest in the series; throughout they were between 9 and 14% of everyone charged with any crime. The government's evaluation says the law reduced police and court action over minor cannabis conduct. - *Other consequences.* Three state registries hold the identity of every legal buyer, grower and club member. Driving has a zero-tolerance THC rule, and employers may test for use at work. No criminal record arises from personal use. ### South Africa Score 49/100 (Legal with limits), rank 3 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/za/ A 2018 Constitutional Court ruling protects adult possession, use and cultivation in private, and the 2024 Cannabis for Private Purposes Act writes that into law. The Act is not yet in force: draft regulations published in February 2026 propose caps of 750 g and five plants. Buying and selling remain illegal. - **Possession 6/10.** Adults 18+ may possess cannabis for private purposes, kept out of public view. The 2024 Act sets no gram limit itself and is not yet in force; draft regulations gazetted on 2 February 2026 propose a cap of 750 g, at home or carried concealed in public. Until they are adopted, the right rests on the Constitutional Court's 2018 privacy ruling, with no fixed number. - **Personal cultivation 6/10.** Adults may grow cannabis in a private place for their own use, with no licence or registration. The February 2026 draft regulations would cap this at five plants per adult, of any size or strain. That cap is not yet law; if adopted, this segment's score would fall. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Private adult possession, use and cultivation are not punished. An adult who uses or possesses cannabis in public can still face a criminal sanction, and dealing remains a crime. On 29 September 2022 the Constitutional Court confirmed that criminalising a child's use or possession of cannabis is invalid. It suspended that finding for 24 months and, during the suspension, ordered that no child may be arrested, prosecuted or diverted for that contravention. A child who is apprehended may be referred to civil processes. The judgment says use or possession by a child is still not permitted, and that dealing, and an adult who uses a child to possess or use cannabis, are outside the order. The 2024 Act, which would set the response for a child, has not come into force. - **Sharing & gifting 3/10.** Any exchange for payment is dealing and remains a crime. The 2024 Act would let an adult, without payment, give cannabis to or receive it from another adult in a private place, but that Act has not come into force. The 2018 ruling protects possession, use and cultivation for oneself. An unpaid gift between adults is not settled by a holding read here. - **Consumption 3/10.** An adult's use in a private place rests on the 2018 ruling. Public use can still be a crime. The 2024 Act would also forbid use in the presence of a child or a non-consenting adult, but that Act has not come into force. - **Legal access 1/10.** There is no legal way to buy cannabis for adult use. The 2024 Act would also exclude trade, and it has not come into force. Private 'grow clubs' and dispensaries operate in a legal grey zone and are periodically raided. - *Commercial production.* No commercial recreational licensing exists. The health regulator licenses cultivation of medical cannabis, largely for export, and hemp permits are issued separately. A commercial framework has been promised but not enacted. - *Products.* Whatever you make at home for yourself is lawful; nothing may be sold. Low-dose CBD products are available over the counter; THC products are not legally sold outside the medical route. - *Seeds and clones.* The Cannabis for Private Purposes Act defines cannabis as the flowering or fruiting tops and leaves out the seed and the seedling. It would let an adult, without payment, give cannabis to or receive it from another adult in a private place. The Act comes into operation only on a date the President proclaims, and it has not come into force. The 2018 ruling protects an adult's own cultivation in private. Sale remains dealing. - *Medical use.* Medical access is possible but narrow: a doctor must apply to the regulator for permission to prescribe an unregistered cannabis medicine for a named patient. The 2024 Act would let a responsible adult give a child cannabis prescribed by a doctor, and that Act has not come into force. - *Cannabis clubs.* After the 2018 ruling allowed private growing, many 'grow clubs' appeared: members supply seed, the club grows the plants and hands back the harvest, charging for the gardening and not for the cannabis. Police raided one, The Haze Club, in October 2020. In 2022 the Cape Town High Court refused to declare the model lawful, holding that the right to grow for private use cannot be outsourced and that an unregulated club could in practice legalise dealing. Until the law provides for them, clubs risk prosecution under the Drug Trafficking Act. - *Black market.* Selling cannabis remains illegal, so everything bought is bought outside the law, but the market has changed shape since the Constitutional Court allowed private growing in 2018. The traditional source, Mpondoland in the Eastern Cape, where villages have grown dagga for more than a century and police never managed to stop the trade, has been collapsing: growers reported in 2024 that a 20-litre bucket that once fetched 1,500 to 2,000 rand now sold for 500, and some burned harvest they could not sell. A researcher puts this down to the rise of home growing, to imported high-potency strains (the local landrace has 2.5 to 8% THC against 20 to 28%), and to an often illicit but largely unpoliced city trade of businesses he calls a "cowboy" sector. The only legal route for a grower is a medical cultivation licence, which small farmers cannot afford. - *Driving.* There is no THC limit for drivers. The road traffic law prohibits driving under the influence of alcohol or of a drug having a narcotic effect, so a prosecution depends on showing impairment. A 2019 review in the South African Crime Quarterly found that testing drivers for substances other than alcohol is rarely done, and called for a statutory definition and detailed testing provisions. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Nobody can buy cannabis legally. The 2018 ruling protects an adult's own possession, growing and use in a private place, and it does not separate residents from visitors. The 2024 Act is not in force. Draft regulations published in February 2026 would cap possession at 750 g and growing at five plants. A visitor therefore has no legal source, and public use can still be a crime. - *Arrests and prisoners.* No national count of cannabis arrests was found. Since 23 August 2023 a directive of the national police commissioner has told officers that adults may not be arrested on a presumption of selling, because no law fixes the quantity an adult may hold or grow. In December 2024 the Human Rights Commission said it was still receiving complaints of cannabis users being arrested, especially from the Rastafari community, and urged the government to bring the 2024 Act into force. - *Other consequences.* The 2022 judgment lets a child's conviction for cannabis use or possession be expunged on application. The 2024 Act provides for a wider expungement of old possession and use convictions, and that Act has not come into force. Workplace testing and dismissal for a positive test remain contested in the courts, and driving under the influence is an offence. ### Czechia Score 44/100 (Legal with limits), rank 4 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cz/ Since 1 January 2026 adults aged 21+ may grow three plants and keep 100 g of cannabis at home or 25 g elsewhere. Recreational sales remain illegal. Pharmacies dispense medical cannabis on electronic prescription, with insurance covering 90% of the cost up to 30 g a month. - **Possession 6/10.** Adults aged 21+ may keep up to 100 g of cannabis in their own dwelling and up to 25 g elsewhere. More than 100 g and up to 200 g at home, or more than 25 g and up to 50 g elsewhere, is an administrative offence. Above 200 g at home or 50 g elsewhere, possession for personal use is a crime. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Adults aged 21+ may grow, harvest and process up to three cannabis plants for themselves on property they own or otherwise have a legal right to use. Four or five plants is an administrative offence; more than five is a crime. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Possession and growing within the age and quantity limits are lawful; the next band above those limits brings an administrative penalty of up to CZK50,000. Crossing the criminal threshold for personal possession or growing carries up to six months in prison in the basic case, with higher sentences for larger quantities. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Selling cannabis or giving it to someone else remains a crime, including a gift between friends. The basic supply offence carries up to one year in prison, with higher sentences for aggravated cases. - **Consumption 5/10.** Adults aged 21+ may possess cannabis for their own use within the legal limits. Smoking bans still apply in public transport, schools, playgrounds and indoor restaurant areas, among other places. - **Legal access 1/10.** Adults can grow their own cannabis within the three-plant limit. Selling it or giving it to others remains a criminal offence, so recreational shops and supply clubs have no authorised route to distribute it. Pharmacies dispense prescribed medical cannabis as flower or extracts. - *Commercial production.* Medical cannabis growers need a licence from the State Institute for Drug Control, which inspects the cultivation site before granting it. Personal growers aged 21+ may grow up to three plants for themselves; that permission does not allow them to supply other people. - *Products.* The personal-use rules cover home-grown cannabis and its processing within the plant and possession limits. A legal commentary distinguishes ordinary drying or making ointments from manufacture using chemical extraction to concentrate cannabinoids, which remains a criminal offence. Medical patients can obtain prescribed flower and extracts through pharmacies. - *Seeds and clones.* The Addictive Substances Act defines cannabis as the flowering or fruiting top, or an above-ground part containing the top. Seeds and young plants without those tops fall outside that definition. Growing cannabis is separately regulated: adults aged 21+ may grow up to three plants for their own use. - *Medical use.* Patients receive medical flower or extracts on an electronic prescription, dispensed through pharmacies. Approved prescribers include general practitioners as well as the listed specialists. Public health insurance covers 90% of the cost of up to 30 g a month; reimbursement above that quantity needs the insurer's approval. - *Cannabis clubs.* A survey conducted in 2018–19 received responses from two Czech cannabis social clubs. The current law permits personal growing and possession, while supplying other people remains a crime. A legal commentary on the 2026 rules treats joint growing followed by dividing the harvest as joint participation in the supply offence. - *Black market.* In 2024 police found 109 indoor growing sites, down from 138 in 2023, mostly with at most 50 plants. Home growing supplied personal and community demand; organised groups bought some surpluses for export, mainly to Slovakia and Austria. Criminal-case seizures totalled 609 kg of dried cannabis and 7,100 plants; average herbal cannabis potency was 11% THC. The monitoring centre also reports drug sales through social networks, darknet markets and couriers. - *Driving.* At 2 ng/ml of delta-9-THC in blood, a driver is legally affected under Regulation 41/2014. The Supreme Court's separate threshold of 10 ng/ml in blood serum supports a finding of unfitness to drive for the criminal offence. Administrative driving under the influence carries a CZK7,000–25,000 fine, six points and a six-to-eighteen-month driving ban. Refusing testing carries CZK25,000–75,000, six points and an eighteen-to-thirty-six-month ban. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The personal possession permission applies to adults aged 21+, with a limit of 25 g outside their own dwelling. Visitors have no authorised recreational shop or club supply: selling cannabis or giving it to another person remains a crime. Importing it across the border is also a supply offence. - *Arrests and prisoners.* These figures cover 2024, before the 2026 personal-use reform. Police recorded about 4,200 primary drug crimes, 2% of all crime. Cannabis accounted for about 35% of people detained for drug crimes and methamphetamine 47%; personal possession accounted for 21% of detainees. Across all drugs, courts convicted 2,545 people: 53% received suspended sentences and 26% prison. Authorities also recorded 10,369 administrative offences, almost all for small personal quantities. - *Other consequences.* People aged 18–20 remain outside the personal possession and growing permission, which starts at 21. Driving has a separate rule: reaching 2 ng/ml of delta-9-THC in blood makes a driver legally affected, even when their possession of cannabis is lawful. ### Germany Score 44/100 (Legal with limits), rank 5 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/de/ Since April 2024 any adult may carry 25 g. People who have lived in Germany for six months may keep 50 g at home, grow three plants and join a non-profit growing association. There are no shops, but medical cannabis is easy to obtain through pharmacies. - **Possession 5/10.** Any adult may carry up to 25 g of dried cannabis. Someone who has lived in Germany for six months may keep up to 50 g at home, and the amount they hold in total stops at 50 g. More than 25 g and up to 30 g away from home, or more than 50 g and up to 60 g at home, is an administrative offence; above that it is a crime. Bringing cannabis into the country, or taking it out, is a crime. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Someone who has lived in Germany for six months may grow up to three plants at that home, out of the reach of children. Cannabis above the 50 g home limit must be destroyed. A fourth plant is a crime. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Within the limits nothing is punished; small overages are fines. Selling, giving away, or growing beyond three plants are crimes with prison of up to three years, more in aggravated cases. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Not allowed. Home-grown cannabis may not be passed on to anyone, even for free, and club cannabis is for the member's own use only. Giving cannabis to another adult remains punishable — the main reason this segment scores so low. - **Consumption 5/10.** Public consumption is legal, with exceptions: not near minors, not in or within sight of schools, playgrounds, youth facilities and sports grounds, not in pedestrian zones between 7:00 and 20:00, and not inside or near cultivation associations. - **Legal access 3/10.** There are no shops. The only non-medical source besides home growing is a non-profit cultivation association: up to 500 members, minimum three-month membership, at most 25 g a day and 50 g a month (30 g and max 10% THC for ages 18–21). A member must have lived in Germany for six months. Many regions still have few licensed associations. - *Commercial production.* Commercial recreational production is not permitted at all; associations must grow for their own members with member labour. Medical cultivation and import need a licence from the federal medicines agency. - *Products.* Associations may hand out only flower and hashish. Edibles such as THC gummies or cookies remain banned, as do extracts for the adult-use channel. - *Seeds and clones.* Handling cannabis seeds is allowed unless they are meant for unlawful growing, and seeds for home growing may be imported only from other EU member states. Cuttings without flowers count as propagation material: cultivation associations may hand out up to seven seeds or five cuttings a month per person, in person, to members and to other adults living in Germany. Cuttings may not be shipped or delivered. - *Medical use.* Cannabis is no longer a narcotic in law: any doctor can prescribe it on an ordinary prescription, dispensed by pharmacies. Statutory insurance covers extracts in standardised quality, and medicines containing dronabinol or nabilone, for a serious illness when a standard treatment is unavailable or unsuitable and there is a realistic chance of a noticeable benefit. From 30 July 2026, the date the insurers' doctors' association gives for the change, that cover no longer includes dried flower. A first insured prescription starts with a six-month trial of an authorised cannabis finished medicine. A patient already on an extract or a compounded preparation before that date can continue without the trial. Switching off flower needs a fresh insurer approval, unless the doctor is in a group excused from approval. A private prescription is separate from this insured cover. A government bill to require an in-person consultation before prescribing, aimed at telemedicine platforms, went through parliamentary hearings in January 2026. The bill, which would also ban mail-order dispensing of flower, was not put to a final vote before the summer recess and had not been passed as of September 2026. - *Cannabis clubs.* Non-commercial cultivation associations have been legal since 1 July 2024, each needing a permit from its state. A member must have lived in Germany for six months. By August 2026 a nationwide count found 455 approved out of 896 applications, with North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony ahead and Bavaria far behind. Clubs complain of building rules, security requirements and paperwork that differ from state to state. Even at full production they would cover only about 3.5 to 4.3% of estimated demand. - *Black market.* The government's evaluation put adult demand at about 743 tonnes a year. In 2024 the cultivation associations supplied less than 0.1% of it and medical cannabis from pharmacies roughly 12 to 14%; home growing could not be measured. The evaluators concluded that illegal production was probably still the main origin of the cannabis consumed, reaching users mostly through friends and acquaintances, with street dealing playing a minor part, and that the illegal share appeared to have shrunk in the first year. - *Driving.* Driving with at least 3.5 ng of THC per millilitre of blood serum is an administrative offence under section 24a, with a statutory fine ceiling of €3,000; combining that level with alcohol has a €5,000 ceiling. Drivers under 21 or in their probationary period face a separate cannabis prohibition under section 24c, rather than permission up to 3.5 ng/ml. Both provisions exempt THC from a medicine taken as prescribed for a specific illness. That exemption does not permit unsafe driving: section 316 criminalises inability to drive safely due to intoxicants, with up to one year in prison or a fine, even without reaching the administrative threshold. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Germany has no shops, and its growing associations are closed to visitors. A member must be at least 18 and have lived in Germany for six months, shown with an official photo document. A person may belong to only one association, and associations set a minimum membership of three months. A tourist has no legal way to buy cannabis, and carrying it across the border is a crime. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Police crime statistics show how much of drug policing had been cannabis. Recorded cannabis offences fell from about 174,000 in 2023 to about 62,000 in 2024, the year possession and home growing became legal on 1 April, close to a third of the earlier figure. Researchers at the economic institute DIW put most of the fall down to conduct that is simply no longer a crime. - *Other consequences.* Old convictions for conduct that is now legal can be deleted from the federal register on application. The driving limit is 3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum, with zero tolerance for novice drivers and under-21s. ### Guam Score 43/100 (Legal with limits), Unincorporated territory, not ranked. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gu/ Adults 21 and over may hold limited amounts, give cannabis away and grow six plants per residence, with no more than three flowering. Medical patients gained a separate home-growing permit route in 2018. Commercial supply has faced years of delays: the first grower’s operating permit was approved in June 2026, with further steps still required before production and sales. - **Possession 5/10.** The 2019 law allows adults 21 and over to hold one ounce of cannabis, eight grams of concentrate or infused products containing up to 800 mg THC. It also protects possession of cannabis produced by the permitted personal plants on the premises where it was grown. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Adults may grow no more than six plants per residence, including no more than three mature flowering plants. The growing area must be enclosed, locked and hidden from public view, on property the grower lawfully possesses or uses with consent. A separate medical permit scheme allows six flowering and twelve juvenile plants while no medical dispensary is operating. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Personal activities within the adult-use limits are exempt from criminal and civil punishment under Guam law. Public consumption carries a fine of up to $100; breaking the home-growing location or security rules while otherwise within the plant allowance carries up to $500. The law expressly preserves federal enforcement. - **Sharing & gifting 5/10.** Adults may give cannabis to another person aged 21 or over without payment: up to one ounce of cannabis, eight grams of concentrate or infused products containing up to 800 mg THC. The law also expressly allows transfers of immature plants. - **Consumption 3/10.** Private consumption is legal for adults 21 and over. Open public consumption is prohibited, with a fine of up to $100, unless permitted through Cannabis Control Board regulations. Employers and people controlling private property retain authority to restrict cannabis there. - **Legal access 0/10.** The first cultivation operating permit went to Deep Green Guam on 24 June 2026, after February licence approval and inspections. The tax department said further steps were required before production and sales. The commercial rules distinguish a licence from an operating permit; a temporary testing exemption allows qualifying licensed flower sales while no qualifying laboratory is available. - *Commercial production.* The board approved a cultivation licence for Pacific Root LLC, trading as Pacific Cultivation, and conditional approval for Guam Real Deal LLC, trading as Deep Green Guam, in February 2026. Deep Green Guam obtained the first operating permit in June, with further steps still needed before production and sales. - *Products.* Adult-use limits cover cannabis, concentrate and infused products containing up to 800 mg THC. The temporary testing exemption requires cannabis flower or buds to carry batch and harvest details, producer identification and an untested-contaminants warning, with cultivators’ sworn assurances about contaminants. - *Medical use.* Voters approved medical cannabis on 4 November 2014. Since October 2018, qualified patients or designated caregivers may apply for a $15 annual home-cultivation permit while no medical dispensary is operating, allowing six flowering and twelve juvenile plants. December 2018 amendments expressly protected compliant growers from arrest, prosecution and property forfeiture. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The adult-use possession and unpaid-gifting rules apply to people aged 21 and over without a residency condition in those clauses. The verified June 2026 commercial milestone was a grower’s operating permit, with further steps required before production and sales. - *Other consequences.* Adult-use legalisation did not erase penalties already incurred or proceedings begun before the law took effect. Employers may maintain workplace cannabis restrictions, and people controlling private property may prohibit possession, use or growing there. ### Malta Score 41/100 (Legal with limits), rank 6 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mt/ First EU country to legalise (2021): 7 g in public, 50 g at home, four plants per household, and licensed non-profit associations. Public consumption remains prohibited. - **Possession 4/10.** Adults 18+ may carry up to 7 g in public and keep up to 50 g of dried cannabis at home. Between 7 g and 28 g in public is not a crime but goes to a tribunal with a fine of €50–100. Above 28 g, ordinary drug law applies. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Up to four plants per household (not per adult), which must not be visible from outside. The dried harvest kept at home may not exceed 50 g. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Among Europe's mildest for users: conduct inside the limits is unpunished, and small overages or public use are handled by a tribunal with fines rather than courts. Trafficking still carries prison. - **Sharing & gifting 2/10.** The law provides for personal use and for distribution by licensed associations to their own members. There is no explicit right to give cannabis to another adult, and supply outside an association remains trafficking. - **Consumption 3/10.** Private only. Consuming in public is prohibited and fined €235; consuming in front of a minor is fined €300–500. Associations may not allow consumption on their premises. - **Legal access 4/10.** No shops. The only legal source besides home growing is a licensed non-profit Cannabis Harm Reduction Association: maximum 500 members, residents only, one association per person, at most 7 g a day and 50 g a month. Tourists have no legal source. - *Commercial production.* Only licensed non-profit associations may grow, for their own members, under ARUC supervision and away from schools and youth centres. For-profit recreational production is not allowed. Medical production is separately licensed. - *Products.* Associations distribute dried flower (and seeds). Edibles and concentrates are not part of the regulated adult-use channel. Advertising is banned. - *Seeds and clones.* The cannabis authority states that for Maltese drug law cannabis does not include the seeds, while every cannabis plant falls within the definition. Adults may grow four plants per household; the authority's guidance read here does not say where cuttings may be obtained. Seeds, being outside the definition, are not subject to the ban on selling cannabis. - *Medical use.* Legal since 2018 on prescription from a registered doctor, with an approval card for the patient, dispensed in pharmacies. Products are limited and paid out of pocket. - *Cannabis clubs.* Non-profit Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations are the only legal source besides home growing. They are licensed by the cannabis authority ARUC, and the first began handing out cannabis in January 2024; in October 2026 the authority listed 24 with an operating permit, spread over towns on Malta and one site on Gozo. An association may have at most 500 members, who must be residents with a Maltese identity or residence card and may belong to only one; tourists cannot join. Members may receive up to 7 g a day and 50 g a month. Nothing may be consumed on the premises, advertising is banned, and since 2025 the premises must stand 250 metres from schools, sports facilities and youth centres. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 214 kg of herbal cannabis and 4,316 kg of cannabis resin seized in Malta in 2024, against 154 kg and 1.5 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 88 occasions and resin on 20. Plant seizures came to 244 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* A law in force since 10 March 2026 sets a permitted level of 2 microgrammes of THC per litre of blood for ordinary drivers. Drivers of commercial vehicles, buses, coaches and vehicles carrying passengers for a fee have no such allowance and are punished on testing positive. Police may now require an oral-fluid drug test at random, without suspicion of the particular driver, and must test any driver involved in a serious accident; a driver who tests positive for THC may be sent for a blood test. A medical cannabis card or prescription must be shown after a positive test but does not exempt the driver from responsibility. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The associations are for residents only. The cannabis authority states that tourists may not become members and that proof of residence means an identity card or residence card issued by the Maltese government; a person may belong to one association at a time. With no shops, a visitor has no legal source. Consuming cannabis in public is prohibited and fined €235 under the cannabis act. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 73 cannabis-related drug law offences in Malta in 2024, against 48 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 1 were for use or possession for use. Before the 2021 reform the figure ran in the hundreds, 356 in 2018 and 278 in 2019. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* People convicted of simple possession before the reform can have the conviction struck from their record. Association membership is recorded, though privacy rules limit access. Driving under the influence remains an offence. ### Colombia Score 39/100 (Tolerant), rank 7 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-10. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/co/ The 'personal dose' of 20 g and up to 20 plants are protected by constitutional case law. A licensed medical industry exists; adult-use market bills have repeatedly fallen short. - **Possession 4/10.** The 'personal dose' of up to 20 g of cannabis (5 g of hashish) cannot be punished: the Constitutional Court ruled in 1994 that personal use is protected by the right to free development of personality. Courts have also protected somewhat larger amounts when clearly for personal supply. Police can still confiscate in some public settings. - **Personal cultivation 5/10.** Up to 20 plants for personal use are not a crime, confirmed by the Supreme Court in 2015. No licence or registration is needed — one of the most generous home-grow allowances anywhere, though it rests on case law rather than a statute granting a right. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Users within the personal dose are not prosecuted, though stops, searches and confiscation are common. Trafficking carries long prison sentences. - **Sharing & gifting 2/10.** Buying and selling are illegal, and there is no rule protecting gifts. Passing cannabis to another person can be treated as supply. - **Consumption 5/10.** The Constitutional Court struck down the blanket ban on public consumption in 2019. Use is allowed in public, but the police code and municipalities restrict it around schools, parks, sports venues and where children are present, with fines and confiscation. - **Legal access 1/10.** There is no legal adult-use market; bills to create one have repeatedly failed in Congress, most narrowly in the Senate. Medical products are available through pharmacies and clinics on prescription. - *Commercial production.* Since 2016 the state licenses cultivation, manufacture and export of medical cannabis, and many companies hold licences. Nothing may be produced for the adult-use market. - *Products.* Home-grown flower for yourself; prescription oils, extracts and — more recently — dried flower in the medical channel. No legal recreational products. - *Seeds and clones.* Seeds for planting are handled under a justice ministry licence, and licensed producers may hand up to twenty seeds every six months to an unlicensed person to supply home growing. Home growers, who may keep up to twenty plants, may not pass seeds or plants on to anyone else. Micropropagated plant material counts as seed for planting and stays within the licence system. - *Medical use.* Medical cannabis has been fully legal since 2016. Any doctor can prescribe, mostly compounded preparations, with partial insurance coverage in some cases. - *Cannabis clubs.* No law provides for cannabis clubs: there is no licence or legal category for them. An estimated 40 to 50 clubs and associations nevertheless operate, mostly in Bogotá, Cali and Medellín; there is no official count. They lean on rights that belong to individuals — the 20 g personal dose, home growing of up to 20 plants and court rulings on stockpiling and non-profit shared use — which lawyers point out do not extend to organisations. Some grow and share among members for a monthly or yearly fee, others are private rooms where each member brings their own dose; selling cannabis is the line clubs may not cross, and the penal code's cultivation and supply offences remain a risk. No closures or prosecutions of clubs were known by mid-2026, and police in Cali were reported to send park smokers to a club. A national federation of clubs, grouping 35 ventures in early 2026, is preparing a regulation proposal for the health ministry. - *Black market.* All adult-use cannabis is bought illegally. Bogotá is described as the main consumer market: the metropolitan police seized 3.7 tonnes of marijuana there in 2023, 3.6 tonnes in 2024 and about as much again by May 2025, and say nearly all of it is for local use, sold in the districts of Suba, Bosa, Kennedy and Ciudad Bolívar. One two-tonne load seized in May 2025 had come from the department of Cauca hidden in freight lorries, and police report marijuana flavoured with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. No national seizure total was found. - *Driving.* The 2013 law punishes driving under the influence of alcohol or under the effects of psychoactive substances. It sets graded blood-alcohol levels but no threshold for THC or any other drug: the driver's state is established by a non-invasive test defined by the national forensic institute. The fines and licence suspensions are those of the alcohol scale, doubled for drivers of public-service vehicles, school transport and driving instructors. Causing a death while driving under the effect of a drug, where that was decisive, raises the penalty for negligent homicide by two-thirds to double. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal adult-use market for anyone, since bills to create one have repeatedly failed in Congress. The personal-dose rules apply to whoever is in the country, but the only lawful supply is what a person grows; clubs that hand cannabis to members do so without legal cover. - *Arrests and prisoners.* No count for cannabis alone was found, and the newest national figure located is from 2021: the prison service then listed 18,553 people held for trafficking, manufacturing or carrying drugs of all kinds, one of the commonest offences among prisoners. - *Other consequences.* No record for personal use. Police-code fines apply for use in restricted places. ### Dominica Score 39/100 (Tolerant), rank 8 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/dm/ Since 2020 adults may hold up to 28 g and a household may grow three plants. - **Possession 5/10.** Since the Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) (Amendment) Act of 2020, a person holding 28 g or less of cannabis or cannabis resin is not guilty of an offence (section 7A). Holding more than 28 g remains unlawful. Earlier convictions for 28 g or less are treated as spent, except for people under 18. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** A person aged 18 or older may grow up to three cannabis plants at the place where they permanently live (section 8(1A)). Any other growing remains unlawful unless regulations allow it. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Nothing within the 28 g and three-plant limits. Larger amounts and dealing remain criminal. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The amendment covers possession and home growing only. Supplying cannabis to another person remains an offence. - **Consumption 3/10.** Use at a private home is lawful. Smoking or using cannabis in a public place, vaping included, is an offence with a fine of 1,500 East Caribbean dollars, which does not go on the person's criminal record (section 7B). A private residence not used for business and a usual place of worship of the Rastafarian or another faith do not count as public places. - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful place to buy: the 2020 amendment covers possession and home growing only, and supplying cannabis to another person remains an offence. The government has spoken of building a cannabis industry, but no licensing regime for sales is in force. - *Commercial production.* No commercial licensing is in operation. - *Products.* Only what a household grows for itself. - *Seeds and clones.* Cannabis is defined as the plant and every part of it, so seeds and cuttings fall within the 28 g possession exception. An adult may cultivate up to three cannabis plants at their permanent residence, but the reform did not create an exception for supplying seeds, clones or other cannabis to somebody else. - *Medical use.* No functioning medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: the 2020 amendment covers possession and home growing only, and supplying cannabis to another person remains an offence. - *Black market.* All sales are illegal. Police figures suggest cannabis is a small part of the drugs moving through the island next to cocaine: of drugs worth about 53 million East Caribbean dollars burned by police in November 2025, cannabis accounted for about 1.2 million and cocaine for about 52 million. - *Driving.* Vehicles and Road Traffic Act section 55 covers driving, attempting to drive or being in charge of a motor vehicle on a road when drugs prevent proper control. Unfitness is defined as impaired ability to drive properly. The published 1995 consolidation lists EC$2,000 and twelve months' imprisonment for a first conviction, and EC$3,500 and two years for a repeat. It specifies a one-to-five-year disqualification unless the court finds special reasons. Those published penalty levels require verification against later amendments; they are not a certified 2026 tariff. Section 57 allows blood/urine evidence and adverse use of an unjustified refusal, but requires a blood request, a request for two urine specimens within an hour, and another blood request before treating the sequence as refusal; the first urine specimen is disregarded. The numerical concentration offence in section 56 concerns alcohol. No THC allowance, deployed saliva-screening procedure or medical-cannabis defence was established from the reviewed text. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no lawful place to buy cannabis for anyone. The 2020 amendment removed penalties for adults aged 18 and over holding 28 g or less, and the minister presented it as applying to Dominicans and as recognising personal religious use; holding more than 28 g remains unlawful. No licensing regime for sales exists. - *Other consequences.* The 2020 reform provided for existing convictions for small amounts to be expunged. ### Grenada Score 39/100 (Tolerant), rank 9 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gd/ Since February 2026 adults 21 and over may possess up to 56 g. Four plants at a household are outside the growing offence, and the agriculture ministry says a grower registers with the Cannabis Secretariat before planting. The ministry said the rules for signing up would follow. There is no legal shop yet. - **Possession 5/10.** Parliament passed the Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) (Amendment) Act in January 2026 with support from both sides, and the Governor-General assented to it in February. Adults aged 21 and over may possess up to 56 g of cannabis and 15 g of resin. Larger amounts remain an offence. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Four or fewer plants at a household are outside the growing offence, and each household on a property counts separately. The agriculture ministry says a grower registers with the Cannabis Secretariat and the ministry before planting, and that the secretariat would publish the rules for signing up. In parliament the government called this registered household cultivation of four plants. The Cannabis Commission told people to ignore private groups that charge a fee to sign growers up. Rastafari places of worship have their own growing allowance. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Nothing within the limits. Pending cases over minor amounts are discontinued; larger quantities and dealing remain criminal. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 2026 Act covers personal possession and growing; supplying others remains an offence, apart from sacramental use within registered Rastafari places of worship. - **Consumption 3/10.** Private use is lawful. Public consumption remains prohibited and is punished with a fixed penalty. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source besides home growing. The government describes this as phase one; a regulatory framework for commercial cultivation and sale is being drafted as phase two. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production yet; a national cannabis policy and supporting legislation for a commercial sector are in preparation. - *Products.* No legal products on sale. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2026 amendment defines cannabis as any plant of the genus, growing or not, and exempts four or fewer plants found on a household's premises from the cultivation and possession offences. It says nothing about seeds or about where plants may be obtained. The agriculture ministry says a grower registers with the Cannabis Secretariat before planting, and that the secretariat would publish the rules for signing up. - *Medical use.* No medical programme yet; it is expected as part of the second phase. - *Cannabis clubs.* The 2026 Act has no place for clubs: it allows an adult's own possession and exempts four plants on a household's premises, and supplying others stays an offence. The agriculture ministry says a grower registers before planting. The one collective setting it recognises is religious. A place registered as a place of Rastafarian worship is taken out of the definition of a public place, and adherents may not be arrested or prosecuted over cannabis there; the minister is to set the criteria for registration by regulation. - *Black market.* With no legal sales, the market is supplied illegally, much of it with compressed cannabis brought in from outside. In April 2024 the police commissioner said the drug squad had seized about 1,000 pounds of compressed marijuana in two weeks in three operations: 510 pounds in one vehicle, valued at more than 1.1 million East Caribbean dollars, more than 400 pounds in another, and 10 pounds intercepted at a courier service. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 62 prohibits drug influence that makes a motor driver, would-be driver or person in charge on a road unfit or unable to control the vehicle. Unfitness means impaired ability to drive properly. Parliament's published consolidation lists EC$5,000 or twelve months' imprisonment or both for a first conviction, and EC$10,000 or two years or both for a repeat. It specifies at least one year's licence disqualification on a first conviction, subject to special reasons, and at least five years on a second. Police may arrest on reasonable suspicion without a warrant. The consolidation's amendment list ends in 2007; later amendments and current sanctions still require a full check, so these are published baseline figures rather than a certified 2026 tariff. Older summaries listing EC$2,000/3,500 do not match this official copy. No numerical THC limit, current roadside drug-confirmation protocol or general medical-use exception was established here. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The 2026 Act draws no line between residents and visitors: it speaks of any person aged 21 or over. Sale remains an offence. The plants outside the growing offence are four at a household, and the agriculture ministry says a grower registers first, so a visitor has nowhere to buy. Smoking or using cannabis in a public place brings a fixed penalty of 300 dollars, and public transport operating for hire is treated as a public place. - *Other consequences.* The Act provides amnesty and automatic expungement of criminal records for specified minor cannabis offences. The minimum age is 21, after the prime minister had first proposed 18. ### Saint Lucia Score 39/100 (Tolerant), rank 10 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/lc/ Since 2021 adults may hold up to 30 g and grow four plants per household. There is no legal market. - **Possession 5/10.** Under the amendment passed by the House on 14 September 2021 and in force from 27 September, a person holding 30 g or less of cannabis or cannabis resin 'is not guilty of an offence', for personal, private use by adults. Above 30 g the ordinary offences apply. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Up to four plants per household are permitted alongside the 30 g rule. The limit is per household, not per adult. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Nothing within the limits; above them the Drugs Act penalties, including prison for trafficking, still apply. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 2021 amendment is limited to personal private use. Supplying cannabis to others remains an offence. - **Consumption 3/10.** Private use only. Smoking in public places remains an offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful place to buy. The Regulated Substances Authority was established in 2023, and a draft Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Bill was published for consultation in January 2025, but the draft itself did not open a retail system. - *Commercial production.* The Regulated Substances Authority is building a licensing and traceability system, but the cannabis-specific licensing bill remains a proposal rather than an operating market law. - *Products.* Only home-grown cannabis and resin within the 30 g limit. - *Seeds and clones.* A household may cultivate up to four cannabis plants, and the cultivation regulations expressly allow the grower to obtain cannabis seeds. Plants and propagating material count toward the four-plant limit; the personal-use exception does not authorise anyone to supply seeds or clones to another person. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme is in operation. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: the 2021 amendment is limited to personal private use, and supplying cannabis to others remains an offence. - *Driving.* Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act section 75 defines drug intoxication as impairment making the driver incapable of proper control. It prohibits driving on a road and care or control of a vehicle on a road or other public place even when stationary. The published 2023 consolidation sets a maximum EC$5,000 fine, one year's imprisonment, or both. Reasonable belief of an offence permits police to demand intoxication tests and require the driver to accompany them. Refusal without reasonable excuse is a separate offence with the same maxima and may support an adverse inference; it is not a numerical THC rule. Section 106 permits a court to impose a definite disqualification period based on the offence and driving record; after imprisonment that period starts on the following day. The 2026 amendment changes section 28 licensing provisions, not these offences. No cannabis-specific cutoff or medical-use exemption was established. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says there are severe penalties for all drug offences and tells travellers to pack their own luggage and carry nothing through customs for anyone else. - *Other consequences.* The government authorised work on expunging records of people convicted over amounts under 30 g where no violence was involved. ### Trinidad and Tobago Score 39/100 (Tolerant), rank 11 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tt/ Since 2019 adults may possess up to 30 g and grow four plants. There is no legal market yet. - **Possession 5/10.** Since 23 December 2019 an adult may possess up to 30 g of cannabis or 5 g of resin with no penalty. Between 30 and 60 g (5–10 g of resin) is a fixed-penalty ticket rather than a prosecution. Above 60 g is a criminal offence. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Each adult may grow up to four plants at home. More than four is an offence. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Nothing within the limits, a ticket for moderate overages, and criminal penalties including prison for larger amounts, trafficking and supplying minors. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 2019 amendment removed penalties for possession and growing, not for supply. Giving cannabis to another person stays under the supply offences, and selling remains a crime. - **Consumption 3/10.** Use in private is lawful. Smoking in a public place, at a workplace, or near schools remains an offence, as does using while driving or operating machinery. - **Legal access 0/10.** None in operation. The Cannabis Control Act, Act No. 10 of 2022, was assented to on 17 June 2022 and published in the Gazette on 23 June 2022. Section 2 brings it into operation only on a date the President fixes by proclamation. Parliament's record of the 2020 bill, which became that Act, still says assent is awaiting proclamation. The only lawful source today is an adult's own four plants. - *Commercial production.* The 2022 Act would create a Cannabis Licensing Authority and licences for cultivation, processing and sale, once the President proclaims a commencement date. No proclamation is recorded, so commercial cultivation is not licensed. - *Products.* Home-grown flower and up to 5 g of resin. Nothing is lawfully sold. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2019 amendment defines cannabis to include the plant's seeds, other than sterilised seed that cannot germinate. Seeds therefore count towards the thirty grammes an adult may hold, and a person may grow or have up to four growing plants. Because seeds and plants are cannabis in law, supplying them falls under the trafficking offences. - *Medical use.* The 2022 Act provides for medicinal-cannabis licences, including a dispensary licence, but those licences do not operate until the President proclaims a commencement date. There is no working medical programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: the 2019 amendment removed penalties for possession and home growing but not for supply, and selling remains a crime. - *Driving.* Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act section 70 prohibits driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road while drug influence prevents proper vehicle control. The Transport Ministry's published text gives a first-conviction penalty of TT$12,000 and three years' imprisonment, rising to TT$22,500 and five years on a subsequent conviction. Two consecutive offences normally bring three years' disqualification, subject to special reasons and the court's power to impose a longer ban; a third conviction brings permanent disqualification. Police may arrest without a warrant. Section 70A separately concerns alcohol concentrations: the Finance Act 2025 doubled its fines, without amending section 70's drug-impairment penalty. No numeric THC allowance was established in the sources reviewed. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Other consequences.* The 2019 reform allowed people with past convictions for small amounts to apply for a pardon and have records cleared. ### Antigua and Barbuda Score 37/100 (Tolerant), rank 12 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ag/ Adults may hold up to 15 g and a household may grow four plants; Rastafari sacramental use is recognised. Dispensaries serve patients only. - **Possession 4/10.** Since March 2018 a person holding up to 15 g of cannabis or resin 'is not guilty of an offence'. Above 15 g remains criminal. Registered members of religious bodies such as Rastafari may hold more. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Up to four plants per household for personal use. Registered religious adherents may grow more for sacramental purposes. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Nothing within the 15 g and four-plant limits. Larger amounts and all dealing remain criminal offences with prison. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The amendment did not remove penalties for supply, so giving or selling cannabis remains an offence — except sacramental dispensing within a registered religious body. - **Consumption 3/10.** Use at home is lawful. Smoking in public places is prohibited, as with tobacco. - **Legal access 1/10.** No general adult-use shops. The Cannabis Act 2018 created a Medicinal Cannabis Authority that licenses dispensaries for patients, plus sacramental dispensaries for religious use. - *Commercial production.* Cultivation, processing and dispensary licences are issued by the Medicinal Cannabis Authority for medical supply only. - *Products.* Licensed medical products through dispensaries; otherwise only what you grow yourself. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2018 amendment makes it lawful for a household to cultivate up to four plants on its property. It does not mention seeds or say where plants may be obtained. - *Medical use.* Medical cannabis is legal under the Cannabis Act 2018, on a practitioner's recommendation, through licensed dispensaries. - *Cannabis clubs.* There are no cannabis clubs as such. Giving or selling cannabis remains an offence, with one collective exception: sacramental dispensing within a registered religious body. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 196 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 734 kg in 2023, and 24.1 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 35.8 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Vehicles and Road Traffic Act section 54 prohibits driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road when a drug prevents proper vehicle control. Both the government's older Cap. 460 text and the published 2018 replacement retain that impairment limb. The replacement changes fine, prison and repeat-licence provisions and authorises ministerial approval of drug-detection devices, but Act 18/2018 requires a Gazette commencement notice. That notice and an approved drug-device order were not retrieved here, so neither the old nor replacement penalty table is presented as a verified current tariff. The 2018 prescribed concentration definition concerns alcohol; it establishes no numerical THC allowance. The 2025 amendment deals with transport administration, fees and the fee for applications to remove permanent disqualification, and also has a separate commencement clause. The statutory possibility of applying to remove a permanent ban means that wording should not be described as necessarily irreversible. Current sanctions and testing procedure remain follow-up questions. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says it is illegal to possess drugs and that there are severe penalties for all drug offences; smoking in public places is also illegal and can lead to arrest. - *Other consequences.* Convictions for small amounts were to be expunged as part of the reform, and the government formally apologised to the Rastafari community for past persecution. ### Luxembourg Score 37/100 (Tolerant), rank 13 of 196. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-10. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/lu/ Since 2023 adults may grow four plants per household and consume at home. Carrying up to 3 g in public is a fine. There is no legal recreational market. - **Possession 4/10.** At home there is no gram limit on what your own plants produce. In public, cannabis is still prohibited: carrying up to 3 g is no longer a crime but brings a €145 fine, and anything above 3 g is a criminal offence. So possession is only really free inside your own home. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Since 21 July 2023 adults may grow up to four plants per household — not per person — from seed, at their usual residence, indoors or out as long as the plants cannot be seen from the public road. Exceeding four plants or growing elsewhere is a criminal offence with fines. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Home use and growing within the limits are unpunished, and small public possession is a fixed fine rather than a prosecution. Above 3 g in public, more than four plants, and any supply remain criminal. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Not allowed. Home-grown cannabis is for the household's own use, and handing it to anyone else, paid or not, remains a supply offence. - **Consumption 3/10.** Legal at home only. Consumption in public remains prohibited, and using in front of minors is an aggravating circumstance. - **Legal access 1/10.** There is no legal place to buy cannabis. Seeds can be bought in shops or online; a planned second phase with state-regulated production and sale has not been enacted. Medical cannabis is dispensed through hospital pharmacies. - *Commercial production.* No commercial production of recreational cannabis is permitted. Medical cannabis is imported under state contract. - *Products.* Whatever a household makes from its four plants for its own use. Nothing may be sold; low-THC hemp products are sold under separate rules. - *Seeds and clones.* Home growing is authorised only from seed: up to four plants per household. Seeds must be labelled with the producer's details, the number of seeds and a health warning. The law gives no permission to grow from cuttings, so cuttings remain cannabis that may not be sold. - *Medical use.* Medical cannabis has been available since 2018 for a short list of conditions such as chronic pain, chemotherapy-related nausea and multiple-sclerosis spasticity, prescribed by trained doctors and dispensed free of charge by hospital pharmacies. - *Cannabis clubs.* No clubs are known, and the law gives them no place. The 2023 law allows growing at home and nothing else: there is no licensed retail and no provision for cannabis clubs, and selling, swapping or giving cannabis to another person remains prohibited. A Europe-wide survey in 2018 and 2019 found no active club in Luxembourg. A public petition in 2025 asked parliament to create a legal framework for clubs as an addition to home growing; after twelve days it had about 100 of the 5,500 signatures needed for a debate, and the press noted that the club model had hardly been seriously discussed in the country. A plan for state-controlled shops was dropped in 2022. - *Black market.* Since nothing may be sold, anyone who does not grow buys illegally; reducing that was a stated aim of the 2023 law, and no data on whether it has worked were found. Luxembourg is also a transit point. Customs intercepted more than two tonnes of cannabis at the airport's cargo centre in 2025, and in March 2026 a single consignment of more than 123 kg from the United States, bound for France. The public prosecutor says drugs seized in Luxembourg are as a rule destined for other European countries, not the home market, and that the volumes point to structured networks. - *Driving.* A driver may not have more than 1 nanogram of THC per millilitre of blood, a limit low enough that critics call it zero tolerance. The mobility minister told parliament in 2024 that no increase is planned, that penalties will not be reduced, and that patients using medical cannabis get no separate status. Legalising home growing in 2023 changed nothing on the road. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Nobody can buy cannabis legally in Luxembourg, resident or not. The only lawful source is up to four plants grown at a person's own habitual residence, which a visitor does not have, and passing cannabis to someone else is banned. In public a visitor is treated like anyone else: up to 3 g brings a fine of 145 euros, more than that is a criminal offence. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 1,014 cannabis-related drug law offences in Luxembourg in 2024, against 1,102 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 880 were for use or possession for use. The police annual report for 2024 separately records 207 arrests for drugs of all kinds, up 37% on the year before; holding up to 3 g in public is normally settled with a fine of 145 euros. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* The €145 fine leaves no criminal record. Drug-driving law uses a very low THC blood threshold, so a home user can be over the limit well after use. ### Netherlands Score 37/100 (Tolerant), rank 14 of 196. Recreational: Partly legal / tolerated. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-10. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/nl/ Formally illegal but tolerated: coffeeshops sell up to 5 g per person and five plants are usually only confiscated. A regulated supply-chain experiment now covers ten municipalities. - **Possession 3/10.** Cannabis is formally illegal under the Opium Act. Under the toleration policy the Public Prosecution Service does not prosecute possession of up to 5 g of marijuana or hash, though police may still confiscate it. Larger amounts can be prosecuted. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Not legal. Up to five plants for personal use are normally not prosecuted, but police will seize them. More than five plants is prosecuted, growers face back-charges for electricity, and tenants risk eviction. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Users are effectively left alone, with confiscation the worst outcome for small amounts. Commercial growing and dealing outside coffeeshops are prosecuted and carry prison. - **Sharing & gifting 2/10.** Supplying cannabis outside a coffeeshop is an offence. Passing a joint is not pursued in practice, but there is no legal protection for giving cannabis to another adult. - **Consumption 5/10.** Consumption is permitted inside coffeeshops and in private. Many municipalities ban cannabis use in streets, around schools or in city centres through local by-laws, so public use depends on where you are. - **Legal access 5/10.** Coffeeshops sell openly to adults 18+, up to 5 g per person per transaction, under strict criteria: no advertising, no hard drugs, no nuisance, no minors. A residents-only rule exists in law and is enforced by some municipalities, mainly in the south. Many towns have no coffeeshop. - *Commercial production.* Production has always been illegal — the 'back door' problem. Since April 2025 an experiment lets ten licensed growers legally supply all coffeeshops in ten participating municipalities, running through 2029. Everywhere else, supply remains criminal. - *Products.* Coffeeshops sell flower and hashish, plus edibles such as space cake. Concentrates are in a weaker position, and the experiment's products are tested and labelled. - *Seeds and clones.* The Opium Act's list of drugs covers every part of the hemp plant except the seeds, so seeds are sold openly. Cuttings are plants and fall under the growing ban, with the same practice of not prosecuting up to five plants. Supplying goods one knows are meant for professional cultivation is a separate offence under article 11a. - *Medical use.* Doctors have been able to prescribe pharmacy-dispensed medicinal cannabis since 2003, produced under contract for the government's Office of Medicinal Cannabis. Health insurers usually do not reimburse it. - *Cannabis clubs.* The toleration policy covers coffeeshops only; growing remains illegal, so a members' growing club has no footing. A handful were founded from 2014. The prosecution service told Amsterdam's Tree of Life in 2015 that its growing and sharing among members was punishable, though it chose not to prosecute actively. Utrecht backed two clubs and asked for an Opium Act exemption, which the health ministry refused in 2014 because the clubs served no scientific or medical purpose; by 2016 nothing had been planted there. The largest, the Frisian foundation Suver Nuver, posted home-made cannabis oil to thousands of members; in November 2021 the Overijssel court found it and its director guilty under the Opium Act and the Medicines Act but imposed no penalty, saying the choice was for lawmakers. No later national picture of clubs was found. - *Black market.* Coffeeshop sales are tolerated but, outside the supply experiment, the cannabis they sell is grown illegally. Police dismantled 895 growing sites in 2024, the first year below a thousand in a long time; in 2017 it was more than 4,600. The National Police put the fall down mainly to lack of capacity and lower priority rather than less growing, and note that drug networks increasingly bring plants in from abroad, for instance from Spain. - *Driving.* The Netherlands has had fixed limits since a 2016 decree: 3 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood, falling to 1 when cannabis is combined with alcohol, alongside the older offence of impaired driving. Police may stop and test at random; blood is taken at a hospital or police station. The maximum penalties are a fine of 6,700 euros, three months in prison and a ban of up to five years, rising steeply where there is injury or death. - *Visitors and foreigners.* On paper coffeeshops are for residents only: since 1 January 2013 the national rules say only people aged 18 or over who are registered in a Dutch municipality may enter and buy, and owners are meant to check an identity document or residence permit. Whether the rule is enforced differs from one municipality to the next, which is why visitors can still buy in some cities and not in others. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 5,315 cannabis-related drug law offences in the Netherlands in 2024, against 5,210 in 2023. The number has halved from 11,658 in 2016; no separate count for use is reported. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* Tolerated possession leaves no criminal record. Drivers are subject to a per-se THC blood limit, and home growers can lose their tenancy even when not prosecuted. ### Jamaica Score 35/100 (Tolerant), rank 15 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/jm/ Since 2015 up to 2 oz is a petty offence with no record, five plants per household are allowed, and Rastafari sacramental use is legal. Licensed herb houses serve patients and visitors. - **Possession 3/10.** Not actually legal: possessing up to 2 oz (56 g) is a ticketable infraction with a fixed J$500 penalty — no arrest, no court, no criminal record. Above 2 oz it is still a criminal offence. Rastafari adherents and holders of a medical permit may possess lawfully. - **Personal cultivation 4/10.** Each household may legally grow up to five ganja plants on its premises; where several households share a property, each gets five. More than that is an offence unless licensed. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Small-scale possession and public smoking mean a ticket. Possession over 2 oz, unlicensed cultivation beyond five plants, dealing and export remain criminal with fines and prison. Under-18s found with ganja are referred to counselling. - **Sharing & gifting 2/10.** There is no provision for gifting. Supplying ganja to another person outside the licensed medical system or sacramental use remains dealing. - **Consumption 3/10.** Smoking in public places is prohibited on the same terms as tobacco, with a J$500 ticket. It is lawful at a private residence that is not a workplace, in licensed premises, and at places registered for Rastafari worship or exempt events. - **Legal access 4/10.** A recommendation or prescription from a registered medical doctor takes medical or therapeutic possession outside the ticket rules. The Cannabis Licensing Authority licences sale for those purposes. A visitor who does not ordinarily live in Jamaica may apply to the Ministry of Health for a permit to buy and possess up to 2 ounces at a time for medical or therapeutic purposes. The applicant produces evidence that a licensed doctor in their home country recommended or prescribed ganja, or signs a voluntary declaration confirming that, and pays a fee. - *Commercial production.* The Cannabis Licensing Authority issues cultivator, processor, transporter, retail and research licences in tiers by size. Fees, security rules and banking problems kept many traditional small growers outside the legal industry; in 2026 the authority widened fee-free routes in for them, with two-year transition periods and collective cultivation of up to ten acres for community groups. - *Products.* Licensed retailers offer flower, oils, edibles and other preparations for medical or therapeutic purposes. Hemp is licensed separately. - *Seeds and clones.* The justice ministry's fact sheet on the 2015 amendment says each household may legally grow up to five ganja plants. It does not mention seeds or say where a household may obtain plants. - *Medical use.* Any registered medical practitioner can recommend ganja for medical or therapeutic purposes, with no fixed list of conditions. Patients buy from licensed herb houses. - *Cannabis clubs.* There are no members' growing clubs. Supplying ganja to another person outside the licensed medical system or sacramental use remains dealing; the collective settings the law does allow are licensed dispensaries, where smoking on the premises is permitted, and Rastafari sacramental use. - *Black market.* Most ganja in Jamaica is still grown and sold outside the licensed system: enforcement is patchy and tourists and locals buy on the street. The licensed sector is small, with 15.4 hectares under legal cultivation and about 13 tonnes produced in 2025, valued by the regulator at 63.5 million US dollars, a figure that leaves out illegal cannabis and home growing. Police tie the export trade to guns: by July 2025 they had seized more than 40,000 pounds of ganja that year, and described the seizures as part of a clampdown on a guns-for-drugs trade in which ganja is the currency, with Haitians among those arrested. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Act 2018 makes drug influence that prevents proper vehicle control an offence when driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road or public place. Its court penalty table lists a maximum J$50,000 fine, with fourteen days' imprisonment in default of payment, and fourteen demerit points. Conviction normally brings twelve months' licence disqualification; the court can depart for special reasons or impose a longer ban. Separately, section 123(j) prohibits smoking ganja while driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road, without requiring proof of impairment. Police list a J$10,000 fixed penalty and two points for that offence; the Act's court maximum is J$20,000, with seven days in default of payment. These are distinct penalties. No quantified THC limit was verified in the Act and 2022 Regulations reviewed. - *Visitors and foreigners.* A visitor who does not ordinarily live in Jamaica, including a tourist or a Jamaican who lives abroad, may apply to the Ministry of Health for a permit to buy and possess up to 2 ounces of ganja at a time for medical or therapeutic purposes. The applicant produces evidence that a licensed doctor in the country where they live recommended or prescribed it, or signs a voluntary declaration confirming that, and pays a fee. Without that permit, up to 2 ounces brings a J$500 ticket, with no arrest and no criminal record. More than 2 ounces remains a criminal offence. Smoking in a public place brings the same J$500 ticket. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Before the reform of April 2015, Jamaican police arrested about 15,000 people a year for possessing cannabis, a quarter of all court cases concerned cannabis, and arrests and prosecutions were estimated to cost 64 million US dollars a year, according to a case study by Harm Reduction International. After possession of small amounts became a ticketable matter, court cases for possessing or smoking cannabis fell by more than 90 per cent, and criminal cases referred to the courts in 2016 were 25 per cent fewer than in 2014. - *Other consequences.* Tickets leave no criminal record, and earlier convictions for small quantities can be expunged. Unpaid tickets can lead to a court order for community service. ### United States Score 34/100 (Tolerant), rank 16 of 196. Recreational: Partly legal / tolerated. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/us/ Adult-use cannabis is still federally illegal, yet about half the states run licensed markets and 40 allow medical use; in April 2026 state-licensed medical cannabis was moved to Schedule III. Scores are a national estimate — reality ranges from retail shops to prison depending on the state. - **Possession 4/10.** It depends entirely on the state. In roughly half the states adults 21+ may carry a capped amount, typically 1 to 2.5 oz (28–70 g). In prohibition states the same amount can mean arrest and jail. Under federal law, non-medical possession is still a Schedule I offence everywhere. - **Personal cultivation 3/10.** Most legal states allow home growing, usually six plants per adult with a household cap, but several — including Washington, New Jersey and Illinois for non-patients — ban it. In prohibition states growing a single plant can be a felony. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Hundreds of thousands of cannabis arrests still happen every year, concentrated in prohibition states where possession can bring jail and sale or cultivation long felony sentences. Federal trafficking penalties include mandatory minimums. - **Sharing & gifting 4/10.** Legal states generally allow adults to give up to the possession limit (commonly one ounce) to another adult 21+ with no payment. Elsewhere any transfer counts as distribution. - **Consumption 3/10.** Even in legal states use is almost always confined to private property; public consumption is a ticketable offence, landlords and hotels can ban it, and it is prohibited on all federal land. Only a few states license consumption lounges. - **Legal access 5/10.** Legal states have licensed dispensaries, many with delivery, open to any adult 21+ including visitors, with per-transaction limits. Licence caps and local opt-outs leave large areas without shops, and nothing can cross state lines. About half the population has no legal adult-use store. - *Commercial production.* States issue commercial licences, some uncapped (Oklahoma, Oregon), many tightly capped and very expensive. On 28 April 2026 a DEA rule moved FDA-approved and state-licensed medical cannabis to federal Schedule III. Adult-use cannabis remains Schedule I, with punitive federal tax treatment and limited banking; a hearing on moving all cannabis to Schedule III ran from 29 June to 15 July 2026 and a decision is pending. - *Products.* The widest product range in the world in legal states: flower, edibles (typically capped at 100 mg THC per package), vapes, concentrates and beverages. Hemp-derived products are sold in most states, though federal and state rules on intoxicating hemp have been tightening. On 2 September 2026 Congress passed a funding law that moves part of the new federal hemp definition from 12 November to 11 December 2026. The exclusion of cannabinoids a cannabis plant cannot produce naturally stays on 12 November. - *Seeds and clones.* The DEA said in letters of January and December 2022 that any seed, tissue culture or other genetic material with no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC meets the definition of hemp and is not federally controlled; once a seed grows into material above 0.3% it is marijuana under federal law. The letters do not mention clones, and a lawyer writing on the first letter warns that keeping a clone counts as growing, which federally needs a hemp licence. Whether a person may sow seeds or buy plants depends on state law. - *Medical use.* 40 states have medical programmes. Most require a doctor's certification for a listed condition, a state patient card and an annual fee. Federal rescheduling of state-licensed medical cannabis in 2026 acknowledged medical use, but it is still not prescribed or insured like ordinary medicine. - *Cannabis clubs.* Non-profit growing clubs of the Spanish kind are not part of American law; what some states license instead are places to consume, usually run for profit. Colorado licenses two kinds of place, each depending on a local ordinance or resolution. A marijuana hospitality business may allow consumption, and section 44-10-609 forbids sale or exchange for payment on those premises. A retail marijuana hospitality and sales licence under section 44-10-610 allows marijuana to be sold and consumed on the same premises. Oregon permits cannabis social clubs and some operate. Nevada's Cannabis Compliance Board licenses consumption lounges under Assembly Bill 341 of 2021. A retail lounge must be attached or immediately next to an adult-use shop. An independent lounge is not, and it sells single-use or ready-to-consume cannabis for use in the lounge. A city or county may limit or bar them. A 2017 bill to license lounges missed its deadline. A counsel opinion that September said a business could let patrons use marijuana if it was not sold, and that opinion was not a licensing statute. Massachusetts approved three types of social-consumption licence in December 2025. The District of Columbia went the other way and banned consumption clubs in 2016. In most states there is no provision at all. - *Black market.* Legal states have not ended the illegal trade, and no national figure for its share was found. The federal drug agency's 2025 threat assessment says Chinese criminal organisations dominate domestic growing and distribution, with most grow sites in states where cannabis is legal, producing flower averaging 25 to 30% THC. State studies give a sense of scale: one commissioned by Nevada in 2024 put unlicensed sales at 21 to 30% of that state's market, some 242 to 370 million dollars a year, and ranked Nevada second to California per head among four western states. A Nevada policy report describes unlicensed delivery, pop-up sales parties and large outdoor farms on remote land. - *Driving.* Driving law is set by each state, and most have no THC-specific rule, so a conviction needs evidence of impairment. The governors' highway safety association counts 18 states with stricter marijuana rules: ten with zero tolerance for THC or a metabolite, four with zero tolerance for THC alone and four with a fixed THC limit. Colorado instead lets a jury infer impairment from 5 nanograms of THC. The status shown is the majority rule, not the law everywhere. - *Visitors and foreigners.* In states with legal sales, dispensaries serve any adult aged 21 or over, visitors included; nothing may be carried across a state line. For foreign visitors the danger is federal: marijuana remains a federal controlled substance, and immigration lawyers warn that conduct legal under state law can still bring severe immigration penalties. Admitting to possession can get any non-citizen, even a permanent resident, refused at the border, and admitted use or work in the legal industry can block naturalisation. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Police made at least 204,036 marijuana arrests in 2024 according to FBI data, 187,792 of them (92%) for possession and 16,244 for sale or manufacture. Possession of marijuana alone was more than 22% of the 831,446 drug arrests nationwide. The peak was 2007, with over 870,000 marijuana arrests, 48% of all drug arrests. The 2024 total is an undercount: some agencies do not report to the FBI, and tens of thousands of arrests are logged as unspecified drug violations. - *Other consequences.* The heaviest collateral consequences of any country with legal markets: cannabis users are barred from buying firearms under federal law, non-citizens can be deported or refused entry, federally assisted housing can evict, and most employers may still test and fire. Expungement exists in some states only. ### US Virgin Islands Score 33/100 (Tolerant), Unincorporated territory, not ranked. Recreational: Legal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/vi/ The Cannabis Use Act sets adult possession limits at two ounces. Qualified resident patients may grow six flowering and six immature plants. By September 2026 the first commercial grow had approval to operate and the testing lab was operational; an October update still reported no dispensary sales. - **Possession 5/10.** The Cannabis Use Act sets adult limits at two ounces of cannabis, 14 grams of concentrate and one ounce of cannabis products. Qualified patients may possess four ounces of cannabis, one ounce of concentrate and two ounces of products. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Qualified resident patients may grow six flowering and six immature plants for personal medical use on private property with the landowner’s consent; the ordinary per-address ceiling is twelve of each. Sacramental organisations can register to grow on members’ behalf subject to consent and other requirements. Commercial and micro-cultivation use separate licences and permits. - **Punishment & enforcement 6/10.** Conduct compliant with the Cannabis Use Act is exempted from the older controlled-drug chapter. Governor Bryan announced simple-possession pardons in 2023 and asked eligible people to apply. Later that year, Government House sought people eligible for expungement because gaps in judicial data complicated automatic record clearance. - **Sharing & gifting 3/10.** Transfers for payment require the relevant licence or permit. The law expressly protects qualified patients’ compliant transfers and creates separate licensed distribution and consumption-permit routes. - **Consumption 3/10.** Public consumption requires an authorised lounge, cannabis-use or temporary-use permit. The law also restricts consumption on public transport and operating vehicles or vessels under the influence. Government House reiterated that public consumption and possession or use at federal facilities remained prohibited. - **Legal access 0/10.** Conditional dispensary approvals were published in January 2026. In September, regulators reported the first commercial cultivation certificate on St. Croix and an operational laboratory awaiting plants for testing. An October update still reported no dispensary open for sales. - *Commercial production.* Commercial cultivation requires a licence, and micro-cultivation has a separate permit route. Regulator Joanne Moorehead reported the first commercial cultivation certificate to operate for a Tier 1 St. Croix grower in September 2026. - *Products.* The 2026 hemp law requires cannabis-regulator licences or permits for intoxicating hemp and artificially derived cannabinoids, including specified THCA products. Licensed retailers must verify buyers are at least 21, use independent testing and comply with child-resistant, tamper-evident packaging requirements. A March amendment replaced the original inventory freeze with reporting and sell-or-dispose deadlines. - *Medical use.* The territory approved its medical cannabis programme in January 2019, sponsored by Positive T.A. Nelson. The 2023 law replaced it with a combined medical, adult-use and sacramental system; qualified resident patients have a personal-growing route and higher possession limits. Retail opening still awaited an operating supply chain in the October 2026 market update. - *Cannabis clubs.* The law provides licensed adult-use lounges and separate consumption permits. Faith-based organisations have a sacramental registration route requiring incorporation, at least ten members and permission to grow on members’ behalf. - *Visitors and foreigners.* An October 2026 market update still reported no open dispensaries. Government House says personal transport of cannabis between the islands remains prohibited. - *Other consequences.* Government House distinguishes a pardon, which forgives the offence, from expungement, which clears the record. Its 2023 announcement described automatic relief for eligible simple-possession convictions involving up to two ounces, followed by a call for applicants to help resolve gaps in court data. ### Saint Kitts and Nevis Score 33/100 (Tolerant), rank 17 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/kn/ A 2019 court ruling protected private adult use; small amounts are decriminalised. - **Possession 4/10.** In May 2019 the High Court ruled that adults may possess and use cannabis in private. Parliament then made possession of small amounts a ticketable infraction instead of a crime — a small fixed fine — first up to 15 g, raised in February 2020 to 56 g. Above that it is a criminal offence. - **Personal cultivation 3/10.** The same court ruling protects growing in private for personal use, and the 2019 amendments treat five plants or fewer as a ticketable matter rather than a crime. It is tolerated rather than positively licensed. Since April 2026 adults can also apply, under the 2023 Freedom of Conscience (Cannabis) Act, for a licence to grow up to five plants in a secured part of a private home. - **Punishment & enforcement 5/10.** Small amounts and a few plants mean a ticket. Public smoking is fined more heavily, and larger quantities and dealing remain criminal. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply to another person remains an offence. Rastafari sacramental use in registered places of worship is recognised. - **Consumption 3/10.** Private use by adults is protected. Smoking in public is an offence with a substantially higher fine than simple possession. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use shops. The Cannabis Act, fully brought into force in April 2023, sets up a Medicinal Cannabis Authority to license supply to patients with qualifying conditions; the authority was only launched in 2025. - *Commercial production.* The Cannabis Act provides licences for cultivation, production and supply of medicinal cannabis only. - *Products.* Medicinal products through the licensed system as it rolls out; otherwise home-grown only. - *Seeds and clones.* The Drugs Act excludes separated cannabis seed from its definition of cannabis, so seed may be held and traded even though germinating it is lawful only within the personal, religious or medicinal cultivation rules. Immature plants and clones are covered by the licensed medicinal system, while adults may hold a licence to grow up to five plants at home. - *Medical use.* Legal under the Cannabis Act for people with a qualifying medical condition, through the Medicinal Cannabis Authority. The system is new and access is still limited. - *Cannabis clubs.* No law provides for cannabis clubs. The nearest thing is religious: the Rastafari Rights Recognition Bill of 2023 lets a Rastafari group register with the ministry, free of charge and renewable every two years, and register its place of assembly, where adult members may grow, harvest, dry, cure and possess cannabis as a sacrament. A registered group may also apply for a licence under the Cannabis Act. The bill says nothing about selling. - *Black market.* Sales outside a licence are illegal, and in practice that has meant all sales: the Medicinal Cannabis Authority that is to license a regulated medicinal trade was launched only on 25 April 2025. At the launch the attorney general said unauthorised sales remain illegal and that police would act against them, adding that the days of buying a bag of weed without knowing what is in it were over. - *Driving.* Vehicles and Road Traffic Act section 40 prohibits drug influence that makes proper control impossible while driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road. Act 1 of 2025 replaces its penalty provisions: up to EC$10,000 or one year's imprisonment for a first conviction; up to EC$20,000 or two years or both for a repeat. The licence consequence is twelve months on a first conviction, with power to impose longer, and permanent disqualification on a second like conviction. The older EC$4,000/four-month schedule is superseded. Section 42 of the 2020 consolidation provides blood/urine evidence and an adverse evidential inference for an unjustified refusal after its specified blood–two-urine–blood request sequence. That is distinct from proving drug impairment automatically. Section 41's numerical limit is alcohol-specific; the breath-test provisions do not establish a THC breath test. No numerical THC allowance, current operational saliva protocol or general prescription exception was verified here. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says cannabis for personal use has been decriminalised but that a licence is needed to use it, with fines for smoking in some public places or without a licence. Other drug offences carry severe penalties: up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 400,000 East Caribbean dollars or three times the street value in the Magistrates Court, and at least 15 years in the High Court. - *Other consequences.* The 2019 reforms included expungement of past convictions for small amounts. ### Spain Score 31/100 (Tolerant), rank 18 of 196. Recreational: Partly legal / tolerated. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/es/ Private use and cultivation out of public view are not crimes; possession or use in public brings fines from €601. Hundreds of cannabis social clubs operate in a legal grey zone. - **Possession 3/10.** Possession for personal use in a private place is not an offence; courts generally treat up to about 100 g as personal. In public it is different: carrying any amount is a serious administrative infraction with a fine of €601 to €30,000 and confiscation. - **Personal cultivation 3/10.** Growing for your own use in private is not a crime, and there is no fixed plant limit — courts look at whether the amount is consistent with personal use. Plants visible from a public place bring a €601–30,000 fine. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Users face administrative fines, not criminal charges. Trafficking is punished with one to three years in prison for cannabis, more for large quantities. - **Sharing & gifting 2/10.** Courts recognise 'shared consumption' among a closed group of adult users as non-criminal, which is the doctrine cannabis clubs rely on. Outside that narrow setting, handing over cannabis is trafficking. - **Consumption 3/10.** Legal at home and inside private clubs. Consuming in streets, parks, bars, vehicles or public transport is fined from €601. - **Legal access 3/10.** No legal shops. Hundreds of cannabis social clubs — private non-profit associations, concentrated in Catalonia and the Basque Country — supply members in a tolerated grey zone. Clubs have been raided and their organisers convicted, and membership is meant for residents. - *Commercial production.* No licensing for adult-use production; clubs grow collectively at their own legal risk. The medicines agency licenses a few companies for medical and research cultivation, mostly for export. - *Products.* Clubs offer flower, hash and extracts informally. CBD products are sold widely though not approved for consumption. - *Seeds and clones.* Grow shops have sold cannabis seeds openly since about 2000, alongside soil, lamps and fertiliser. Shop owners interviewed in 2018 said the trade is legal because seeds contain no THC, and that what the buyer then grows at home is the buyer's affair. The sources read do not cover cuttings. - *Medical use.* A royal decree in force on 10 October 2025 lets hospital specialists prescribe a standardised cannabis solution when authorised medicines have failed, and hospital pharmacies make it up and hand it out. The national formulary limits it to muscle stiffness from multiple sclerosis, severe epilepsy, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy and chronic pain, as an oral solution. In July 2026 one company registered the first two extracts, and on 17 October it said about 50 hospitals would start receiving them, with availability possible by the end of the month. Ordinary pharmacies cannot dispense them. - *Cannabis clubs.* Spain has the largest network of cannabis social clubs in Europe, built on court doctrine and not on any law: private use and growing for one's own use are not crimes, and 'shared consumption' among a closed group of adults has long been tolerated. The first club was founded in 2001. Estimates run from about 400 clubs in 2018 to a peak of 800 to 1,000 in the late 2010s, most of them in Catalonia and the Basque Country. A club registers as a non-profit association, admits adults on the word of an existing member, grows for its expected membership and hands out about 3 g a day for use on the premises, charging fees to cover costs. Clubs follow their own codes or those of regional federations. The Supreme Court convicted the organisers of three clubs in 2015, finding that what they did was not genuine private consumption, and police raids and investigations continue. Some Barcelona clubs grew to thousands of members by admitting tourists, and since 2024 the city has fined clubs and ordered some to close. In July 2026 the government approved a draft tobacco law that would remove the exemption for private smokers' clubs on which the clubs also rely. - *Black market.* Spain is Europe's main entry point for Moroccan hashish and also a grower of herbal cannabis. State security forces seized 257 tonnes of hashish in 2025, up 29% on 2024 but at the low end of the series: 357 tonnes in 2023, 318 in 2022 and 672 in 2021. They also seized 875,000 cannabis plants. The interior ministry says police pressure on the coast has pushed traffickers to alternate beach landings with lorries and other vehicles; speedboats used for smuggling were banned in 2018, and supplying them with fuel at sea became a crime in 2026. The figures leave out seizures by the regional police forces. - *Driving.* Article 14 of the road traffic law forbids driving with drugs in the body. No impairment has to be shown and no threshold applies. The fine is 1,000 euros and six licence points. The ban leaves out a substance used under a doctor's prescription for treatment, when the driver can still drive with the care the law requires. In the first year or so after the 2014 change, more than 20,000 drivers were sanctioned. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There are no legal shops for anyone. What exists is the tolerated network of private members' clubs, which are closed associations rather than a lawful point of sale; nothing in the law gives a visitor a right to join or buy. Carrying or using cannabis in public brings the same fine for a visitor as for a resident. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The typical outcome for a user is a fine, not an arrest. In 2023 the state security forces imposed 198,570 sanctions under the article of the public-security law that punishes using or holding drugs in public places, which carries fines from 601 euros; they brought in about 130 million euros, 74% of everything collected under that law and 21% more than in 2022. The figure covers all drugs, though cannabis is the commonest. Another 109 sanctions were for growing plants in public view. A reform agreed by the governing parties in 2024 would cut the possession fine to between 100 and 500 euros. - *Other consequences.* Fines are not a criminal record. Roadside saliva tests detect any THC, with a €1,000 fine and six licence points regardless of impairment. A medicine used under a doctor's prescription for treatment is outside that presence rule when the driver can still drive with due care. ### Switzerland Score 30/100 (Tolerant), rank 19 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ch/ Possessing up to 10 g for personal use is not punishable. Adult consumption can bring a CHF 100 fixed fine. Registered residents can buy regulated cannabis through scientific trials, and doctors can prescribe medical cannabis without a special federal permit. - **Possession 4/10.** Possessing up to 10 g of cannabis for personal use is not punishable. The Federal Supreme Court also ruled that cannabis held under that exemption cannot be confiscated for destruction. Cannabis with less than 1% total THC falls outside narcotics control. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis containing at least 1% THC for recreational use is generally prohibited. Low-THC hemp falls outside narcotics control, while medical cultivation needs Swissmedic licences and growing for pilot trials needs a federal exceptional licence. - **Punishment & enforcement 5/10.** Adult cannabis consumption can be punished with a CHF 100 fixed fine, with enforcement still varying between cantons. Personal-use offences outside the small-quantity exemption are punishable by a fine; in minor cases proceedings can be dropped or a warning given. Unauthorised supply falls under the general drug offence, carrying up to three years in prison or a monetary penalty in the basic case. - **Sharing & gifting 3/10.** An adult may give another adult up to 10 g free of charge for their simultaneous, shared consumption without punishment. Unauthorised supply outside that narrow exemption is an offence. Cannabis obtained through a pilot trial is for the participant’s own use and cannot be passed to others. - **Consumption 2/10.** Consuming cannabis containing at least 1% THC is generally prohibited; adults can receive a CHF 100 fixed fine. Trial participants must use their purchased cannabis privately and may not consume it in publicly accessible places. - **Legal access 2/10.** Scientific pilot trials let registered participants buy cannabis through pharmacies, specialist outlets or cannabis social clubs. Participation requires adulthood, existing cannabis use and residence in the canton hosting the trial. Doctors can separately prescribe medical cannabis, including pharmacy-made preparations. Low-THC smoking flower can be sold legally. - *Commercial production.* Medical growers need a Swissmedic establishment licence and a separate cultivation licence for each crop, with traceability and a written agreement for the harvest. Producers supplying scientific trials need an exceptional licence from the Federal Office of Public Health. Hemp below 1% THC falls outside narcotics control. - *Products.* Pilot trials may supply flower, hashish, extracts and products intended for eating or drinking, subject to quality controls. Products below 1% THC still face rules for their category, such as medicines, food or tobacco products. Cannabinoids and cannabinoid-containing extracts sold as foods require novel-food authorisation. - *Seeds and clones.* Seeds intended to produce cannabis plants with at least 1% total THC are controlled under the narcotics list. In 2020 the Federal Supreme Court upheld confiscation of seeds from plants measured at 1.8% THC, rejecting the argument that seeds are exempt because they contain no THC themselves. Low-THC hemp is outside narcotics control. - *Medical use.* Since 1 August 2022 doctors can prescribe cannabis medicines, including flower and pharmacy-made preparations, without a special federal health-office permit. Prescribers must report treatment data during the first two years. Compulsory health insurance reimburses cannabis medicines only in exceptional cases. - *Cannabis clubs.* Cannabis social clubs are among the sales models authorised within scientific pilot trials, alongside pharmacies and other outlets. The federal overview of results through July 2025 covered seven trials and about 10,500 participants. Trial participants must already use cannabis, live in the host canton and consent to the study. Outside the trials, recreational supply remains prohibited. - *Black market.* A 2020 study led by Addiction Switzerland, based on research in Vaud and extrapolated nationally, estimated annual cannabis consumption at 40–60 tonnes and market value at up to CHF500 million. It described imported hashish coming almost entirely from Morocco and illegal cannabis being mixed with cheaper legal CBD products. In the later scientific trials, the federal evaluation reports that most participants obtained their cannabis exclusively through the legal trial supply. - *Driving.* At 1.5 micrograms of THC per litre of blood, the driving rules treat the substance as detected and presume unfitness to drive. This is an analytical detection threshold, rather than a concentration proven to impair every driver. The Federal Supreme Court upheld the rule in 2021. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors cannot join the scientific trials: participants must live in the canton where their trial takes place and already use cannabis. The trials provide access through approved outlets to enrolled participants. Low-THC smoking flower can be bought legally under the separate product rules. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Police recorded 48,208 Narcotics Act offences in 2024, down 11.5% on the year before, continuing a decline since 2015. This headline count covers all drugs. - *Other consequences.* Possessing up to 10 g for personal use is exempt from punishment, while consuming it can still bring a fine. Driving rules separately presume unfitness once THC reaches 1.5 micrograms per litre of blood, a rule upheld by the Federal Supreme Court. ### Thailand Score 27/100 (Tolerant), rank 20 of 196. Recreational: Partly legal / tolerated. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/th/ Removed from the narcotics list in 2022, creating thousands of dispensaries. Since June 2025 flower is a controlled herb that requires a prescription, and from 2026 shops must operate as medical premises with a practitioner on site. Recreational use is officially no longer permitted. - **Possession 2/10.** Since 25 June 2025 cannabis flower is a 'controlled herb'. Possessing it lawfully requires a valid prescription from a licensed practitioner, which names the product and quantity and lasts about 30 days. Without one, possession is no longer permitted — a sharp reversal from the 2022–2025 free-for-all. - **Personal cultivation 3/10.** After the 2022 delisting, households could grow after notifying the authorities through a government app, and the plant itself is not a narcotic. Selling any harvest requires a licence and certified cultivation standards, and rules have been tightening with each new notice. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Breaches of the controlled-herb rules are punished with fines and up to a year in prison rather than narcotics-law sentences. Bringing cannabis into or out of the country is treated as trafficking. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying flower to someone without a prescription is an offence under the controlled-herb rules, whether or not money changes hands. - **Consumption 2/10.** Smoking in public is an offence with a fine of up to 25,000 baht. Smoking inside shops is banned. Use is officially limited to medical purposes, in private. - **Legal access 3/10.** Shops still exist, but from 2026 only medical facilities, pharmacies, herbal-product retailers and traditional healers' premises may sell, with a licensed practitioner on site who issues the prescription. Of more than 18,000 registered outlets, over 7,000 closed during 2025 rather than renew, and authorities are moving against roughly 6,000 unlicensed or expired outlets. A draft Cannabis and Hemp Act that would restrict cannabis strictly to medical use finished public consultation in June 2026. The Cabinet approved the bill on 22 September 2026 and sent it to parliament; it would also make growers register their plantations and raise penalties. - *Commercial production.* Licences for cultivation, processing, export and sale are available, but growers supplying dispensaries must meet certified medical-grade standards, and licences are now limited to healthcare-type businesses. - *Products.* Flower is sold on prescription. Extracts containing more than 0.2% THC remain classed as narcotics, which rules out most concentrates, and THC edibles are tightly limited. CBD products under the threshold are sold without prescription. - *Seeds and clones.* A 2025 law-firm guide lists cannabis and hemp plants, seeds and unprocessed parts other than the flowers as deregulated; only the flower is a controlled herb. Importing seed is governed by the Department of Agriculture's rules. The guide does not address the sale of live plants. - *Medical use.* The medical route is the whole legal system now: doctors, Thai traditional medicine practitioners and other licensed professionals can prescribe, often on site at the dispensary. Foreign prescriptions are not recognised. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known; Thailand's cannabis trade runs through licensed shops, which are businesses and not members' clubs. Supplying flower to someone without a prescription is an offence whether or not money changes hands, which leaves no room for a club sharing its own harvest. - *Black market.* The best-documented illegal trade is export. In March 2025 police at Chiang Mai airport seized more than 100 kg of cannabis flower in four days from foreign couriers bound mostly for London, and could charge almost none of them because carrying cannabis within Thailand was not an offence; the regional commander said smugglers had moved from Phuket to Bangkok to Chiang Mai as checks tightened. Since then sale has been narrowed to medical channels: rules in force in 2026 allow only registered health facilities, pharmacies and herbal shops to hold licences, and require a prescription of at most 30 days. No figure for unlicensed sales since the change was found. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Tourists are held to the same rule as residents: since June 2025 cannabis flower may be bought, held or used only with a prescription from a licensed Thai medical professional, for at most 30 days' supply, and recreational use is illegal. The tourism authority tells visitors to buy only through authorised channels and warns that unlicensed shops aimed at tourists may be operating illegally. Taking cannabis out of the country without permission from the authorities is against Thai law, the health minister said in May 2025, as cases of tourists caught smuggling it out rose. A deportation regulation in force since 28 August 2026 allows foreigners to be deported without a criminal conviction for conduct judged contrary to public order or good morals, and introduces the possibility of re-entry bans. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Royal Thai Police reported 203,637 people arrested for drug offences between 1 October 2025 and 31 May 2026, over 20 per cent more than a year earlier, and 16,419 drug networks broken up. The seizures it listed were of methamphetamine tablets, crystal methamphetamine, ecstasy and ketamine; cannabis, removed from the narcotics list in 2022, does not appear in the report. - *Other consequences.* No criminal record follows from lawful medical use, and thousands of earlier cannabis prisoners were released in 2022. Driving under the influence is an offence, and the legal position has changed several times in three years, leaving users exposed to sudden rule changes. ### Argentina Score 26/100 (Tolerant), rank 21 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ar/ The Supreme Court's Arriola ruling (2009) protects private personal use. The REPROCANN registry lets patients grow their own or use a designated grower. - **Possession 3/10.** Possession is still a crime in the drug law, but the Supreme Court's 2009 Arriola ruling made it unconstitutional to punish an adult for a small amount for personal use in private. No gram threshold was ever set, so judges decide case by case. People registered in the medical registry REPROCANN may carry up to 40 g of flower. - **Personal cultivation 3/10.** Legal only through REPROCANN: with a doctor's indication, a registered person may grow up to nine flowering plants, or have a designated grower or association do it. 2025 rules tightened registration and oversight. Unregistered growing is a crime, though courts sometimes apply Arriola to a few plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Small private possession is usually dismissed, but arrests still occur and outcomes depend on the judge. Trafficking and unregistered cultivation carry four to fifteen years on paper. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** No protection. Supplying cannabis free of charge is a specific offence under the drug law, with a lighter sentence when occasional and clearly for personal use. - **Consumption 3/10.** Private use by adults is constitutionally protected. Use in public is not, and can lead to arrest and a court-ordered treatment or education measure. - **Legal access 1/10.** No legal adult-use sales. Registered patients can obtain cannabis from authorised associations or growers; pharmacies sell a small number of approved products. - *Commercial production.* A 2022 law created a framework and agency for medical cannabis and industrial hemp production, with licences issued slowly. In 2026 the agency published a licence for medicinal seeds, seedlings and cuttings, and a separate set of horticultural-hemp licences at up to 1% total THC. The hemp licences take effect 30 administrative working days after their 3 September publication. No adult-use production. - *Products.* Home-grown flower and oils for registered patients; a few pharmacy products. Nothing for general sale. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 23.737 punishes anyone who, without authorisation, sows or grows plants or keeps seeds to produce narcotics, or trades in such plants or their seeds, with four to fifteen years in prison. Where the small amount sown shows it is for personal use, the penalty falls to one month to two years. Seeds and plants are therefore lawful only for people and bodies holding an authorisation, such as those in the medical registry. Resolution 41 of 2026 adds a licence for medicinal seeds, seedlings and cuttings, open to applicants until 1 March 2027. Selling flowers stays outside that licence. - *Medical use.* The medical route is the main legal path: any doctor can issue the indication needed for REPROCANN, with no closed list of conditions, though the 2025 rules added requirements for prescribers and periodic renewal. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs work under the medical cannabis register REPROCANN, as civil associations or foundations growing for registered patients; there is no recreational club model. Resolution 1780/2025 of the health ministry tightened the rules: an association must be legally constituted with the programme's aims in its statutes, file a list of its users with their consent, appoint a medical director and a technical officer, report lab tests for each batch and declare its plants and patients every six months, and may grow at no more than three addresses. Its certificate lasts one year, against three for individual growers. The ministry justified the change by abuse of the earlier rules, mostly by people using the solidarity-grower permit to sell. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 122,964 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 149,434 kg in 2023, and 1.3 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 18.5 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The national traffic law prohibits driving 'having consumed narcotics or medicines that reduce the ability to drive'. It sets no THC level, so any use counts. The same article, as amended in 2023, also bans driving with any alcohol in the blood. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession is still a crime in the drug law, though the Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that an adult cannot be punished for a small amount for personal use in private; no gram threshold was set, so judges decide case by case. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The last national breakdown found dates from 2015: the federal prosecutors' narcotics unit Procunar counted 22,020 cases opened in the federal courts under the drug law that year, of which 8,125, or 36.9 per cent, were for possession for personal use, the single most common offence; with simple possession the share reached about half. - *Other consequences.* Cases dismissed under Arriola leave no conviction. Registration in REPROCANN places patients in a government database. ### Mexico Score 26/100 (Tolerant), rank 22 of 196. Recreational: Partly legal / tolerated. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mx/ The Supreme Court struck down the ban on personal use in 2021, but Congress never passed a regulatory law. Adults can seek a permit to grow and consume; there is no legal market. - **Possession 3/10.** Without an authorization, the long-standing rule is that up to 5 g is not prosecuted, and anything over 5 g can still be prosecuted. In 2021 the Supreme Court removed the legal obstacle to adult personal use. COFEPRIS may authorize a named adult to acquire seed, sow, grow, harvest, prepare, possess and transport cannabis for that person's own recreational use. The declaration sets no universal gram limit for those authorizations, and it excludes import, trade, supply and distribution. The Supreme Court has twice protected individuals held with more than 5 g, in May 2022 and February 2026, telling judges to weigh whether the cannabis was for personal use. In 2026 it fell one vote short of removing the 5 g rule for everyone. - **Personal cultivation 3/10.** Growing for one's own recreational use requires a COFEPRIS authorization issued to a named adult. The 2021 declaration covers sowing, cultivation and harvest for that person, and it leaves the rules for acquiring seed to COFEPRIS. It sets no nationwide plant count. Growing without an authorization is a crime, and obtaining legal seeds remains a separate problem. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Small-scale users are often released, but extortion and arbitrary detention over possession are widely reported. Possession above the thresholds and any supply are federal crimes with prison. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Permits are strictly personal and do not allow supplying anyone else. Any transfer remains an offence. - **Consumption 3/10.** Permit holders may consume in private, not in front of minors or non-consenting people, and not in public. Police treatment of public use varies widely by city. - **Legal access 1/10.** There are no legal recreational sales or licensed dispensaries. A narrow medical route permits prescribed cannabis medicines, including personal imports with prior COFEPRIS approval. Unlicensed members-only shops and clubs operate through local tolerance, injunctions or purported gifts, but they are not a lawful retail market. - *Commercial production.* Medical and industrial licences exist on paper since 2021 regulations; adult-use commercial production is not permitted. - *Products.* Low-THC and CBD products are sold; a handful of medical products are registered. No legal THC retail products. The health regulator has contested the CBD trade: in July 2023 it seized 1,811 products from a national shop chain and said such sales fell outside health rules. - *Seeds and clones.* After the Supreme Court's 2021 ruling an adult can apply to the health regulator COFEPRIS for a personal-use permit, which covers acquiring seed, sowing, growing and harvesting. The regulator was left to define how seed may be acquired, and the permit does not allow importing, selling or distributing, so there is no legal seed trade. The health regulator still treats cannabis seeds as narcotics under the health law. In practice, street stands on some major avenues sell plants and seeds openly. - *Medical use.* Medical cannabis was legalised in 2017 and regulations were issued in 2021, allowing prescription and import of approved products. Availability is limited. - *Cannabis clubs.* No law provides for cannabis clubs, and Congress has never passed the regulation the Supreme Court called for, so clubs work in a grey zone across the country. They lean on the constitutional freedom of association and on members' personal permits or court injunctions, which one drug-policy researcher calls a semi-legal backing that does not cover any sale. The first, Club Xochipilli, opened in Mexico City in December 2015 after the court's first ruling. Because clubs are private, barely advertise and are unregistered, nobody can count them, but specialists describe a boom, with chains now present in Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Baja California and Quintana Roo, and clubs in Guadalajara. Typically a member registers with official ID and pays a daily, monthly or yearly fee; cannabis is handed over as a gift or against a 'donation' converted into points, and some clubs ask for an injunction or a prescription. Authorities mostly tolerate them, which researchers call selective inaction; clubs are short-lived, supply often comes from the illegal market, and raids, though reported as rare, still happen. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 71,538 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 72,873 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The rule shown here applies to federal highways and bridges; state and municipal traffic rules require separate checks. Federal regulation article 93, replaced by the decree published on 13 August 2026 and effective the following day, prohibits driving in a state of psychophysical alteration or ingestion of alcohol, narcotic or psychotropic substances, including medicines affecting driving. A prescription does not exempt the driver. The provision sets a fine of fifty to fifty-five daily quota units; these units are not a fixed peso amount. The National Guard refers the driver to the competent authority and informs the licence issuer of the infringement. Drivers must submit to drug-detection tests requested by authorised transport medical personnel or National Guard personnel conducting the tests. The verified federal text does not specify a numerical THC allowance or an automatic nationwide cannabis-specific licence-ban duration. This ingestion-based wording must not be described as requiring proof of impaired control alone, or as a verified laboratory rule penalising any trace of THC. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. COFEPRIS may authorize a named adult to possess cannabis for that person's own recreational use. The authorization excludes supply to anyone else, and the 2021 declaration sets no universal gram allowance. Without an authorization, up to 5 g is not prosecuted and anything above that can be. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Mexico's statistics office does not separate cannabis from other drugs. At the end of 2023, 9.4% of the 232,003 people in prison, more than 21,000, were held for drug offences: 14,867 for street-level dealing, a category that takes in many cases of simple possession, and 7,021 for trafficking. Rates in state prisons were highest in Durango, Sonora and Chihuahua. - *Other consequences.* The permit creates a record of your use with a federal agency. Cases under 5 g are closed without a conviction. ### Chile Score 26/100 (Tolerant), rank 23 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cl/ Private personal use is not punishable and courts accept personal cultivation as a defence. Public use is a minor offence. A 2026 law could let trafficking penalties reach small amounts once its list of substances is written. - **Possession 3/10.** Possession for 'exclusive personal use in the near term' in private is not punished under Law 20.000. The law sets no gram threshold, so police and prosecutors decide whether an amount looks like personal use or small-scale dealing. Carrying it in public is a minor offence. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Growing is an offence unless you can show it is for your own exclusive personal use — a defence accepted by the Supreme Court since 2015, and strengthened for patients by a 2023 law that treats a medical prescription as justification. There is no plant number, and homes are still raided over a handful of plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Private users are not punished, but the lack of thresholds means people are still arrested and charged with micro-trafficking, which carries prison of 541 days to five years. In May 2026 the Supreme Court replaced such a sentence, for 21 g, with a fine, holding that possession alone does not show an intention to deal. Law 21.817, published on 23 May 2026, will punish small amounts as trafficking for substances that a regulation lists as capable of serious harm. The ministry has until late November 2026 to write that list; whether cannabis will be on it had not been settled when this was written, and this score would fall if it is. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Any transfer is treated as trafficking or small-scale dealing, and even consuming together in private can be a minor offence if the group gathered for that purpose. - **Consumption 3/10.** Private solo use is not an offence. Using or carrying in public places is a minor offence punished with a fine, community service, mandatory treatment or licence suspension. - **Legal access 1/10.** No legal adult-use source. Pharmacies can sell cannabis-based medicines on prescription. A 2025 bill proposing home and collective cultivation of up to six plants has not passed. - *Commercial production.* Cultivation requires authorisation from the agriculture service, granted only for a few medical and research projects. - *Products.* A few prescription cannabis medicines; otherwise only what a person grows for themselves. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 20.000 punishes sowing, planting or growing cannabis without authorisation from the agriculture service, unless the grower shows the plants are for exclusive personal use or, since 2023, holds a medical prescription. It mentions seeds only where an authorised grower diverts them to trafficking, and does not say where a personal grower may obtain seeds or plants. - *Medical use.* Cannabis medicines can be prescribed and sold in pharmacies since 2015, and patients with a prescription may grow their own. Products are few and expensive, so most patients self-supply. - *Cannabis clubs.* No law licenses clubs, but small medical ones have formed on the strength of a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that growing for private use, alone or in a group, is not a crime. The first reported, Botánica Orgánica Cannabis Internacional in the northern city of Arica, opened in September 2016 with about 20 members, supplying people with a prescription who could not grow for themselves; no action by the authorities against it was reported. The footing is narrow: under the drug law any transfer of cannabis can be treated as dealing. How many such clubs exist today was not found. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 31,132 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 39,302 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Traffic Law makes it a crime to drive under the influence of narcotic or psychotropic substances and, unlike for alcohol, sets no levels. In August 2025 the Santiago Court of Appeals held that the offence needs only the presence of the drug: visible effects do not have to be proved, and a positive roadside drug test confirmed by a blood test is enough. It overturned the acquittal of a bus driver on that ground and ordered a new trial. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession for exclusive personal use in private is not punished under Law 20.000, which sets no gram threshold, so police and prosecutors decide whether an amount looks like personal use or small-scale dealing. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Figures the Supreme Court gave in early 2025 to the deputy Ana María Gazmuri, who published them, show 31,048 people charged with offences under the drug law, Ley 20.000, during 2024. Of those, 12,328, about four in ten, were charged with small- scale dealing (microtráfico), and 759 specifically with growing cannabis. The reply did not separate cannabis from other drugs beyond that. - *Other consequences.* Public-use offences can bring suspension of a driving licence and mandatory treatment programmes. ### Costa Rica Score 26/100 (Tolerant), rank 24 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cr/ Personal possession is not penalised, and courts require evidence of trafficking before punishing home cultivation. A 2022 law legalised medical cannabis and hemp. - **Possession 3/10.** The drug law punishes production and trafficking, not personal use, so possessing a small amount for your own consumption carries no criminal penalty. The law never defines 'small', leaving it to police and prosecutors, and the cannabis is confiscated. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Law 8204 lists unauthorised cultivation among trafficking offences, but the Supreme Court let a 2016 home-grow acquittal stand because prosecutors had not shown that the plants were meant for sale or distribution. Personal cultivation is therefore tolerated case by case, without a statutory plant limit or an affirmative right to grow. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Users are not prosecuted. Cultivation or possession proved to be for trafficking, and unauthorised supply, carry eight to fifteen years in prison. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Any supply to another person is trafficking. - **Consumption 3/10.** Personal use is not punished. Smoking in public can lead to confiscation and police intervention but not criminal charges. - **Legal access 1/10.** No legal adult-use source of any kind. A government bill to regulate recreational sales was presented but not approved. - *Commercial production.* Law 10113 of March 2022 created licences for medicinal cannabis cultivation and processing, and freed hemp for food and industrial use. - *Products.* Hemp and CBD products, and medicinal products under the 2022 law. - *Seeds and clones.* Courts require evidence of trafficking before punishing cultivation for personal use, so possessing and planting one's own seed or cutting sits in the same case-specific grey area. Commercial propagation is regulated: Law 10113 covers seeds, seedlings and cuttings, and licensed medical or authorised hemp growers must use lawful, registered material. The Agriculture Ministry says there is no domestic commercial seed supplier, so seed must be imported under seed and plant-health rules. - *Medical use.* Legal since 2022 on prescription, with licensed production and pharmacy dispensing. The market is still small. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs have no legal basis, and the one documented attempt was pushed out. High Club, a private members' space in San José where people could consume products with THC and CBD, opened in December 2020 and ran for about a year; its founder said municipal police parked a patrol nearby and came every night, a complaint was filed alleging a minor had smoked there, and the landlord took the premises back. Home growing and private use are not punished, but selling is. A bill discussed in Congress in 2022 would have allowed private cannabis clubs. No national picture of other clubs was found. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 16,668 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 15,847 kg in 2023, and 3.8 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Penal Code article 261 bis penalises driving under the influence of narcotics, psychotropic drugs or analogous substances affecting the driver. The current text provides one to three years' imprisonment plus disqualification from driving all vehicle types for two to four years; repeat offending increases the prison term by one-third. A sentence of two years or less can be converted by the court into the specified fine or public-service alternative. Traffic Law article 208 permits protocol-based testing of a suspected drug-influenced driver, a requested second test after a positive preliminary result, and referral to prosecutors where the criminal offence is established. Screening must not be treated as the criminal finding itself. Law 10860 was enacted in 2026, but the official legal database identifies 28 March 2027 as its effective date. Its future drug wording, prescription exclusion and testing deadline are therefore not presented as already-operative protections. No numerical THC cutoff was verified in the current provisions. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The drug law punishes production and trafficking, not personal use, so possessing a small amount for one's own consumption carries no criminal penalty; the law never defines 'small', leaving it to police and prosecutors. - *Other consequences.* No criminal record for personal use. ### Italy Score 26/100 (Tolerant), rank 25 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/it/ Personal possession brings administrative sanctions such as licence suspension. Courts have tolerated minimal home growing. Medical cannabis is legal since 2013; a 2025 decree banned the hemp-flower trade. - **Possession 3/10.** Possession for personal use is not a crime but an administrative offence under Article 75 of the drug law. There is no fine; instead the prefect can suspend your driving licence, passport or firearms licence for one to three months for cannabis, or issue a formal warning for a first small case. Quantity guidelines help distinguish personal use from dealing. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Cultivation is a crime on paper, but in 2019 the Court of Cassation's united sections ruled that small-scale home growing with rudimentary means, a handful of plants and a modest yield for the grower's own use is not punishable. There is no fixed plant number, so each case turns on the judge. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Users face licence suspensions rather than prosecution. Dealing is punished with prison — six months to four years for minor cases involving cannabis, far more for larger ones. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Handing cannabis to someone else is supply, a criminal offence, though minor cases are treated as a lesser crime. Group purchase for shared use has sometimes been treated as personal use by the courts. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use itself is not an offence, but being found with cannabis triggers the same administrative sanctions as possession. - **Legal access 2/10.** No legal adult-use source. Until 2025 low-THC 'cannabis light' flower was sold in thousands of shops; a security decree in April 2025 banned processing, selling, transporting and delivering hemp flowers and products made from them, whatever their THC content. Shops and farms closed and police seized stock across the country, but the ban has fared badly in court: of 25 concluded cases followed by a hemp trade observatory, 18 ended with the goods returned, 6 were dropped and 1 ended in acquittal, and three judges have referred the ban to the Constitutional Court. - *Commercial production.* Medical cannabis is grown by the military pharmaceutical plant in Florence and imported under state control. Hemp farming for fibre and seed remains legal; flower production does not. - *Products.* Prescription medical flower and oils only. Hemp flower and flower-derived products were banned in 2025. - *Seeds and clones.* The Court of Cassation's united sections held in 2012 that merely offering cannabis seeds for sale is not prohibited: it is an unpunishable preparatory act, since the buyer's use of the seed cannot be known. Selling seeds together with growing instructions may still be prosecuted as incitement. Plants fall under the cultivation rules. - *Medical use.* Legal since 2013. Any doctor can prescribe cannabis prepared by pharmacies; reimbursement depends on the region, and supply shortages are frequent. - *Cannabis clubs.* Italian law leaves no room for the Spanish model, yet a few clubs exist. A Europe-wide survey carried out in 2018 and 2019 received answers from two clubs in Italy. Lawyers for an initiative in Pisa explained in 2015 that the grey zone Spanish clubs rely on does not exist in Italy, where possession for personal use is itself an administrative offence punished by suspension of a driving licence or passport. The best-known groups using the name are patient associations that inform and lobby rather than grow: the Cannabis Social Club in Bolzano, with 1,272 registered members in 2023, advises patients on prescriptions for medical cannabis. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 28,752 kg of herbal cannabis and 17,333 kg of cannabis resin seized in Italy in 2024, against 40,225 kg and 27,075 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 4,876 occasions and resin on 10,900. Plant seizures came to 154,819 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* A 2024 reform renamed the offence from driving in a state of alteration to driving after taking drugs, which was widely read as making a positive test enough. The Constitutional Court upheld the new wording in January 2026 only on a narrow reading: the mere fact that use came before driving is not enough. The offence covers driving within a period in which the substance can reasonably be presumed still able to alter the driver's condition and create a danger to road safety well above that of ordinary driving. Ordinarily that means finding in the driver's body fluids, close to the time of driving, a substance in a kind and amount generally capable of impairing an average user. There is no fixed THC limit. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession for personal use is an administrative offence under Article 75 of the drug law: there is no fine, but the prefect can suspend a driving licence, passport or firearms licence for one to three months. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 37,963 cannabis-related drug law offences in Italy in 2024, against 38,349 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 27,503 were for use or possession for use. The number was above 50,000 in 2017 and 2018. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* The sanction for users is itself a civil consequence: loss of a driving licence, passport or residence-permit eligibility for months. Drug-driving rules were tightened in 2024 so that a positive test is enough, without proof of impairment. ### Israel Score 25/100 (Tolerant), rank 26 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/il/ Since 2019 public possession brings a fine rather than prosecution, and private use at home is not enforced. Israel runs one of the world's largest medical programmes relative to population. - **Possession 3/10.** Possession of up to 15 g for personal use is an administrative offence, not a crime: a fixed fine and no criminal record, under rules first introduced in 2019 and made permanent and broader in 2022. Possession at home in small amounts is generally not enforced. Above 15 g, or for soldiers and minors, criminal law applies. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis without a licence from the health ministry's Director-General is a criminal offence, including a single plant at home. Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance sets a maximum of twenty years in prison or a fine. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Personal users get a fine. Growing, dealing and larger quantities are criminal offences with prison. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply of any kind is treated as dealing: section 13 of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance forbids supplying a drug in any way, "whether for payment or not", and section 19A sets a maximum of twenty years in prison or a fine. - **Consumption 3/10.** Use in public is fined under the same administrative scheme. Use in a private home is in practice left alone. - **Legal access 3/10.** No adult-use shops. But Israel has one of the world's largest medical programmes per head, with cannabis sold in ordinary pharmacies; since April 2024 many more doctors, including in the health funds, can prescribe it directly instead of applying for a licence for each patient. - *Commercial production.* Licensed medical cultivation, manufacturing and pharmacy distribution are well developed, with no cap on the number of growers. No production for adult use. - *Products.* A wide range of medical flower and oils, labelled by THC and CBD content. Nothing for general sale. - *Seeds and clones.* The Dangerous Drugs Ordinance treats the cannabis plant, all of its components and its derivatives as a dangerous drug. Cultivation, possession, distribution, transport and every other activity involving the plant require the appropriate Medical Cannabis Unit licence; seeds and clones are therefore available only within the licensed medical system. - *Medical use.* Broad by international standards: on prescription for a list of conditions including chronic pain, cancer, PTSD and others, dispensed in pharmacies. The 2024 reform moved from a licence model to a prescription model for many indications. - *Cannabis clubs.* No law provides for cannabis clubs, and supplying cannabis, even unpaid, is treated as dealing. What exists is a bring-your-own lounge for patients. HaTachana 420 opened in Tel Aviv's Florentin neighbourhood around the start of 2023 and was described as the first place of its kind in the city: it grew out of a Facebook community of about 15,000 medical cannabis patients, admits only holders of a medical prescription, and supplies nothing, members smoking what they bought at a pharmacy; its founder contrasted it with Barcelona's clubs on exactly that point. No police action against it was reported. No growing club, and no venue for people without a medical licence, was found, and whether the lounge still operates could not be confirmed. - *Driving.* The Traffic Ordinance makes it an offence to be 'intoxicated' while driving or in charge of a vehicle, and defines an intoxicated person to include anyone who has a dangerous drug, or the metabolic products of one, in their body. No level is set, so traces left by earlier use count. The definition leaves out drugs that the health minister has exempted on set conditions. The offence carries up to two years in prison or a fine. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession of up to 15 g for personal use is an administrative offence, not a crime: a fixed fine and no criminal record. - *Other consequences.* The administrative fine leaves no criminal record. The decriminalisation does not apply to soldiers, and drug-driving rules are strict. ### Portugal Score 25/100 (Tolerant), rank 27 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pt/ All drugs were decriminalised in 2001. Since 1 October 2023, 25 g of flower and 5 g of hashish are the ten-day reference amounts: proven personal possession stays an administrative matter for a dissuasion commission even above them, while a larger amount can still start a criminal inquiry. Cultivation remains a crime. Portugal is a major medical exporter. - **Possession 3/10.** Since July 2001, possession for personal use is an administrative matter. Police confiscate the cannabis and refer the person to a regional dissuasion commission, which can suspend the case, fine them or recommend treatment. Since 1 October 2023 the figures of 25 g of flower and 5 g of hashish are the average ten-day amounts. Holding more is a sign that the purpose may be something other than personal use, and the police can still seize it and open an inquiry. Where a judicial authority finds the cannabis was only for personal use, it closes the criminal case and sends the person to the commission. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Not covered by decriminalisation. Growing any number of plants, even one for yourself, is a criminal offence under the drug-trafficking law. - **Punishment & enforcement 5/10.** Personal use is handled with administrative sanctions, often waived. Above the ten-day reference amount, a criminal inquiry can continue until exclusive personal use is shown. Growing and dealing carry prison sentences. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying cannabis to someone else is trafficking, with a reduced sentence available for people who deal only to fund their own use. - **Consumption 3/10.** Using is an administrative infraction handled by the dissuasion commission. In practice first-time non-dependent users usually have proceedings suspended with no sanction. - **Legal access 1/10.** No legal source for adult use: no shops, no clubs, no home growing. Bills to regulate have been debated without passing. The only lawful route is medical: since 2018 a doctor may prescribe approved cannabis preparations, dispensed in pharmacies, but few products are authorised and take-up is low. - *Commercial production.* Portugal is one of Europe's largest licensed medical cannabis producers, with dozens of companies cultivating almost entirely for export under licence from the medicines agency. - *Products.* Low-THC hemp products and prescription medical preparations only. - *Seeds and clones.* Industrial hemp cultivation requires annual authorisation, certified seed and sowing under prescribed conditions; it must be grown outdoors from seed, and transplanting plants is not allowed. Medical cultivation and wholesale trade in the plant or parts of it are separately licensed through INFARMED. Seeds and clones are therefore confined to authorised industrial or medical channels, not general adult sale. - *Medical use.* Legal since 2018 and regulated by the medicines agency. A doctor may prescribe approved cannabis preparations when conventional treatments have failed, dispensed in pharmacies; few products are authorised and take-up is low. - *Cannabis clubs.* The sources disagree. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 found, after online searches and contact with people in the field, that there did not seem to be any active club in Portugal. A 2024 trade-press guide describes private member associations that grow collectively for their members and operate discreetly in a legal grey area, mainly in Lisbon and Porto and reportedly in the Algarve; joining takes a referral from a member, often proof of Portuguese residency and an annual fee of 50 to 150 euros, and clubs vet newcomers carefully to avoid police attention. The authorities have not endorsed the clubs' reading of the law, and the model is prohibited throughout the European Union. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 1,845 kg of herbal cannabis and 7,344 kg of cannabis resin seized in Portugal in 2024, against 1,549 kg and 37,945 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 798 occasions and resin on 4,446. Plant seizures came to 2,635 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Driving under the influence of a psychotropic substance is forbidden. A driver is under that influence when an examination under the road code, and the rules that complement it, says so in a medical or expert report. Detection alone is not that report. The fine is 500 to 2,500 euros. Where there are signs of influence, or after a crash with a death or a serious injury, the driver is tested. A positive screen bars driving for 48 hours, unless a new screen is negative sooner. That bar is not the offence. A Supreme Court judgment published on 15 July 2024, about an insurer's claim after a crash, held that the insurer must prove the substance diminished the driver's fitness to drive safely, shown by a medical or expert examination. In that case 0.8 ng/mL of THC and 4.3 ng/mL of THC-COOH, without such a report, did not establish influence. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession for personal use is an administrative matter: police confiscate it and refer the person to a regional dissuasion commission, which can suspend the case, fine them or recommend treatment. Since 1 October 2023, 25 g of flower and 5 g of hashish are reference amounts for ten days. A larger amount can still start a criminal inquiry until exclusive personal use is shown. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 12,109 cannabis-related drug law offences in Portugal in 2024, against 16,304 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 6,637 were for use or possession for use. Use is an administrative matter handled by dissuasion commissions, and the agency warns that the 2017 to 2021 figures are incomplete. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* No criminal record for use. Commission proceedings are confidential, though they can include bans on visiting certain places or holding certain licences. ### Belgium Score 25/100 (Restrictive), rank 28 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/be/ For adults, up to 3 g or one plant is the lowest prosecution priority — usually a simple police record. Medical access is confined to a few pharmaceutical products. - **Possession 3/10.** Cannabis remains illegal, but for adults possession of up to 3 g for personal use has the lowest prosecution priority: police make a simplified record and usually nothing further happens. This does not apply to minors, or where there is public nuisance or an aggravating circumstance such as being near a school. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** One cultivated plant per adult falls under the same lowest-priority rule as 3 g. It is not legal — the plant can be seized — and anything more is prosecuted. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Adult users within the 3 g rule are not prosecuted. Above it, or with nuisance, fines and prison of three months to a year are possible, and dealing is punished more heavily. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is an offence. Cannabis social clubs that tried to pool members' one-plant allowances have been prosecuted and convicted. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use in public or in the presence of minors takes a case out of the low-priority category and leads to prosecution. Private use by adults is in practice left alone. - **Legal access 1/10.** Medical access is lawful but narrow: a specialist may prescribe Sativex for multiple-sclerosis spasticity and a pharmacy may dispense it. There are no legal adult-use shops or tolerated clubs. - *Commercial production.* No licensed adult-use or general medical cultivation. Hemp is grown under EU rules. - *Products.* A cannabis-based mouth spray on prescription and low-THC products sold under ambiguous rules. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2017 royal decree says growing cannabis plants "is prohibited and cannot be authorised", apart from hemp grown under EU farm rules, and it does not mention seeds. Growing for personal use falls under the lighter penalties of the drug law, and one plant is treated with the same low priority as three grams. - *Medical use.* Very limited: a 2015 royal decree allows cannabis-based medicines, in practice one mouth spray for multiple-sclerosis spasticity. Pharmacies may not dispense herbal cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs have no legal basis; they lean on the directive that gives lowest priority to an adult's possession of 3 g or one plant, arguing that members may pool their one plant each. The first, Trekt Uw Plant in Antwerp, was founded in 2006, went to court twice and was acquitted in 2010; others followed in Hasselt, Liège, Andenne and Namur. In 2020 there were five registered clubs, the largest with about 400 members. The courts have not accepted the model: organisers of the Mambo Social Club, raided in 2013, were convicted of possession, production and sale, the court ruling that the tolerance for personal possession cannot be stretched to a shared growing room, and the club stopped growing. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 9,983 kg of herbal cannabis and 711 kg of cannabis resin seized in Belgium in 2024, against 850 kg and 4,515 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 886 occasions and resin on 17. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Belgium has a fixed limit of 1 nanogram of THC per millilitre of blood: at or above it a driver is treated as impaired without further proof, and a separate provision covers impairment by any substance. Police may stop and test at random, using a saliva test at the roadside and a blood test at a hospital as evidence. The driving ban runs from one month to five years and the fine from 1,000 to 10,000 euros. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. For adults, possession of up to 3 g for personal use has the lowest prosecution priority: police make a simplified record and usually nothing further happens, unless there is public nuisance or an aggravating circumstance. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 45,123 cannabis-related drug law offences in Belgium in 2024, against 37,940 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 34,294 were for use or possession for use. That is the highest figure in the series, which starts in 2007. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* The police record made for small possession is not a conviction. Roadside saliva tests apply a very low THC threshold. ### Belize Score 25/100 (Restrictive), rank 29 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bz/ Since 2017 adults may possess up to 10 g and use it on private premises. A regulated market law was shelved. - **Possession 4/10.** Since November 2017, holding up to 10 g of cannabis or cannabis resin is not unlawful and not an offence (section 7(7) of the Misuse of Drugs Act). The exception is the premises of a school or other educational institution: there it brings a police warning the first time and a ticket of 100 Belize dollars after that, with no arrest and no criminal record. A person under 18 found with cannabis must attend a treatment or counselling programme. More than 10 g is a criminal offence. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Not allowed. Growing any amount of cannabis remains a criminal offence. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Small private possession is unpunished and minor violations are fines. Cultivation, larger quantities and sale carry fines and prison. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply of any kind remains a crime; the 2017 amendment covers possession and use only. - **Consumption 3/10.** Smoking is lawful on private premises with the owner's permission. Use in public places is an offence punished by a fine. - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful source at all: cannabis may be possessed but neither grown nor bought, since the 2017 amendment covers possession and use only and supply of any kind remains a crime. A 2022 law to license a commercial industry was passed by parliament but put on hold after church groups demanded a referendum. - *Commercial production.* There is no licensed production of higher-THC cannabis. Industrial hemp may be grown in registered commercial fields; the shelved 2022 cannabis bill would have created a broader licensing commission. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Seeds and clones.* The Act treats every part of a cannabis plant as cannabis, so drug-type seeds and cuttings remain controlled. Industrial-hemp seed and plants at no more than 0.3% THC are available through the registered commercial-hemp system: cultivation fields and seed import or export require registration, and moving hemp seed requires a permit. The regulations do not set a distinct rule for trading hemp cuttings. - *Medical use.* There is no medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: the 2017 amendment covers possession and use only, and supply of any kind remains a crime. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 733 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 338 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act section 74 defines drug-related unfitness as impaired ability to drive properly. Driving or attempting to drive on a road or public place while unfit carries a fine of at least BZ$500 or one year's imprisonment or both for a first conviction; a repeat carries BZ$1,000–5,000 or two years or both. Being in charge while unfit has a separate BZ$500 or six-month penalty or both, with a defence where there was no likelihood of driving while unfit. Section 91 permits the court to disqualify an offender for a stated period or permanently, generally or for certain vehicle classes, and normally requires licence endorsement. These are the court provisions of the 2020 revised edition; no numeric THC threshold or automatic fixed ban is stated in section 74. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Holding up to 10 g is not an offence except on school premises, while smoking in a public place is punished with a fine; more than 10 g, and any supply, remain crimes. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The police reported that 1,562 people were charged with drug offences in 2025, which they described as a record year, and that they seized 705,638 grams of cannabis, about 706 kg, along with 41,784 grams of cocaine. The figures are not split between possession and trafficking. - *Other consequences.* Violations under 10 g are handled by ticket without a criminal conviction. ### Curaçao Score 25/100 (Restrictive), Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cw/ Cannabis possession, use, growing and supply remain prohibited. Prosecutors’ guidance calls for confiscation and dismissal in the 0–25 g band, subject to exceptions, and a fine request in the 25–50 g band. The law provides medical exemptions for authorised professionals and lawfully obtained treatment supplies. A proposed medical-cannabis industry was still awaiting parliamentary approval in April 2023. - **Possession 4/10.** Possession of cannabis or resin is prohibited. For intentional offences the statute permits life imprisonment, a fixed term up to 24 years, a fine up to NAf 6.25 million, or the fixed term and fine together. Prosecutors’ guidance is much milder: confiscation and a potentially conditional dismissal in the 0–25 g band, and a fine request up to NAf 500 in the 25–50 g band. Exceptions include minors, repeat offending, dealing indications, another offence and specified settings such as carnival parades or workplaces. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing any plant of the genus Cannabis is prohibited. Prosecutors assess grow cases individually, considering plant numbers, location, professionalism and involvement. The government may create exemptions through a separate decree, subject to prior parliamentary approval; the ordinance itself sets no personal plant allowance. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** The prosecution guideline calls for confiscation and dismissal in the 0–25 g band, subject to exceptions; from 50 g upwards it uses half the cocaine/heroin sentencing request. Its general instructions favour partly suspended requests for first offenders who are residents, with a three-year probation period. These are prosecutors’ instructions; the statute retains much higher maximum penalties. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The law prohibits supplying cannabis extracts and tinctures without the relevant authorisation, and prohibits possessing or using herbal cannabis and resin outside its exceptions. The prosecution guideline removes its small-quantity dismissal approach where there are indications of dealing. - **Consumption 2/10.** The ordinance expressly prohibits using cannabis, resin and extracts outside its exceptions. Prosecutors’ cannabis table provides a small-quantity dismissal approach, but excludes minors and circumstances including carnival parades, workplaces, government buildings and detention facilities. - **Legal access 1/10.** The law exempts authorised pharmacists and dispensing doctors handling extracts and tinctures for medical purposes, subject to the applicable medicines rules. It also exempts people who can show that lawfully obtained amounts are needed for their own medical use. Recreational possession and use remain prohibited; the prosecution guideline’s small-quantity dismissal policy does not provide a licensed retail route. - *Commercial production.* Cannabis cultivation is prohibited. The law provides permissions for specified scientific or medicines-related activities and a separate route for exemptions by decree, requiring prior parliamentary approval. The 2019 bill proposed a dedicated medical-cannabis bureau and grower system; opposition lawmakers were still seeking approval in April 2023. - *Products.* The ordinance controls herbal cannabis and resin separately from extracts and tinctures. Medical professionals’ handling of extracts and tinctures, and lawfully obtained amounts needed for personal treatment, fall within specified exemptions. Public messages promoting controlled-drug sales or supply are prohibited, with an exception for purely medical or scientific information. - *Medical use.* Authorised pharmacists and dispensing doctors have medical-purpose exemptions for handling extracts and tinctures, subject to medicines rules. People who establish their need for lawfully obtained personal treatment supplies also have an exemption. The 2019 industry proposal concerned a bureau working with growers and sellers; it remained a bill awaiting approval in the April 2023 reporting. - *Cannabis clubs.* The ordinance provides no recreational club exemption from the cannabis possession and use bans. Prosecutors’ small-quantity dismissal policy excludes cases with signs of dealing. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Unauthorised importation, possession and use remain prohibited. The prosecution guideline’s preference for partly suspended requests concerns resident first offenders; it generally does not seek a probation report for non-residents. - *Other consequences.* The 2024 replacement law retained the cannabis prohibitions and medical exceptions, added a sales-advertising restriction and provided a route for future exemptions requiring parliamentary approval. The earlier medical-production bill had stalled after two parliamentary discussions, prompting opposition calls for answers in April 2023. ### Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Score 24/100 (Restrictive), rank 30 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-10. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/vc/ Up to 2 oz is decriminalised and a licensed medical industry, including traditional growers, operates since 2018. - **Possession 3/10.** Since 3 March 2020 a person found with 56 g (two ounces) or less is not arrested or detained. It remains an offence carrying a fine of up to EC$500, but accepting the prescribed police measures discharges liability without proceedings or a criminal record. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing for personal use was not legalised. Cultivation is lawful only under a licence from the Medicinal Cannabis Authority, including a special category for traditional growers who came forward under an amnesty. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** No prison for two ounces or less; a modest fine instead. Larger quantities, unlicensed growing and trafficking remain criminal. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply remains an offence outside the licensed medical system and Rastafari sacramental use. - **Consumption 3/10.** The amendment lets people smoke in the privacy of their homes and in Rastafari places of worship without punishment. Public smoking remains an offence. - **Legal access 2/10.** No adult-use shops. Licensed medicinal dispensaries serve patients with a practitioner's recommendation, including visitors. A lounge opened in May 2022 has a doctor on site: a prescription and a one-year cannabis card from the Medicinal Cannabis Authority let the holder buy and consume there. - *Commercial production.* The country built one of the Caribbean's first licensed medical cannabis industries in 2018, deliberately bringing in traditional hillside growers through an amnesty law and dedicated licence class. The first licences, more than 30, went out in July 2019, and the first export certificate, for a shipment to Germany, was approved in January 2022. - *Products.* Medical flower and preparations through licensed dispensaries. - *Seeds and clones.* Sowing cannabis seed is legally part of cultivation, and growing remains confined to medicinal cultivation or traditional-cultivator licences. The same licensed system covers plant nurseries and allows planting material to be imported only under an import licence; the Medicinal Cannabis Authority publishes a separate seed import and export protocol. - *Medical use.* Legal since December 2018 on a medical recommendation, supplied by licensed local producers. - *Cannabis clubs.* There are no cannabis clubs as such. Supply remains an offence outside the licensed medical system and Rastafari sacramental use. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors can buy on the same terms as residents, which means through the medicinal system: licensed dispensaries serve patients with a practitioner's recommendation, visitors included, and a lounge with a doctor on site can issue the prescription and patient card. There are no general adult-use shops, and supply outside that system remains an offence. - *Other consequences.* The small-quantity fine does not lead to arrest or a custodial record. ### Aruba Score 24/100 (Restrictive), Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/aw/ Cannabis possession remains an offence, but the revised 2025 prosecution instruction provides for surrender and dismissal in the 0–30 g band, with exceptions. Larger personal amounts can attract fine requests. Low-THC CBD has a separate medicinal import route. - **Possession 4/10.** Cannabis possession is prohibited under the ordinance. The revised prosecution instruction sets surrender and dismissal for the 0–30 g soft-drug band, with exceptions for minors, repeat offending, another offence and specified settings. The next 30–100 g band has a proposed fine of AWG 250. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** The ordinance’s cannabis controls cover growing, preparation and manufacture. The government created a medicinal-cannabis agency and invited proposals for licensed production, with awards contingent on legislative changes and agreements. In a documented individual case, the minister refused a business cultivation permission in March 2023. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** The revised instruction governs prosecution decisions and sentencing requests. Its possession/courier table calls for fines of AWG 250 in the 30–100 g band, AWG 750 in the 100–300 g band and AWG 1,500 in the 300–500 g band; from 500 g, requests are half the hard-drug table. Qualifying resident defendants can receive a request for a wholly or partly suspended sentence with three years’ probation. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The ordinance controls selling, delivering and supplying cannabis. The instruction distinguishes users, dealers and people organising transport; it says a dealer’s duration of activity, intensity and profit can be more useful sentencing factors than the quantity found. - **Consumption 2/10.** The ordinance prohibits using cannabis alongside possession. The small-quantity prosecution policy has exceptions for possession during a carnival parade, at work or in a government building, as well as for minors and repeat offending. - **Legal access 0/10.** Commercial import, storage and distribution of CBD medicines with no more than 0.2% THC require ministerial permission following a health-inspectorate assessment. Growing and supplying other cannabis remain controlled by the ordinance; the government’s medicinal-production invitation made awards contingent on legislation and agreements. - *Commercial production.* The medicinal-cannabis agency was created to supervise cultivation, manufacturing, quality and trade, including stocks and exports. A subsequent invitation sought proposals for cultivation, processing, or both, with limited exemptions to follow agreements and legislative changes. - *Products.* The 2019 rules designated CBD and its preparations as medicines, including preparations combined with THC, and excluded CBD preparations with no more than 0.2% THC from a narcotics designation. The separate exception for specified supplements, foods and external-use products was withdrawn in January 2020. Current commercial guidance applies a 0.2% THC maximum to the CBD medicinal import route. - *Medical use.* CBD products with no more than 0.2% THC are treated as medicines under the health inspectorate’s import rules. The government’s medicinal-cannabis production proposals required further legislative changes and agreements before awards. A later court record documents one business being refused growing and manufacturing permission in 2023. - *Cannabis clubs.* The ordinance prohibits growing and supplying cannabis outside its permissions. The medicinal-production invitation concerns selected operators working under agreements and exemptions. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The instruction’s small-quantity table is expressed in quantities and circumstances; separate guidance on suspended sentencing requests applies to qualifying Aruba residents. It generally does not request probation-service reports for non-residents, while allowing defendants or lawyers to present personal circumstances. - *Other consequences.* The prosecution instruction calls for confiscation and destruction of drugs and seeks recovery of criminal proceeds. Repeat offending within five years raises the sentencing request; the person’s role, profit and circumstances also matter. ### Sint Maarten Score 24/100 (Restrictive), Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sx/ Cannabis possession remains an offence. Prosecutors can dismiss cases in the 0–25 g band after confiscation, subject to exceptions. The ordinance includes medical exemptions, while proposals for a regulated cannabis industry remain under debate. - **Possession 4/10.** Possessing cannabis is prohibited under the Opium Ordinance. The prosecution guideline provides for confiscation and dismissal, potentially conditional, in the 0–25 g band. Exceptions include minors, repeat offending, indications of dealing, another offence and specified settings such as carnival parades, workplaces or government buildings. The next 25–50 g band has a proposed fine of up to NAf 500. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing plants of the genus Cannabis is prohibited. The prosecution guideline requires an individual sentencing assessment for grows, considering matters such as plant numbers, location, professional equipment and the person’s involvement. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** The small-quantity policy governs prosecutors’ decisions and sentencing requests. Above the 25–50 g band, its cannabis requests are half those in the cocaine/heroin table. For qualifying resident defendants, prosecutors generally seek a wholly or partly suspended sentence with three years’ probation. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The ordinance controls cannabis possession and supply-related activities, while indications of dealing remove the small-quantity dismissal policy. - **Consumption 2/10.** The ordinance prohibits possessing or using cannabis outside its exemptions. The prosecution policy has exceptions to small-quantity dismissal for minors and specified settings, including carnival parades, workplaces and government buildings. - **Legal access 0/10.** The ordinance prohibits recreational growing and unauthorised possession, while providing specified medical exemptions. The government formed a committee to prepare a regulated industry in 2024. In October 2026 the health minister was still seeking regional advice before decisions on reform. - *Commercial production.* Growing cannabis is prohibited by the ordinance. The 2024 committee was tasked with preparing conditions for cultivation, processing, testing and distribution within a proposed regulated system. - *Products.* The ordinance controls cannabis flower, resin and preparations based on resin, and separately regulates cannabis extracts and tinctures. Product testing and rules for cannabis concentrates form part of the 2024 committee’s proposed work. - *Medical use.* The ordinance contains an exemption for people who can show that they need the cannabis quantity for their own medical use and obtained it lawfully. Its statutory medical provisions also cover authorised pharmacists and medical practitioners. A broader medical-cannabis framework is among the reform committee’s objectives; health minister Claret Connor sought PAHO assistance for the policy review in October 2026. - *Cannabis clubs.* Cannabis growing remains prohibited, and the small-quantity prosecution policy excludes indications of dealing. The 2024 committee was charged with developing future rules for production, distribution and consumption. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The small-quantity prosecution table is expressed in quantities and circumstances, while its suspended-sentence guidance separately distinguishes resident defendants. The ordinance continues to control possession and cross-border movement of cannabis. - *Other consequences.* The guideline generally reserves requests for a suspended sentence to qualifying resident defendants and specifies three years’ probation. It normally does not seek a probation-service report for non-residents, while allowing the defence to present relevant personal circumstances at the hearing. ### Slovenia Score 23/100 (Restrictive), rank 31 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/si/ Possession for personal use is a minor offence punished by a fine. Voters backed medical and personal use in 2024 referendums, and a 2025 law set up a full medical cannabis system. - **Possession 3/10.** Possessing a smaller quantity of a prohibited drug for one-time personal use is a misdemeanour. The fine in the Act is 10,000 to 50,000 tolars, or detention of up to five days. The Act does not state a gram amount. A milder penalty may be imposed if the person voluntarily enters a treatment programme for drug users, or a social-protection programme approved by the health council or the drugs council. Authorised officers seize the drugs, and the Act says they are taken without compensation. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Not legal. Growing cannabis with THC is prohibited and can be prosecuted as production. A government-backed draft notified to the EU in July 2025 would allow four plants per adult (six per household), but it has not been enacted. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** A smaller quantity for one-time personal use is a misdemeanour fine of 10,000 to 50,000 tolars, or detention of up to five days. Production and dealing are crimes: Article 186 of the Criminal Code sets one to ten years in prison for unlawfully manufacturing or selling a narcotic, or buying or keeping it in order to resell, and three to fifteen years where it is sold or handed out free of charge to a minor or in a school, prison or public place. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Unlawfully manufacturing or selling a narcotic, or buying or keeping it in order to resell it, is a criminal offence. The 2025 draft would permit limited unpaid sharing between adults, but it is not law. - **Consumption 2/10.** Article 33 punishes possession, including a smaller quantity kept for one-time personal use. It does not create a separate offence of use. - **Legal access 2/10.** No adult-use source. In a June 2024 consultative referendum 51.6% of voters backed cannabis for limited personal use, and a bill followed, but there are still no clubs or shops. The medical route opened in August 2025. - *Commercial production.* The 2025 Medical and Scientific Cannabis Act allows licensed cultivation and processing for medical and research purposes. Nothing for adult use. - *Products.* Medical flower and preparations on prescription; low-THC hemp products. - *Seeds and clones.* The controlled-cannabis definition excludes seeds, so possessing seed is not itself a drug offence, but germinating a high-THC variety remains unlawful outside licensed medical or scientific production. Seed intended for lawful hemp planting must meet agricultural seed and variety rules. Living propagation material and seedlings are regulated, and may be produced or marketed only through authorised hemp, medical or scientific channels. - *Medical use.* Since 20 August 2025 any physician may prescribe cannabis for any condition on their professional judgment, for up to a month at a time, either reimbursed by health insurance or self-paid. This is one of Europe's most open medical laws on paper; supply is still being built up. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs exist without any legal basis. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 received answers from two clubs in Slovenia, and its authors could not say how many more were active. The study notes that the model is prohibited throughout the European Union, that clubs sit in a legally sensitive position, and that many have been dissolved after court decisions or police raids. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 564 kg of herbal cannabis and 1.3 kg of cannabis resin seized in Slovenia in 2024, against 794 kg and 11 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 2,714 occasions and resin on 64. Plant seizures came to 14,563 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* No THC limit is set: the offence is committed if a drug is detected. Police may stop at random and test on suspicion, with a roadside oral-fluid test and blood or urine taken at a hospital. The fine starts at 1,200 euros and the driver receives 18 penalty points, which means losing the licence and re-taking the test after six months to a year; there is no prison sentence. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possessing a smaller quantity for one-time personal use is a misdemeanour, with a fine of 10,000 to 50,000 tolars or detention of up to five days. The Act says the drugs are taken without compensation. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 2,981 cannabis-related drug law offences in Slovenia in 2024, against 2,782 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 2,733 were for use or possession for use. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* Possession of a smaller quantity for one-time personal use is a misdemeanour under the drugs Act. Unlawfully manufacturing or selling a narcotic is a separate criminal offence. ### Brazil Score 23/100 (Restrictive), rank 32 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/br/ In 2024 the Supreme Court decriminalised possession of up to 40 g or six female plants, now an administrative matter. Medical products are sold in pharmacies; policing remains uneven. - **Possession 3/10.** In June 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that possessing cannabis for personal use is not a crime, and set a presumption: up to 40 g counts as personal use. It is still prohibited — the cannabis is seized and the person receives an administrative measure such as a warning or a mandatory educational course. Police can still treat someone under 40 g as a dealer if there is other evidence, such as scales or packaging. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** The same ruling presumes that up to six female plants are for personal use, so growing them is an administrative infraction rather than a crime. It is not a right to grow: plants are seized. Some patients hold individual court orders allowing them to cultivate. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Users are no longer criminally punished, but Brazil's drug law is harsh on anyone classed as a dealer, and critics note that the line is drawn unevenly, falling hardest on poor and Black Brazilians. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Offering a drug occasionally, without aiming at profit, to someone the person knows, so that the two of them use it together, is a separate crime: detention of six months to one year and a fine of 700 to 1,500 day-fines. Other unauthorised supply, including a gift that does not meet those conditions, can be trafficking even when no money changes hands, with five to fifteen years. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use remains an unlawful act subject to administrative measures, not criminal ones. Public use still leads to police stops and seizure. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use sales. Pharmacies sell registered cannabis products on prescription, and patients can import with authorisation from the health regulator. - *Commercial production.* In February 2026 the health regulator published rules allowing companies to cultivate low-THC cannabis (0.3% or less) for medical, pharmaceutical and research purposes under special authorisation, after a 2024 high-court order. The cultivation rules took effect on 4 August 2026, and patient associations may grow for their members in a supervised trial scheme. No adult-use production. - *Products.* Prescription oils and extracts, mostly CBD-dominant; no legal flower for general sale. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 11.343 does not name seeds. It treats sowing or growing plants for a small amount for personal use like possession, with a warning, community service or an educational course instead of prison (Article 28), and punishes growing without authorisation, or supplying raw material for drugs, as trafficking (Article 33). - *Medical use.* Doctors can prescribe registered or imported cannabis products; costs are high, and patient associations and court-authorised home growers fill part of the gap. - *Cannabis clubs.* Brazil's clubs are patient associations rather than recreational ones. No law licenses them to grow; they rely on court orders, usually preventive habeas corpus, obtained one association at a time. A 2024 industry yearbook counted 259 cannabis associations and three federations, serving about 147,000 patients, roughly a fifth of the country's medical cannabis patients. Only 40 held an individual or collective court authorisation to cultivate: 23 in the Southeast, 11 in the Northeast, 4 in the South, 2 in the Centre- West and none in the North. The rest work without that protection. - *Black market.* Recreational cannabis is supplied entirely by the illegal trade, and marijuana is by far the largest drug by weight that police seize. The federal public-security data system recorded 816 tonnes of marijuana seized nationwide between January and August 2024, out of 893 tonnes of all drugs, an average of 3.3 tonnes a day and about the same as a year earlier. Three states account for most of it: Paraná with 320 tonnes, Mato Grosso do Sul with 300 and São Paulo with 75. - *Driving.* The Traffic Code has two levels. Driving under the influence of alcohol or any other psychoactive substance that causes dependence is a very serious administrative infraction: a fine multiplied by ten and a 12-month suspension of the licence, and refusing a test brings the same. It becomes a crime, with six months to three years' detention, only when the driver's psychomotor capacity is altered. For alcohol the code sets a figure that proves this; for other substances it sets none, so proof rests on signs of impairment, a toxicology test, a clinical exam or witnesses. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. Whatever legal supply exists is medical, for patients with a prescription or registration. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Arrests and prisoners.* No count of cannabis arrests was found, but the drug law is a main driver of the world's third-largest prison population, which has grown sharply over twenty years as people caught with small amounts were treated as traffickers. The Supreme Court's 2024 ruling that under 40 g of cannabis is presumed personal use could change that: since 2014, 70 to 80% of cannabis seizures have been below that threshold. Judges may still classify someone as a trafficker on other circumstances, and studies cited by analysts find that people from racially discriminated groups are more likely to be treated as traffickers by police. - *Other consequences.* Administrative measures do not create a criminal record. The ruling opened the way to review past convictions for small amounts. ### Ukraine Score 23/100 (Restrictive), rank 33 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ua/ Possession of up to 5 g is an administrative offence. Medical cannabis became legal in August 2024. - **Possession 3/10.** Holding a small amount without intent to sell, up to 5 g of cannabis, is an administrative offence under Article 44 of the Code on Administrative Offences: a fine of 25 to 50 non- taxable minimum incomes, 20 to 60 hours of community work, or administrative arrest of up to 15 days. A person who hands the drug in voluntarily is released from liability. Above the small amount it is a crime under Article 309 of the Criminal Code, with a fine, correctional work, arrest, or restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to three years; two to five years for a large amount. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Growing fewer than ten cannabis plants without intent to sell is an administrative offence with a fine and confiscation. Ten to fifty plants is a crime under Article 310 of the Criminal Code, with a fine, arrest of up to six months or restriction of liberty for up to three years; fifty or more, or a repeat offence, brings three to seven years in prison. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Small amounts and small grows mean a fine. Larger quantities and dealing are crimes with prison terms. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Any supply is a criminal offence. - **Consumption 2/10.** Recreational use remains prohibited; public use is an administrative offence. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source. The medical law provides for licensed pharmacies to dispense registered or pharmacy-compounded cannabis medicines on an electronic prescription. The Ministry of Health says prescribing should begin only once cannabis substance or finished medicines have been imported and pharmacies are ready, so the route remains difficult to use. - *Commercial production.* The 2024 law permits licensed, quota-controlled indoor cultivation of medical cannabis from certified seed under plant-by-plant electronic tracking. Industrial hemp up to 0.3% THC is grown through the separate registered commercial channel. - *Products.* Registered finished medicines or medicines compounded by a licensed pharmacy; hemp products. - *Seeds and clones.* The narcotics law's definition of cannabis excludes seeds, and the general seed law exempts an individual's non-commercial storage and use of seed. Germinating cannabis is nevertheless unlawful outside the authorised medical, scientific or industrial channels. Commercial seed and planting material must be certified; medical growers must obtain certified seed from a registered seed or nursery operator. A cutting is planting material and also a cannabis plant, so clones are confined to authorised cultivation and regulated trade. - *Medical use.* Legal in a tightly controlled framework since August 2024. The Ministry of Health lists the qualifying conditions and electronic-prescription process, but says prescriptions depend on imports and pharmacy readiness. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: any supply of cannabis is a criminal offence. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 2,061 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,794 kg in 2023, and 1 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 3.1 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Administrative Code article 130(1) covers driving in a state of drug intoxication and refusal of the prescribed examination. Official 2026 appellate case summaries confirm a UAH17,000 fine and one year's loss of driving rights for the ordinary first-offence provision. A February case upheld a drug-driving conviction, treating the intoxication finding, rather than drug type or quantity, as decisive. A September ruling set aside another conviction: a positive rapid test lacked mandatory laboratory confirmation and the medical report had other procedural defects. These case outcomes should not be read as a universal rule that any positive screening result proves the offence. Suspected drug intoxication is examined at a health facility under article 266 and the joint 2015 Instruction; testing and medical evidence matter. A July appellate summary separately confirms that a properly established refusal can attract article 130 liability without proving intoxication. No numeric THC allowance, general medical-cannabis defence or complete repeat-offence tariff was established here. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession of up to 5 g of cannabis without intent to sell is an administrative offence punished by a fine or community work; above 5 g it is a crime with possible imprisonment. - *Arrests and prisoners.* A data analysis by Texty.org.ua, drawing on court statistics and the National Police's annual report, found more than 20,000 proceedings in 2024 under article 309 of the Criminal Code, possession without intent to sell, against about 17,000 under article 307 for sale. Over 2014 to 2024 about 106,000 people were convicted under article 309, of whom more than 43,000 were released from punishment; the most common sentence is a fine, and convictions for possession were almost eight times as frequent as for sale. One in four servicemen convicted in 2024 was convicted of a drug offence, 95 per cent of them under article 309. The figures cover all drugs. - *Other consequences.* Administrative offences do not create a criminal record. ### Australia Score 22/100 (Restrictive), rank 34 of 196. Recreational: Partly legal / tolerated. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/au/ In the ACT an adult is outside the local small-possession and one-or-two-plant offences, within the limits ACT Policing states. Elsewhere, infringement notices, expiation fees, cautions and diversion are used for small amounts, and charges remain available. Medical cannabis is available on prescription. Presence-based drug-driving laws are strict. - **Possession 2/10.** It depends on the state. ACT Policing states that an adult may possess up to 50 g of dried cannabis or 150 g of fresh cannabis, and that the January 2020 rules still apply. The amending Act's remaining provisions commenced on 31 January 2020. The Drugs of Dependence Act makes possession of not more than a small quantity an offence, and then disapplies that offence for a person 18 or older who possesses the cannabis in the ACT. Harvested cannabis that is not stored out of children's reach can bring 50 penalty units, two years, or both. In Western Australia police may issue one Cannabis Intervention Requirement to an adult for not more than 10 g; possession remains a criminal offence. In South Australia a simple cannabis offence covers up to 100 g of cannabis, with an expiation fee of $250 under 25 g and $400 from 25 g to 100 g. In the Northern Territory an adult may be given an infringement notice for cannabis plant material of less than the 50 g traffickable quantity, and only if the quantity does not exceed the 50 g listed for that notice. The prescribed amount is 2 penalty units. The same notice is available when that quantity is possessed in a public place. Queensland must offer an eligible person diversion for not more than 50 g, and diversion does not decriminalise possession. New South Wales police may caution an adult for not more than 30 g of dried cannabis, at most twice. Living plants are outside that scheme. Victoria Legal Aid describes a small quantity on a first offence as usually drawing a caution if the person agrees to counselling. In Tasmania, possessing or using a controlled plant is an offence of 50 penalty units or two years. ACT Policing states that Commonwealth law is applicable across Australia, including in the ACT, and that police may use it. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** In the ACT, section 162 does not apply to a person 18 or older who cultivates one or two plants in the ACT, and artificial cultivation is outside that exception. More than four plants at premises, growing other than where the person lives, or growing where the public can lawfully go, are separate offences. The away-from-home and public-access offences can bring 50 penalty units, two years, or both. ACT Policing states the household maximum as four plants and says hydroponic or artificial cultivation, and growing where the public can access the plants, are offences. In South Australia one non-hydroponic plant is an expiation fee of $400. In the Northern Territory, cultivating fewer than a traffickable quantity of a prohibited plant carries 200 penalty units or two years. Schedule 2 states the traffickable quantity of a cannabis plant as not less than five and not more than 19 plants. An adult may be given an infringement notice, at 2 penalty units, when the number of cannabis plants does not exceed two. In New South Wales, cultivating a cannabis plant is an offence. A cannabis plant cultivated by any means is a prohibited plant. In Western Australia a Cannabis Intervention Requirement does not cover cannabis plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** In the ACT, growing other than where the person lives, or where the public can lawfully go, and failing to store harvested cannabis out of children's reach, can each bring 50 penalty units, two years, or both. ACT Policing states that selling, sharing or giving cannabis is an offence, and that Commonwealth law applies in the ACT and may be used. South Australia deals with a simple cannabis offence by an expiation notice. In the Northern Territory a police officer may give an adult an infringement notice, and paying the prescribed amount within 28 days expiates the offence. The notice is not required, and a prosecution remains available if none is given. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Even in the ACT it is an offence to give or sell cannabis to another person; plants and harvest are for the grower only. - **Consumption 2/10.** In the ACT, smoking cannabis in a public place, or exposing a child to the smoke or vapour, is an offence of 30 penalty units. For this offence, smoke includes vapour and an activated personal vaporiser. ACT Policing states that smoking or using cannabis in public, and exposing a child to cannabis smoke, are offences. In South Australia, smoking or consuming cannabis in private is an expiation fee of $250, and use in a public place is outside that notice. In the Northern Territory an infringement notice is available for less than 50 g of cannabis plant material possessed in a public place. If that public-place offence is prosecuted, the maximum for this Schedule 2 drug is 200 penalty units or two years. - **Legal access 3/10.** In the ACT, selling, sharing or giving cannabis is an offence. - *Commercial production.* Federal licences cover cultivation and manufacture of medicinal cannabis and exports; hemp is licensed by the states. No adult-use production. - *Products.* A wide range of prescription flower, oils, vapes and edibles in the medical channel, almost all 'unapproved' products supplied under special-access rules. Nothing for general sale. - *Seeds and clones.* Even in the Australian Capital Territory, where adults may grow two plants, selling or supplying cannabis seeds is illegal and there is no legal way to obtain them; the only lawful cannabis is what a resident grows. Commonwealth law is unchanged, and elsewhere in Australia growing is an offence or a fine. - *Medical use.* Among the easiest medical systems to use: any doctor can prescribe through the special-access or authorised-prescriber pathways with no fixed list of conditions. Not subsidised, and regulators have been tightening telehealth prescribing. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs operate legally anywhere in Australia. When the Australian Capital Territory was debating its home-grow law in 2019, the head of the National Drug Research Institute proposed allowing not-for-profit clubs that would grow for adult members, for the large majority of users who would not grow their own; the bill's wording, which made it a crime to cultivate more than a few plants, made the model unworkable, and the law as passed lets a person grow only for themselves. Giving cannabis to another person remains an offence even there. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 5,312 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 6,372 kg in 2023, and 55.2 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 53.9 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road law belongs to the states, and the general model is a presence offence: detected THC can be enough without proof of impairment. Victoria removed automatic licence bans for eligible unimpaired medicinal-cannabis drivers in March 2025. NSW Act 33 of 2026 received assent on 23 September, but commencement of its patient scheme was not established in this review; the government expected rollout in late 2026 or early 2027. Its announced scheme requires a prescription, registration and education, excludes learner, provisional and commercial drivers, and retains a 24-hour ban after a positive roadside test. Laboratory THC below 50 ng/ml would bring no further action; the first two detections at or above that level within two years would bring warnings, and the third a $722 fine and a minimum three-month suspension. Impaired driving and mixed-drug offences remain punishable. Queensland Act 23/2026 received assent on 21 September, with new presence-offence fine provisions commencing on 1 December 2026. Its further testing and suspension amendments still awaited proclamation in the reviewed legislative history. - *Visitors and foreigners.* In the ACT, selling, sharing or giving cannabis is an offence, so a visitor has no lawful adult-use purchase there. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The national Illicit Drug Data Report counted 66,285 cannabis arrests in Australia in 2020-21, 14% fewer than the year before. Nine in ten were consumer arrests, for possession or use, and one in ten were provider arrests, for supply. - *Other consequences.* Victoria removed automatic licence bans for eligible unimpaired medicinal-cannabis drivers in March 2025. NSW Act 33 of 2026 received assent on 23 September 2026, but commencement of its patient scheme was not established in this review. The announced scheme requires a prescription, registration and education, excludes learner, provisional and commercial drivers, and retains a 24-hour ban after a positive roadside test. Queensland Act 23 of 2026 received assent on 21 September 2026, with new presence-offence fine provisions commencing on 1 December 2026. ### Austria Score 22/100 (Restrictive), rank 35 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/at/ People caught with cannabis for personal use can have their case dropped after probation and any required health measures. Growing to obtain the drug is a crime. Patients can receive cannabinoid medicines, including dronabinol. - **Possession 2/10.** Possessing cannabis for personal use remains a crime, with a basic maximum of six months in prison or 360 day-fines. For cases that meet the law's conditions, prosecutors must put the case on hold for one to two years, with health measures such as treatment where needed. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Growing cannabis with the purpose of obtaining the controlled drug is a crime. The personal-use form carries up to six months in prison or 360 day-fines; the offence depends on that purpose, so plants can fall under it before flowering. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Police report personal-use cases to the prosecutor and notify the health authority. Prosecutors must put qualifying cases on hold under the law's conditions; this also covers unpaid supply for another person's personal use. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving cannabis to another person is an offence. Cases involving unpaid supply for that person's personal use can be put on hold and later dropped under the same conditions as one's own personal use. - **Consumption 2/10.** The law punishes acquiring and possessing cannabis, including for personal consumption. People caught with cannabis for personal use can have their case put on hold and later dropped, with health assessment or treatment where the legal conditions require it. - **Legal access 1/10.** Recreational supply remains prohibited. Patients can receive prescription cannabinoid medicines: a parliamentary report names Sativex, Canemes and pharmacy-compounded dronabinol. Current prescribing rules allow approved cannabis-extract medicines and highly purified THC for pharmacy preparations, while cannabis flower remains excluded. - *Commercial production.* Growing cannabis to obtain the drug for manufacturing medicines is reserved to AGES, the Austrian health and food-safety agency, or a subsidiary at least 75% owned by it. The harvest may be supplied only to businesses authorised to manufacture and wholesale medicines and poisons. - *Products.* Prescription options include approved medicines made from cannabis extracts and pharmacy preparations using isolated delta-9-THC of more than 95% purity. Cannabis flower cannot be prescribed under these rules. A parliamentary report identifies dronabinol drops or capsules among the available preparations, alongside Sativex and Canemes. - *Seeds and clones.* Seeds unmixed with flowering or fruiting tops are excluded from the controlled-drug definition of cannabis. Growing plants or cuttings becomes a criminal offence when the purpose is to obtain the controlled drug; flowering is not the only test. The basic personal-use offence carries up to six months in prison or 360 day-fines. - *Medical use.* Patients can obtain cannabinoid medicines on prescription, including pharmacy-compounded dronabinol. A parliamentary report describes reimbursement where medically justified and approved by the insurer's reviewing doctor. The prescribing rules permit approved cannabis-extract medicines and highly purified THC preparations, while excluding flower. - *Cannabis clubs.* A European survey conducted in 2018–19 received responses from four Austrian cannabis social clubs; its authors could not establish the full number operating in the country. Supplying cannabis remains an offence, including through a club; qualifying unpaid personal-use cases can be put on hold and later dropped. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency records 2,370 kg of herbal cannabis and 1,745 kg of resin seized in Austria in 2024, against 2,470 kg and 183 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 13,587 occasions and resin on 2,030. Plant seizures totalled 40,101 plants. - *Driving.* Driving while impaired by drugs is an offence; there is no numerical THC limit. The government's penalty table lists an €800–3,700 fine, a one-month licence withdrawal and traffic coaching for a first offence. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no lawful recreational supply. Possession remains a crime, while qualifying personal-use cases can be put on hold and later dropped, with health measures where needed. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency records 27,355 cannabis-related drug law offences in Austria in 2024, against 25,322 in 2023. Of the 2023 total, 19,672 were for use or possession for use. The total peaked at 37,751 in 2017. - *Other consequences.* A case put on hold comes with a probation period and any required health measures. Prosecution can resume if the conditions are breached. Once probation ends successfully and the required measures are completed, the prosecutor finally drops the case. ### Barbados Score 22/100 (Restrictive), rank 36 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bb/ Up to 14 g is a fixable fine; a medical industry is licensed and Rastafari sacramental use is permitted. - **Possession 3/10.** Possession remains an offence, but since 2021 police may offer anyone with 14 g or less a fixed-penalty notice: a $200 fine payable within 30 days, with no court appearance and no conviction. Under-18s must also attend an assessment and counselling. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Not permitted for personal use. Cultivation is lawful only under a medicinal cannabis licence, or for registered Rastafari worship. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** A $200 ticket for small amounts. Above 14 g the ordinary penalties apply, including prison for trafficking. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply remains an offence. The Sacramental Cannabis Act allows use within registered Rastafari places of worship only. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use is still unlawful outside the sacramental exemption, which Rastafari groups criticised as confining their practice to temples. Public smoking is an offence. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use sales. The medicinal industry created in 2019 supplies patients on prescription. - *Commercial production.* The Medicinal Cannabis Industry Act 2019 set up a licensing authority for cultivation, processing, retail and export. - *Products.* Prescription medicinal products through licensed therapeutic dispensaries. - *Seeds and clones.* Cannabis seeds and immature plants are medicinal cannabis under the licensed system. Growing requires a cultivator licence, while importing seeds, plants or tissue culture requires an import licence, an approval certificate for the shipment and a plant-protection permit. - *Medical use.* Legal under the 2019 Act on prescription from a medical practitioner. The first licensed medicinal dispensary opened on 14 June 2025. - *Cannabis clubs.* There are no cannabis clubs as such. Supply remains an offence; the Sacramental Cannabis Act allows use only within registered Rastafari places of worship. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 11,831 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 85 prohibits driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road or public place when drug influence makes proper vehicle control impossible. The government's consolidation provides BDS$5,000 or two years' imprisonment or both for a first conviction, rising to BDS$10,000 or five years or both for a repeat. Licence disqualification is normally twelve months on the first conviction, five years on the second and permanent thereafter, subject to the court's special-reasons exception. These are court penalties, not fixed-ticket amounts. Section 69A makes random alcohol and drug testing by a medical practitioner a licence condition for drivers of articulated and public service vehicles. The numerical concentration branch in section 85 concerns alcohol; its drug branch requires impairment rather than a specified THC value. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Police may deal with 14 g or less by a $200 fixed-penalty notice, with no court appearance and no conviction; above that the ordinary penalties apply, including prison for trafficking. The sacramental exemption covers registered Rastafari places of worship only. - *Other consequences.* Paying the fixed penalty discharges liability without a criminal conviction. ### Peru Score 21/100 (Restrictive), rank 37 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pe/ Possession of up to 8 g is not punishable. Medical cannabis is legal since 2017, with patient-association cultivation added in 2021. - **Possession 3/10.** Article 299 of the Penal Code makes possession for one's own immediate use not punishable up to 8 g of marijuana or 2 g of its derivatives. The exemption is lost if the person possesses two or more types of controlled drug. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing for personal use is a crime: the Penal Code provides two to six years even where the crop does not exceed 100 plants. The exceptions are licensed medical or scientific production and registered patient associations growing for their members. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Small possession is not punished by law. Unlicensed cultivation carries two to six years for up to 100 plants and eight to fifteen years otherwise; trafficking also carries prison. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Any supply is trafficking. - **Consumption 3/10.** Use is not a separate offence, and Article 299 protects possession within the limits for one's own immediate consumption. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use sales. Licensed pharmacies sell medical cannabis products on prescription to registered patients. - *Commercial production.* Licences exist for medical production, import and sale; patient associations can be authorised to cultivate. Law 32195 created a separate framework for industrial hemp below 1% THC, but its implementing regulation remained at draft stage after public consultation. - *Products.* Registered medicines, exceptional patient imports and pharmacy-compounded preparations. - *Seeds and clones.* Unlicensed transfer of cannabis seed is a crime, while the medical regulation defines seed to include any botanical structure intended for sexual or asexual propagation. Licensed medical producers may acquire, propagate, store and transport seeds and seedlings. Commercial seed sales are restricted to licensed cultivators and regulated under the General Seed Law; licensed patient associations must obtain seed from an authorised producer. Seeds and clones are therefore confined to licensed or authorised medical and industrial-hemp cultivation and regulated supply channels; the detailed hemp rules remain pending. - *Medical use.* Legal since Law 30681 of 2017, on prescription with patients listed in a national registry; association growing was added to improve access and affordability. - *Cannabis clubs.* Since July 2021 the law has allowed patient associations to grow medical cannabis together and make their own derivatives; there is no recreational club model. Every member must be on the national register of cannabis patients, the health ministry issues the licence and the anti-drug police set the security protocol. The law was passed at the request of patient groups, who had found that few pharmacies stocked legal products; one of them, a group of about 60 families, had been raided by police before medical use was legalised in 2017. Personal home growing, which the groups also asked for, was left out. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 56,327 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 38,704 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Penal Code punishes driving 'under the effect of' toxic drugs, narcotics or psychotropic substances with six months to two years in prison, or 52 to 104 days of community service, and disqualification. For alcohol the same article gives a blood level; for drugs it gives none. Drivers of public transport and freight face one to three years. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Article 299 of the Penal Code leaves possession for one's own immediate use unpunished up to 8 g of marijuana or 2 g of its derivatives; the exemption is lost if a person holds two or more kinds of controlled drug. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The anti-drug directorate of the National Police, Dirandro, reported more than 11,700 people detained in over 18,700 operations in 2024 and 122 criminal organisations dismantled. It seized more than 165 tonnes of drugs, a record against 104.6 tonnes in 2023, of which more than 56 tonnes were marijuana. The detentions are counted for drug trafficking as a whole and are not split by drug. - *Other consequences.* No conviction for possession within the limit. ### Kyrgyzstan Score 21/100 (Restrictive), rank 38 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/kg/ Small personal possession and small unauthorised cultivation are administrative offences. Larger amounts and supply remain criminal; the dried-marijuana table sets the small-quantity ceiling at 20 grams. - **Possession 3/10.** Small possession without intent to supply carries a fine of 200 calculated units or 40 hours of community work. For dried marijuana, the table includes up to 20 g in the small band, over 20 g through 600 g in the large band, and over 600 g in the especially large band. Large personal possession carries a fine of 1,000–2,000 units or up to five years in prison; especially large possession carries five to ten years. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Small unauthorised cultivation carries an administrative fine of 125 calculated units for an individual. Landholders can also be fined for failing to destroy wild controlled organisms. Large-scale cultivation, or cultivation by a group acting by prior agreement, carries a fine of 1,000–2,000 units or up to five years in prison; especially large cultivation carries five to ten years and confiscation. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** The small-possession offence allows a fine or community work, while larger personal quantities can bring prison. In July 2026 police reported three arrests after testing cannabis products prepared for a festival and searching homes and a shop; a supply investigation was continuing. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The Supreme Court says supplying drugs includes gifts, swaps, loans and debt repayments as well as sales. Ordinary supply carries five to eight years in prison and confiscation; aggravated cases carry eight to twelve or twelve to fifteen years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Non-medical drug use in streets, parks, public transport and other public places carries a fine of ten calculated units or up to 20 hours of community work. Possession is covered by a separate offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** Buying or holding a small personal amount remains an administrative offence, and supply is criminal. The lawful-circulation rules prohibit retail trade in the banned narcotic list, which includes marijuana and other cannabis preparations. - *Commercial production.* The 2024 law includes gathering wild controlled organisms within manufacture or production and requires authority for controlled-drug activities. The implementing rules retain narrow scientific and official-use exceptions while prohibiting ordinary trade in listed cannabis preparations. - *Products.* The controlled list names cannabis oil, resin, straw, marijuana and extracts or tinctures. The small-quantity ceilings differ by preparation: dried marijuana 20 g, dried resin 3 g, oil preparation 2 g and extracts or tinctures 3 g measured as dry residue. - *Seeds and clones.* The cannabis-straw and marijuana definitions expressly exclude seeds. Small unauthorised growing is nevertheless an administrative offence, and larger or group cultivation can be criminal; rooted cuttings and seedlings therefore require attention to the cultivation rules. - *Medical use.* Cannabis oil, resin, plant material, marijuana and extracts or tinctures appear in narcotic list IV. The drug law prohibits medical and veterinary use of substances on that list; scientific and specified official-use exceptions are governed separately. - *Cannabis clubs.* Giving cannabis to another person counts as supply under the Supreme Court’s guidance. Organising or maintaining premises for drug consumption is a separate offence carrying up to five years in prison in the basic case. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 298 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 265 kg in 2023, and 240 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 235 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors face the same possession and supply rules: the small personal-possession offence permits a fine or community work, while supply can bring prison. The cannabis preparations in the prohibited narcotic list have no ordinary retail route under the lawful-circulation rules. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The interior ministry's anti-drug service reported 1,163 drug crimes detected in 2024, 154 of them committed online, and 961 people prosecuted, among them 17 minors. A further 89 drug-related administrative violations brought fines. More than 15 tonnes of narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors were seized. The report gives no separate figures for cannabis. - *Other consequences.* The Criminal Code offers an exemption from criminal liability for certain drug offences when a person voluntarily surrenders the drugs and actively helps expose or stop drug crimes. Surrender during an arrest or a search does not count as voluntary. ### Croatia Score 20/100 (Restrictive), rank 39 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/hr/ Possession for personal use has been a misdemeanour since 2013. The penalty is a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 kuna, or up to 90 days' detention. Medical cannabis is prescribable since 2015. - **Possession 3/10.** Since 1 January 2013 possession of a small amount for personal use is a misdemeanour, not a crime. Article 54(3) of the drug-abuse act, as amended in 2019, punishes a natural person with a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 kuna (about €650 to €2,650) or with up to 90 days' detention. The consolidated text still states the fine in kuna. No fixed gram threshold; courts assess personal use. Possession had been a crime from April 1996 until 2013, with a fine or up to a year in prison. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing even a few plants for yourself remains a criminal offence: Article 190 of the Criminal Code counts unauthorised cultivation as production, punished with six months to five years in prison, and three to twelve years when the drug is meant for sale. A multiple sclerosis patient who grew eleven plants for oil was sentenced to two years in 2017 and escaped prison only by a presidential pardon in 2019. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** A user can be fined 5,000 to 20,000 kuna or detained for up to 90 days. Growing and dealing are crimes under Article 190 of the Criminal Code, with prison terms starting at six months for production and three years for sale. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Selling, offering or brokering a sale carries three to twelve years in prison under Article 190 of the Criminal Code, and three to fifteen where a child or a school is involved. Giving a drug to another person to use, or providing a place to use it, carries six months to five years under Article 191. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use is handled under the same misdemeanour as possession: a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 kuna or up to 90 days' detention. Tourists are regularly fined in summer. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source. Legalisation bills, including one proposing nine plants per adult, have been tabled without success; the government rejected the latest after a debate in November 2022. - *Commercial production.* Hemp cultivation is permitted, and a 2019 change allowed domestic production of medical cannabis. - *Products.* Prescription medical preparations and low-THC hemp products. - *Seeds and clones.* The Act on Combating Drug Abuse defines growing a plant to obtain drugs as including "acquiring and possessing seed", sowing and planting, and Article 3 bans it outside medical, veterinary, scientific and teaching use. Industrial hemp of EU-listed varieties with no more than 0.2% THC is exempt, and its growers must register before sowing. - *Medical use.* Legal since October 2015 for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, epilepsy and AIDS, on prescription, capped at 0.75 g of THC per 30 days, with no home growing. In practice there is little to prescribe: pharmacies ran out in March 2018 and the importer did not reorder, the health fund does not reimburse, and a 2025 market survey found no cannabis medicine on sale and no company fully authorised to produce or distribute one. - *Cannabis clubs.* No clubs are known. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 found, after online searches and contact with people in the field, that there did not seem to be any active club in Croatia. The model is prohibited throughout the European Union. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 2,082 kg of herbal cannabis and 76 kg of cannabis resin seized in Croatia in 2024, against 6,030 kg and 72 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 6,485 occasions and resin on 500. Plant seizures came to 14,954 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Croatian law sets no THC limit. The road-safety law punishes driving under the influence of drugs and the criminal code covers a driver who is not capable of driving and causes danger, so in both cases impairment is the test. Police may stop and test at random, with an oral-fluid test before a physical examination and blood and urine taken at a hospital. Penalties under the road law are a ban of six months to two years, a fine of about 1,300 to 2,660 euros and up to two months in prison; the criminal offence carries up to three years. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. Possessing a drug is the same misdemeanour as for a resident: a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 kuna or up to 90 days' detention. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 6,837 cannabis-related drug law offences in Croatia in 2024, against 6,701 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 5,874 were for use or possession for use. The level has been fairly steady since a high of 8,143 in 2018. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* A misdemeanour is not a criminal record. The court can impose the fine or up to 90 days' detention, and an unpaid fine can be converted. ### Estonia Score 20/100 (Restrictive), rank 40 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ee/ A small quantity for personal use is a misdemeanour, punished by a fine or detention. A large quantity, enough to intoxicate at least ten people, carries one to ten years. Medical access exists but is rarely used. - **Possession 3/10.** Keeping a small quantity for personal use is a misdemeanour: a fine of up to 300 fine units, 8 euros each, or detention. The statute does not fix that quantity in grams. A large quantity is enough to cause drug intoxication to at least ten people, and handling it carries one to ten years in prison. A group, a repeat, or handling for significant gain can bring a longer sentence. Courts have treated 7.5 grams of marijuana at 7 to 10 per cent THC as already enough for ten people, and a higher THC content can meet the test at a lower weight. Keeping a small quantity in order to supply it is a separate crime, with up to three years. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing even one plant is a criminal offence, regardless of purpose. Section 188 of the Penal Code punishes illegal growing of cannabis with a fine or up to five years in prison. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** A small quantity for personal use, or use without a prescription, is a fine of up to 300 fine units or detention. Handling a large quantity, enough to intoxicate at least ten people, carries one to ten years. Supplying a small quantity can bring up to three years. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime. Systematic trafficking or mediation of a small quantity, possessing a small quantity in order to supply it, or taking a small quantity across the border carries a fine or up to three years. Handling a large quantity, enough to intoxicate at least ten people, carries one to ten years. Giving a small quantity to a minor carries up to five years. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use without a prescription is a misdemeanour, with the same fine of up to 300 fine units or detention as small-quantity possession. - **Legal access 1/10.** A narrow medical route is lawful. Epidyolex is authorised, and a doctor may seek permission for an unauthorised cannabinoid medicine or standardised cannabis for an individual patient. - *Commercial production.* The State Agency of Medicines states that growing cannabis in order to make a narcotic substance, including for medical use, is prohibited. - *Products.* Cannabinoid-based medicines on special application only. - *Seeds and clones.* Section 188 of the Penal Code makes the illegal growing of cannabis a crime, punished with a fine or up to five years in prison, and one to ten years for a group or a repeat offender, so a cutting or seedling is covered as a growing plant. The national drug information centre's summary of Estonian drug law says nothing about seeds, and no provision banning them was found. - *Medical use.* Access is narrow: Epidyolex is authorised, while a doctor may apply case by case for an unauthorised cannabinoid medicine or standardised cannabis. Domestic cultivation for medical use remains prohibited. - *Cannabis clubs.* No club is confirmed. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 received no answer from Estonia but, because of contradictory sources, could not rule out that clubs were active there. The model is prohibited throughout the European Union. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 102 kg of herbal cannabis and 1.7 kg of cannabis resin seized in Estonia in 2024, against 70 kg and 68 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 660 occasions and resin on 43. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* There is no THC limit: a driver in whom a drug is detected is removed from the road and dealt with for the drug-use offence, with a fine of up to 1,200 euros or administrative arrest of up to 30 days. The criminal code separately punishes impaired driving with up to three years in prison, four for a repeat offence, and a ban of up to three years. Police need suspicion to stop a driver but may test at random; the evidential test is blood taken at a hospital. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. A small quantity for personal use is a misdemeanour, with a fine of up to 300 fine units or detention. A large quantity, enough to intoxicate at least ten people, carries one to ten years. About 7.5 grams is not a statutory safe limit: courts have treated that weight of marijuana at 7 to 10 per cent THC as already enough for ten people. Possessing a small quantity in order to supply it can bring up to three years. - *Other consequences.* A final decision imposing a penalty for a misdemeanour is entered in the penal register, except a decision in a warning procedure. Data on a fine or detention for a misdemeanour are deleted and archived one year after the fine is paid or the detention is served. ### Denmark Score 20/100 (Restrictive), rank 41 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/dk/ Possession is punished with fines. The medical cannabis programme became permanent in 2026, and Denmark hosts licensed producers. Christiania's open market was shut down in 2024. - **Possession 2/10.** Possession of any amount is an offence. For small amounts for personal use the standard outcome is a fine that rises with repeat offences; larger amounts or signs of dealing can bring prison. The guideline fine for up to 9.9 g of hash is DKK 2,000 for a first offence, DKK 3,000 for a second and DKK 4,000 thereafter. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis for its THC is illegal and prosecuted; penalties scale with the number of plants. Licensed medical production and permitted industrial-hemp growing are exceptions. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Fines for users; prison for cultivation and dealing, with long sentences for organised trade. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime, with prison for anything beyond trivial amounts. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is not itself named as an offence, but possession is, so users are fined when caught. - **Legal access 2/10.** No legal adult-use source. Copenhagen's open hash market on Christiania's Pusher Street was dug up and closed in 2024. Medical cannabis is dispensed by pharmacies on prescription. - *Commercial production.* Denmark licenses cultivation and manufacture of medical cannabis and hosts several export-oriented producers. - *Products.* Prescription flower and oils under the medical scheme; low-THC products up to 0.2%. - *Seeds and clones.* Cannabis seeds are excluded from the controlled-substances order, so possession and sale are lawful; germinating them is not, unless the resulting cultivation is licensed or permitted. Cuttings are cannabis plant material and therefore controlled. Licensed medical businesses may propagate and distribute plants or plant parts to licensed growers, while low-THC industrial hemp may be grown under permit. Clones are consequently confined to regulated licensed channels. - *Medical use.* A pilot programme that began in 2018 let any doctor prescribe cannabis products not otherwise approved as medicines. Parliament made it permanent from 1 January 2026, with partial reimbursement. - *Cannabis clubs.* No club is confirmed. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 received no answer from Denmark but, because of contradictory sources, could not rule out that clubs were active there. The model is prohibited throughout the European Union. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 522 kg of herbal cannabis and 3,315 kg of cannabis resin seized in Denmark in 2024, against 384 kg and 3,965 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 1,395 occasions and resin on 14,751. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Denmark has a fixed limit of 1 nanogram of THC per millilitre of blood, alongside an offence of impaired driving; the rule does not apply to a substance taken in accordance with a medical prescription. Police may stop and test at random, using an oral-fluid test after a physical test and blood taken at a hospital. The driving ban runs from six months to ten years or for life, and prison of up to a year and a half is possible. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession of any amount is an offence; for small amounts for personal use the standard outcome is a fine that rises with repeat offences. - *Other consequences.* A fine solely under the controlled-substances law does not appear on either the private or public criminal-record certificate, although a prison sentence does. Driving is illegal above 0.001 mg THC per kg of blood; higher levels can bring conditional or unconditional licence disqualification. ### New Zealand Score 20/100 (Restrictive), rank 42 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/nz/ Illegal, but since 2019 police must consider a health-based response before prosecuting. A legalisation referendum narrowly failed in 2020; the medical scheme has operated since. - **Possession 2/10.** Possession is a criminal offence with a maximum of three months' prison or a NZ$500 fine, and a legal presumption against imprisonment. Since August 2019 police must consider whether a health-based response would be more beneficial than prosecution, and many cases now end in a warning or referral — but thousands are still charged. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing any cannabis plant is a criminal offence, with up to seven years on indictment. - **Punishment & enforcement 4/10.** Mostly warnings and fines for users, with prosecutions down since 2019 but far from gone. Cultivation and supply carry prison. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply, including giving it away, is an offence; holding 28 g or more creates a presumption of supply. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence under the same provision as possession, handled with the same police discretion. - **Legal access 2/10.** No adult-use source. A 2020 referendum on a regulated legal market failed narrowly, 50.7% to 48.4%. Medicinal cannabis is available on prescription from pharmacies. - *Commercial production.* Since April 2020 the Medicinal Cannabis Scheme licenses commercial cultivation and manufacture for medicinal use only. - *Products.* Prescription flower and oils that meet the scheme's quality standard; nothing else. - *Seeds and clones.* New Zealand Police list cannabis seed and cannabis plant as Class C controlled drugs. Possessing cannabis seed carries up to one year in prison or a NZ$500 fine, cultivating the plant up to seven years, and supplying a Class C drug up to eight years. - *Medical use.* Any doctor can prescribe approved medicinal cannabis products for any condition. Products are unsubsidised and costly. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs are illegal and the best-known one has been shut down repeatedly. The Daktory ran openly in Auckland from late 2008 to 2012 as a members' club where cannabis was sold over the counter and smoked on the premises; it drew more than 2,000 members before police raided and closed it. Its founder reopened it in Wellington, where police raided it in August 2019, charging him and another man with offences including possession for supply, and again in December 2019, a month after it had reopened. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,136 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 812 kg in 2023, and 4.7 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 2.7 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Police can stop any driver and screen saliva at the roadside for four drugs, THC among them. Testing began in Wellington on 15 December 2025, with a national roll-out planned from April 2026. The device reacts only at or above a built-in threshold, which police say is set to show recent use and to exclude past use and passive exposure. A positive screen leads to a second one and a saliva sample for the laboratory; two positive screens mean a 12-hour driving ban on the spot. A fine follows only if the laboratory confirms the drug at or above its threshold: 200 dollars and 50 demerit points for one drug, 400 dollars and 75 points for two or more, and the same 400 dollars and 75 points for refusing the test. In blood, a concentration within the tolerance level is an infringement and one at the high-risk level a crime. Patients prescribed cannabis can still test positive; they must take the test and may apply afterwards for a medical defence if they took the medicine as prescribed. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. Whatever legal supply exists is medical, for patients with a prescription or registration. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Ministry of Justice figures reported in March 2026 show 3,438 people charged with possessing cannabis in 2025, up from 2,881 in 2024 and 2,287 in 2023, the highest number since a 2019 law change told police to consider a health-based response first. Charges had fallen from 3,719 in 2017 to a low of 2,055 in 2021. Of all convictions for cannabis offences, 82% came alongside charges unrelated to cannabis; 506 people were convicted of cannabis offences alone in 2025, against 387 in 2023. Police said the rise tracks higher use seen in wastewater testing, and that the charge figures leave out the warnings officers give for possession. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record affecting travel and work. Roadside oral-fluid drug testing was introduced with penalties for THC. ### Bermuda Score 19/100 (Restrictive), British Overseas Territory, not ranked. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bm/ Simple possession of seven grams of cannabis or less has been decriminalised since 20 December 2017, while police may seize it and unauthorised use, growing and supply remain offences. Qualifying old convictions can be cleared on application. Named cannabinoid medicines have been permitted on prescription since 2014; the UK blocked the broader cannabis licensing bill in 2022. - **Possession 3/10.** Simple possession of seven grams of cannabis or less is exempt from the possession offence. Police may seize any amount, and evidence of intent to supply can still be prosecuted. Possession above seven grams remains an offence. The 2017 law did not automatically clear older convictions; a later application process allows qualifying records to be expunged. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing a plant of the genus Cannabis is prohibited unless authorised under the drug law’s regulations. The 2019 hemp definition excludes low-THC hemp from the definition of cannabis, but the cultivation clause still refers to any plant of the genus. The broader personal and commercial licensing plan was blocked in 2022. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** The seven-gram exemption concerns simple possession; police retain seizure powers, and supply intent can still lead to prosecution below that weight. Cultivation, supply and unauthorised imports or use remain offences. The government’s fact sheet says the earlier caution policy for less than three grams ceased to have effect. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Unauthorised supply or an offer to supply a controlled drug remains an offence. The law contains no general exemption for giving cannabis away without payment, and the seven-gram possession exemption does not authorise supply. - **Consumption 1/10.** Unauthorised cannabis use remains an offence. The government’s explanation of the seven-gram reform expressly says smoking is still illegal in public and private places. Licensed medical use is governed separately. - **Legal access 1/10.** The 2014 law named Marinol, Cesamet and Sativex in the permitted medical schedules. Personal medical cannabis imports require ministerial authorisation; contemporary reporting of the 2016 Brangman hearing confirmed the minister’s power to consider and refuse such applications. The wider adult-use licensing bill was blocked in 2022. - *Commercial production.* The 2020 policy proposed licences for personal and commercial growing, manufacturing and retail. The UK instructed Bermuda’s governor not to assent to the resulting cannabis licensing bill in 2022. Cultivation still requires legal authorisation under the existing drug law. - *Products.* Since November 2019, the drug law defines hemp as cannabis sativa, or any part of it, with no more than 1% THC and excludes it from the definition of cannabis. Cannabis resin is separately defined and controlled. In July 2026, the government proposed clearer compliance rules for hemp-derived consumer products already being sold. - *Medical use.* Named cannabinoid medicines have a prescription route under the 2014 pharmaceutical law, alongside the minister’s personal-import licensing powers. A 2019 proposal for locally produced cannabis for medical inhalation became part of the wider licensing debate. In July 2026, the government targeted a further medical and hemp framework for the final quarter of the year. - *Cannabis clubs.* The seven-gram possession exemption does not permit collective growing, supplying members or unauthorised consumption. The proposed licensing of retail and consumption premises did not become law. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The seven-gram exemption applies to simple possession in Bermuda and does not authorise importing cannabis. Imports of controlled drugs require an applicable legal exception or authorisation; a personal cannabis licence remains a separate decision. - *Other consequences.* People with qualifying cannabis possession convictions predating 20 December 2017 can apply for an expungement order. From the order date, Bermuda law treats the person as not having committed, been prosecuted for, convicted of or sentenced for that offence, with disclosure and employment protections. Since November 2023, certain low-penalty records omitting the weight qualify under a statutory presumption. The government says Bermuda relief does not guarantee US admission. ### Moldova Score 19/100 (Restrictive), rank 43 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/md/ Possession of small amounts is an administrative offence. - **Possession 3/10.** Buying or possessing a small amount without intent to distribute — up to about 2 g of dried cannabis — is an administrative offence under Article 85 of the Contravention Code, punished with a fine or community service. The government has moved to raise these fines sharply. Above the threshold it is a crime. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is a criminal offence under Article 217 of the Criminal Code, with prison terms. Article 14 of Law 201/2025 forbids growing controlled plants, cannabis included, to obtain narcotic substances; industrial hemp may be grown with an authorisation from the food safety agency. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Users face fines or community service. Anything above the small threshold, and all cultivation and dealing, carries two to seven years or more. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime. Law 201/2025 lets controlled substances and plants circulate only for scientific, forensic or medical purposes. - **Consumption 2/10.** Using without a prescription is an administrative offence with the same fine or community service. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production for consumption; hemp is restricted. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 201/2025 leaves seeds, and leaves without flowering tops, out of its definition of cannabis. Article 14 bans growing cannabis for drugs and allows hemp with up to 0.3% THC only under an authorisation from the food safety agency, using registered varieties. Distributors of seed for sowing may supply it only to authorisation holders. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: supplying cannabis is a crime. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 34.9 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 66.4 kg in 2023, and 20.6 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 26.1 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Buying or possessing a small amount without intent to distribute, up to about 2 g of dried cannabis, is an administrative offence under Article 85 of the Contravention Code, punished with a fine or community service. - *Other consequences.* Administrative offences are not criminal convictions. ### Jersey Score 19/100 (Restrictive), Crown Dependency, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-17. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/je/ Cannabis is a Class B drug, but small amounts are usually settled at a Parish Hall enquiry with a written caution or a fine and no criminal conviction. Private medical prescriptions are unusually common, and the island licenses medical cannabis growers. A decriminalisation debate was put off until after the 2026 election. - **Possession 2/10.** Cannabis is a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs (Jersey) Law 1978, and possession carries up to five years in prison or a fine. Small amounts are dealt with at a Parish Hall enquiry: under Attorney General directions, up to 15 g usually brought a written caution for a first offence and again after a year. Since the 2024 public order law, a Centenier may instead impose a level 1 fine for possessing a Class B drug if the person accepts it, which does not lead to a conviction. Larger amounts and repeat cases go to court. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis is production of a Class B drug, with up to 14 years in prison or a fine. Personal cultivation has no exemption; one of the options put to the States Assembly in 2025 would only have stopped prosecuting the growing of small quantities. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Users with small amounts are mostly handled at the Parish Hall with cautions or fines. Class B convictions, which include cannabis, fell from 65 in 2020 to 35 in 2021. Production and supply are prosecuted in the courts. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying or offering to supply a Class B drug carries up to 14 years in prison or a fine. The law draws no line for giving cannabis to a friend without payment. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is dealt with through the possession offence. In June 2024 the States Assembly rejected decriminalising personal possession and recreational use by 23 votes to 22. - **Legal access 3/10.** There is no legal adult-use source. Doctors prescribe medical cannabis privately and pharmacies dispense it: an audit counted 23,639 private prescriptions for about 4,361 patients in 2022, roughly 6% of the working population. - *Commercial production.* Commercial growing is limited to licensed medical producers. Northern Leaf, the first local grower approved by the UK medicines regulator, can produce eight tonnes a year and made its first commercial shipment of high-THC flower to the United Kingdom in November 2023, after an earlier shipment to Australia. - *Products.* Prescribed medical cannabis is dispensed by pharmacies. Some cannabis extracts, including cannabis oil, are in the same class as heroin; in 2024 the health minister proposed moving cannabinol and its derivatives from Class A to Class B. - *Medical use.* Medical cannabis is prescribed privately by doctors, some at cannabis clinics, and patients may also bring it in under a personal import licence. Eighteen prescribers were recorded in 2022 and twenty in the first half of 2023. In October 2026 the government said it planned a law to regulate prescribers, to start in early 2027. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Supplying cannabis to another person is an offence, and none of the 2025 reform options would have created clubs. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply, so a visitor has no lawful way to obtain cannabis. Medical cannabis requires a prescription or a personal import licence. - *Other consequences.* A Parish Hall caution or a Centenier's fine does not create a criminal conviction, while a case that goes to court does. In June 2024 the Assembly asked ministers for proposals on decriminalisation, legalisation and regulation; three options were tabled in 2025, but the debate set for 3 February 2026 was put off until after the June 2026 election. ### Armenia Score 18/100 (Restrictive), rank 44 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/am/ Possession of small amounts without intent to sell is an administrative offence punished by a fine. - **Possession 3/10.** Since 2008 possessing a small amount for personal use without intent to sell is an administrative offence, not a crime. The fine is heavy — 200 to 400 times the minimum wage unit, roughly US$500–1,000 — but there is no prison and the fine is waived for people who voluntarily seek treatment. In drams the fine is 200,000 to 400,000; a bill before parliament in May 2026 would double it. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis is a criminal offence, and people living near wild stands say the police destroy the plants. Industrial hemp with no more than 0.3% THC may be grown since 2021, but only by licensed companies and in greenhouses, not by individuals. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Users face a large fine instead of the two months in jail that applied before 2008. Sale and cultivation for sale remain crimes with prison. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime with three to seven years or more. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use without a prescription is handled under the same administrative offence as small possession. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal recreational source. - *Commercial production.* Since June 2021 industrial hemp with no more than 0.3% THC may be produced and processed. Licences are issued by the health ministry to companies only, for up to ten years, with separate licences for growing and for trade and processing, a minimum capital of 10 million drams and growing in greenhouses. Six companies held licences in January 2022. No cannabis with more THC may be produced. - *Products.* Hemp seed is a traditional food and seed powder was recorded on sale in Yerevan's markets in 2020. The government's list of controlled substances, in its 2019 consolidated text, puts every hemp species on List No. 1, of substances whose circulation is prohibited in Armenia, together with any preparation containing THC "regardless of the name under which they appear", cannabis extracts and tinctures, and all THC isomers. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. In February 2019 the health minister said there could be no initiative to free the use of narcotics and that he would veto one. Cannabis and THC are on the list of substances whose circulation is prohibited, not on List No. 2, of substances whose circulation is only restricted. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 327 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 13 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Administrative Offences Code article 126(9) treats a driver as intoxicated when testing establishes narcotic or psychotropic substance content in blood or urine. A separate demonstration of impaired vehicle control is not stated in that definition. Article 126(3) provides two years' deprivation of driving rights for drug-related intoxication; avoiding the prescribed sobriety examination also results in two years under paragraph 4. Drug intoxication is determined by a medical expert examination under paragraph 10. Paragraph 9 also covers consuming a substance after a police stop or relevant crash but before the sobriety test. The ordinary monetary fine and five-point deduction in paragraph 1 are expressly alcohol-only and must not be substituted for the drug sanction. The official English consolidation includes the March 2025 amendment. No numerical THC allowance or prescribed-cannabis exception was verified in article 126; the statute's reference to drug content should not be expanded into an assertion that every inactive cannabis metabolite is independently sufficient. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Since 2008 possessing a small amount for personal use without intent to sell is an administrative offence with a heavy fine and no prison. - *Arrests and prisoners.* No figures by drug were found. Drug crimes recorded by the police more than doubled in the first nine months of 2023, a rise officials put down to synthetic drugs sold online, and the interior minister called for making drug addiction a crime again. - *Other consequences.* An administrative offence is not a criminal record, but users are placed on a narcological register for observation, for at least a year. The drug law lets the police order a drug test on suspicion of use, and a person diagnosed as dependent can be sent to compulsory treatment. ### Montenegro Score 18/100 (Restrictive), rank 45 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/me/ Personal drug possession carries a €100–€2,000 misdemeanour fine. Unlawful cannabis production, sale and giving cannabis to another person can bring prison; low-THC food and industrial hemp has a permit route. - **Possession 3/10.** Holding drugs for personal use contrary to the drug law carries a €100–€2,000 misdemeanour fine. The Criminal Code sets two to ten years in prison for selling, offering for sale, or buying, holding or transporting drugs for sale. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Food and industrial hemp requires a cultivation permit and a contract for the whole crop; a scientific legal entity can grow under a separate land-registration exception. The permit rules cover hemp with at most 0.2% THC in dry plant material. Breaching the permit-and-contract requirement carries a €100–€2,000 fine, while unlawful drug production carries two to ten years in prison. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Personal possession carries a misdemeanour fine under the drug law. Police reported about 13,100 cannabis plants and two arrests at Trnovo in August 2025, followed by a third arrest in October and complaints against two further suspects in March 2026. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving drugs to another person for consumption, encouraging use or providing premises for it carries six months to five years in prison; aggravated cases carry two to ten years. Selling cannabis or holding it for sale carries two to ten years; organising a network of dealers or intermediaries carries three to fifteen years. - **Consumption 1/10.** The drug law prohibits unauthorised drug use and holding drugs for personal use. Its individual-penalty article expressly fines personal possession €100–€2,000. Giving drugs to another person or providing premises for consumption can bring prison under the Criminal Code. - **Legal access 0/10.** Personal possession remains punishable, and selling cannabis carries a prison sentence. Food and industrial hemp follows a separate cultivation-permit and whole-crop purchasing route; controlled medical and pharmaceutical production and trade require licences. - *Commercial production.* The drug law allows controlled medical and pharmaceutical production and trade by licensed legal entities. It also provides a permit route for food and industrial hemp and a registered-land exception for scientific institutions. Unlawful drug production carries two to ten years in prison. - *Products.* The cultivation-permit rules cover food and industrial hemp containing at most 0.2% THC in dry plant material. The drug law separately regulates hemp preparations for medical or pharmaceutical purposes through licensed legal entities and purchase contracts with growers. - *Seeds and clones.* The drug law includes acquiring or holding seed, sowing, planting and growing within cultivation of plants for drugs. Hemp-permit applicants must give their variety, quantity of certified seed, growing area and planned sowing and harvest. Hemp-growing land must be reported by 1 May each year. - *Medical use.* The drug law provides licences for controlled medical and pharmaceutical activities and permits possession of a drug-containing medicine within the quantity prescribed by a doctor. Liberal Party MP Andrija Popović proposed medical cannabis for serious illness in 2014. In 2022, Legalizuj.me and patients renewed the campaign for medical access and broader reform. - *Cannabis clubs.* Giving cannabis to another person for consumption and making premises available for drug use are criminal offences carrying six months to five years in the basic case. Food and industrial hemp cultivation follows the separate permit and contracted-buyer system. - *Driving.* Road Safety Law article 182 prohibits driving under narcotic or other psychoactive influence and deems that influence established by a test detecting the substance in the body. It does not require a separate impaired-control finding or give a numerical THC allowance. The consolidation includes Gazette 111/2026, effective 7 August 2026. Article 317a now sets 15–60 days' imprisonment for drug driving and specified testing refusals, plus three penalty points and an ordinary four-to-six-month driving ban. Immediate danger or an accident adds two points and fixes the ban at six months. Article 296 provides for arrest for drug influence or refusal. Articles 291–292 authorise drug testing and medical examination; disputed positive results lead to blood and urine analysis, subject to health safeguards. A medically harmful examination or sample has a statutory exception in the refusal provision. This does not establish a general prescription defence. Current drug penalties must not be replaced with the separate alcohol fine ranges. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Personal drug possession is punishable by a €100–€2,000 misdemeanour fine, and selling cannabis carries two to ten years in prison. Bringing drugs into Montenegro for the supply offence carries two to twelve years. - *Other consequences.* The Criminal Code requires the confiscation and destruction of drugs and production equipment under its production-and-supply offence. A person convicted under that offence who reveals their supplier may be excused punishment. ### Ecuador Score 18/100 (Restrictive), rank 46 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ec/ The constitution treats use as a health issue, though the possession threshold table was repealed in 2023. Medical cannabis and hemp are legal. - **Possession 2/10.** Article 364 of the constitution treats drug use as a health matter and forbids criminalising users. Until November 2023 a threshold table treated up to 10 g of cannabis as personal use; President Noboa repealed it, so there is now no safe amount. A person caught with any quantity must convince police and a judge that it is for their own use. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis with THC for personal use is not authorised. Only non-psychoactive cannabis under 1% THC may be cultivated, under licence. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** The constitution protects users in principle, but since 2023 enforcement has hardened under an anti-micro-trafficking drive, and small-scale possession cases can lead to pre-trial detention. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Any supply is trafficking, graded by quantity. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use itself is not a crime under the constitution, but with the thresholds gone, anyone using in public risks being processed as a small-scale dealer. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source. Low-THC medical and wellness products are sold legally. - *Commercial production.* The agriculture ministry issues several classes of licence for non-psychoactive cannabis and hemp (under 1% THC), which has attracted commercial growers. - *Products.* Hemp and low-THC products; prescription preparations with tight THC limits. - *Seeds and clones.* The agriculture ministry's Agreement 109 sets up seven licences for cannabis with less than 1% THC. Licence 1 covers importing and selling seeds or cuttings, and Licence 2 sowing and producing them; only registered companies, cooperatives, associations and universities may apply. Nothing in the scheme covers seed or cuttings of psychoactive varieties. - *Medical use.* Medical cannabis was legalised in 2019, on prescription, limited largely to low-THC preparations. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: any supply counts as trafficking, graded by quantity. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 28,591 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 19,514 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* COIP article 384 penalises driving under the effects of narcotic or psychotropic substances with thirty days' deprivation of liberty and deduction of fifteen licence points; the vehicle is seized preventively for twenty-four hours. This is distinct from article 385's graded alcohol limits. Its special rule for public passenger, commercial and freight drivers states zero tolerance for consumption of narcotic or psychotropic substances and specifies ninety days' deprivation of liberty and loss of thirty points on exceeding the stated limit. That wording does not establish a numerical laboratory THC cutoff. Under article 376, a drug-influenced driver causing a crash that kills one or more people faces ten to twelve years and definitive licence revocation. These are the provisions in the government-hosted consolidation updated to 24 October 2025; implementing drug-testing procedures and later amendments remain verification targets. No fixed waiting time after cannabis use is inferred. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. Whatever legal supply exists is medical, for patients with a prescription or registration. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Other consequences.* No record if a case is closed as personal use; the risk lies in being charged as a dealer in the first place. ### Micronesia Score 18/100 (Restrictive), rank 47 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/fm/ Cannabis penalties vary by state. The national code’s $50 small-possession provision is not a nationwide ceiling: published state laws also allow custody, and the available Chuuk drug-law appendix is historical. - **Possession 2/10.** National section 1142 gives a maximum $50 fine for an ounce or less, but state law differs. Pohnpei’s 2012 Code permits up to one month, $100 or both for that amount. Yap permits up to 30 days, $100 or both, with a fine-only rule for first drug offenders. Kosrae classifies it as a category-three misdemeanor: up to six months, $500 or both. Chuuk’s website reproduces a $50 provision in an unrevised 1980 reference appendix; this does not verify its current law. Later state amendments and representative sentencing remain gaps. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** National law treats cultivation as production/manufacture. Pohnpei similarly includes planting and growing in production and criminalises unauthorised manufacture. Yap has a separate marijuana-production offence carrying up to one year, $1,000 or both. Kosrae’s trafficking definition includes manufacture; a 1987 court also applied possession law to growing plants. No recreational home-growing permission was established. These published editions do not establish typical sentences or every later amendment. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** The statutes do not establish a single nationwide sentencing pattern. National law and Pohnpei provide discretionary conditional discharge for qualifying first possession offences, while Yap expressly limits first-time small-possession offenders to a fine. Kosrae’s published penalty allows custody even in the smallest category. The 2023 Ehsa order left national jurisdiction over locally grown plants open. These observations are not a representative sentencing survey; the country’s numerical ratings remain provisional while state amendments and actual outcomes are checked. - **Sharing & gifting 2/10.** The national code treats an unpaid transfer of no more than an ounce as small possession, with a maximum $50 fine. Pohnpei has the same exception from ordinary trafficking, but its small-possession penalty allows one month, $100 or both. Yap’s published delivery offence has no equivalent small unpaid-gift exception and carries up to three years, $5,000 or both. Kosrae includes delivery in its felony trafficking definition without a gift exception in that section. The national carve-out is therefore not a uniform state-law rule. - **Consumption 2/10.** The national and state drug provisions reviewed focus on possession, manufacture and delivery rather than establishing general permission to consume. Additional conduct offences apply: Yap expressly prohibits marijuana consumption while driving and while in a vehicle on a highway. No complete survey of municipal or public-consumption rules was established. - **Legal access 0/10.** No functioning cannabis patient or recreational supply service was established. National and Pohnpei law distinguish Schedule I research from ordinary dispensing provisions for other schedules. Yap lists marijuana among hallucinogens and expressly prohibits writing prescriptions for the hallucinogenic substances in section 1004. Research powers and general prescription exceptions must not be represented as permission to obtain cannabis in every state. - *Commercial production.* Sections 1132–1133 provide registration for controlled-substance manufacture and distribution, including controls over Schedule I substances. These statutory powers do not establish issued cannabis licences or production volumes. Locally grown plants were at issue in the 2023 Ehsa proceeding, which left national jurisdiction open. - *Products.* The definition of marihuana in section 1112 includes the plant, seeds, resin and preparations, while excluding mature stalks and specified fibre or seed products, including sterilised non-germinating seed. This identifies statutory scope, not currently marketed legal cannabis products. - *Seeds and clones.* National and Pohnpei definitions include the plant, viable seeds, resin and preparations, with specified exclusions for mature stalks, fibre and sterilised non-germinating seed. Yap defines marijuana as all parts of the genus Cannabis, including seeds, without reproducing those exclusions in section 1003(c); it separately prohibits marijuana production. A uniform national seed exemption should not be assumed under every state law. Kosrae’s seed-specific position and a current Chuuk consolidation remain unverified. - *Medical use.* The national code and Pohnpei’s published code provide controlled research registration for Schedule I substances. In Yap, section 1005 expressly bars prescriptions for the listed hallucinogens, which include marijuana. The country’s limited label reflects the documented research framework, not uniform patient prescribing permission or verified medicine availability. - *Cannabis clubs.* No recreational collective-growing permission was established in the reviewed framework. The national and Pohnpei small unpaid-transfer rules leave the conduct criminal, and Yap and Kosrae have broader delivery offences. Those limited gifting rules do not authorise a club to cultivate or distribute cannabis. Current informal club activity was not verified. - *Black market.* Historical local evidence: Oneisom’s five-month Chuuk study in 1985, published in 1991, described mostly part-time or family cannabis dealing alongside a dealer network, with locally grown cannabis and reported supplies from other islands. It did not establish sufficient evidence of exports from Chuuk. This exploratory study is not a current nationwide market estimate. - *Driving.* Rules are state-specific. Pohnpei section 71 PC 12-105 prohibits driving when drug influence makes safe driving impossible, with up to one year, $500 or both in the 2012 edition. Yap section 704 defines drug influence through impaired driving ability, but also mentions habitual narcotic users; sections 705–706 separately prohibit marijuana consumption while driving or in a vehicle on a highway. Kosrae section 13.710 prohibits driving under controlled-substance influence. Chuuk’s draft section 1305 addresses narcotic drugs and other drugs impairing safe operation, with separate habitual-user wording. No numerical THC limit was established in these provisions; the map classification concerns the reviewed influence offences, not an absence of additional rules. Later amendments and testing practice remain unverified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* No lawful recreational purchase route for visitors was established. A visitor should not treat the national $50 possession provision as a state-law ceiling: Pohnpei, Yap and Kosrae publish different penalties, and Yap expressly prohibits cannabis prescriptions. Current Chuuk law and recognition of foreign prescriptions were not verified. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Historical Chuuk figures, not nationwide totals: Oneisom reproduced monthly police reports showing 26 arrests in 30 reported cases in 1983 and 40 arrests in 56 cases in 1984. Daily officer reports instead listed 36 cases for 1984 and did not consistently record arrests. These incompatible series should not be combined, and none is a current arrest rate. - *Other consequences.* National section 1148 and Pohnpei section 4-130 allow qualifying first possession offenders, with consent, to receive probation without judgment. Successful completion leads to discharge without a conviction for statutory disqualifications, and an expungement application is possible, apart from a retained nonpublic eligibility record. This is discretionary and once-only; the same route was not established for all four states. ### Paraguay Score 18/100 (Restrictive), rank 48 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/py/ Up to 10 g for personal use is exempt from punishment. Medical cannabis is legal on paper, but little reaches patients, and a law to let them grow at home was vetoed in 2020. - **Possession 2/10.** Article 30 of the drug law exempts from punishment a person holding a small amount exclusively for personal use, with 10 g of cannabis as the guideline. It is not automatic: a judge, advised by a forensic doctor, decides whether it was personal use, so arrest and prosecution remain possible. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Illegal for personal use, and enforced — in 2024 a woman in her sixties was jailed over two plants. A bill letting patients with a medical certificate grow at home was passed by Congress in August 2020 and vetoed by the president that September; the Senate voted for it again in November 2020, and in April 2022 it was still pending in the Chamber of Deputies. No report that it took effect was found. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** The personal-use exemption depends on a judge, and small growers are still imprisoned. Trafficking carries long sentences. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking under the drug law. - **Consumption 2/10.** Personal use within the exemption is not punished; public use risks arrest. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source, despite Paraguay being South America's largest illicit producer. Registered patients can obtain cannabis-derived medicines on prescription. - *Commercial production.* Twelve pharmaceutical firms were licensed to produce medical cannabis under a cap of thirteen, lifted in 2022; in 2022 patients said none was growing in the country. Hemp has been authorised since October 2019, and a Paraguayan firm began exporting hemp foods in 2021. The illicit crop dwarfs both: an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 hectares, mostly in Amambay and Canindeyú, with 77% of the harvest going to Brazil. - *Products.* Prescription cannabis-derived medicines, mainly oils. - *Seeds and clones.* Decree 2725 of 2019 regulates importing propagation material for industrial hemp, along with its cultivation, processing and sale, all under authorisation from the agriculture ministry working with the anti-drug secretariat and the seed service. It covers non- psychoactive cannabis only. - *Medical use.* Law 6007 of 2017 created a national programme: patients must be on a national registry to receive cannabis-derived products. In April 2022 the registry held three doctors and forty patients, and the patients' association called the law a dead letter. Home growing for patients was approved by Congress in 2020 but vetoed. - *Cannabis clubs.* No law provides for clubs, but one operates in the open. In January 2023 the Cooperativa de Cannabis del Paraguay set up a Club de Cannabis to link its growers in San Pedro directly with registered users: members must be adults and sign up beforehand, on the health regulator's own patient form, and receive medicinal oil and ointment; the cooperative said it also registers people buying flower for recreational use. It signed up 431 people in a single morning in an Asunción square and said more than 3,000 forms had been filled in before. No action by the authorities against it was reported, and in April 2025 the Club de Cannabis del Paraguay was co-organising a public 4/20 gathering in Asunción ahead of a congressional hearing on a cannabis regulation bill. - *Black market.* Paraguay grows cannabis mainly for export: the anti-drug agency says most production is aimed at the Brazilian market and run by large criminal organisations. Between August 2023 and April 2026 the agency reported destroying close to 21 million kilos of marijuana, counting both seized product and crops in the field, a loss it valued at 629 million dollars at domestic prices. That included more than 1,913 tonnes of processed marijuana and 6,322 hectares of plantations, with the border department of Amambay far ahead (3,177 hectares), followed by Canindeyú and Caaguazú. Much of the eradication is done jointly with Brazil's federal police. - *Driving.* National Traffic Law article 66(a), as amended by Law 6868, prohibits driving after consuming narcotics or medicines that diminish driving aptitude, whatever the concentration per litre of blood. This wording does not establish a particular THC detection cutoff. Article 113(g), amended by Law 6842, separately classifies laboratory-established intoxication from drugs altering normal driving capacity as a very serious administrative offence; article 113(h) covers test refusal. The published Law 5016 sets very serious fines at eleven to twenty legal minimum daily wages, with points or disqualification where applicable; this is not a fixed guaraní tariff. Articles 106–107 permit retention/removal of the vehicle and require authorised intoxication tests. Criminal unsafe-driving provisions can apply in addition; the 2014 amendment to Penal Code article 217 specifies up to two years' imprisonment or a fine. Municipal enforcement and current licence-ban periods remain to be checked rather than inferred from the alcohol limits. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Article 30 of the drug law exempts from punishment a person holding a small amount exclusively for personal use, with 10 g of cannabis as the guideline, but a judge advised by a forensic doctor decides whether it was personal use. - *Other consequences.* No record if the exemption is applied; pre-trial detention is the real risk. ### Guyana Score 17/100 (Restrictive), rank 49 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gy/ Since 2022 possession of up to 30 g no longer carries prison, but counselling or community service. - **Possession 2/10.** Possession remains an offence, but since November 2022 there is no prison for 30 g or less: up to 15 g leads to mandatory counselling, and 15–30 g to community service of up to six months. Before the change, 15 g could bring a trafficking charge and three to five years. More than 30 g is now presumed to be trafficking. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Section 8 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act punishes cultivating a prohibited plant, or letting land be used for it, with a fine and three to five years in prison on summary conviction, or five to ten years on indictment. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Counselling or community service for 30 g or less; prison for anything above. Rastafari groups criticised the reform for stopping short of decriminalisation. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking. Section 5 of the Act sets a fine and three to five years in prison on summary conviction, and a fine with imprisonment for life on indictment. - **Consumption 2/10.** The 2022 amendment removed the fine and prison term for smoking or otherwise using cannabis. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* Industrial hemp was legalised separately in 2022; no cannabis licensing. - *Products.* No legal THC products. - *Seeds and clones.* The narcotics act makes it an offence to cultivate any prohibited plant, and defines cultivating to include "sowing or scattering the seed" and planting the plant "or any part thereof". Its schedule lists cannabis, its preparations and derivatives without naming seed. The 2022 hemp law, which licenses low-THC seed separately, was not read. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,000 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2023, against 1,545 kg in 2021. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Drug-influenced driving is an offence under Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act section 39. The 2022 amendment increases the first-offence fine minimum to G$200,000 and the repeat minimum to G$300,000; the government's explanation describes a twelve-month imprisonment alternative for a first offence and imprisonment with the repeat fine. Ordinary conviction brings twelve months' licence disqualification, two consecutive offences twenty-four months, and a third conviction permanent disqualification; the first two periods have a court special-reasons exception and can be extended. Drug-impaired driving that causes death or grievous bodily harm attracts separate minimum prison terms of ten and five years respectively. Those convictions normally bring a three-year driving ban starting after release, with a special-reasons exception; a repeat like conviction brings a permanent ban. A second relevant charge permits suspension pending trial; a third requires it. The 2024 camera-enforcement amendment does not replace these provisions. No numeric THC allowance was verified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says possession or trafficking can bring lengthy prison sentences and heavy fines, that the minimum jail sentence for drug offences is 3 years, and that prison conditions are tough. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit reported 82 people arrested in its operations in 2024, 54 charged with drug trafficking offences and 68 convicted. It seized 1,643 kg of cannabis that year, alongside 5,095 kg of cocaine. The figures are those of the anti-narcotic unit. - *Other consequences.* The small-quantity orders are still recorded as an offence. ### Iceland Score 17/100 (Restrictive), rank 50 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/is/ Possession of small amounts is punished with a fine. - **Possession 2/10.** Possession of any amount is prohibited under the Addictive Drugs and Narcotics Act. For small amounts the standard outcome is a fine — around 35,000 krónur for a first offence involving up to a gram. Since 2019, minor possession is no longer entered on the offender's criminal record. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is a criminal offence; indoor grows are regularly raided. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Fines for users. In 2021 the health minister introduced a government bill to decriminalise possession of all drugs for personal use; it did not pass. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime with prison. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is covered by the possession offence and fined. - **Legal access 1/10.** No recreational source. Sativex can be obtained from a pharmacy on a neurologist's prescription; the medicines agency also lists Epidyolex as available. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* Prescription Sativex and Epidyolex. - *Seeds and clones.* The drug act bans importing, selling, handing over, producing and possessing cannabis. Since 2021 the Food and Veterinary Authority may license imports of Cannabis sativa seed under conditions set by regulation; there is no such exception for plants or cuttings. - *Medical use.* Limited to approved cannabinoid medicines, including Sativex on specialist prescription. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 290 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 210 kg in 2023, and 22.8 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 175 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Traffic Act forbids driving under the influence of drugs that are banned in Iceland, and says that when such a drug is measured in the driver's blood the driver is deemed under the influence and unfit to drive safely. No level is set, so any measurable amount is enough. Police can require a saliva, urine or blood sample on suspicion, and refusing has the same consequences as drug driving: penalty points, loss of the licence for up to four years or more for repeat offences, and fines or prison of up to two years in serious cases. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The drug act bans importing, selling, handing over, producing and possessing cannabis. Small amounts for personal use are dealt with by a fine. - *Other consequences.* Keeping minor possession off the criminal record since 2019 removed the main lasting consequence for users. ### Norway Score 17/100 (Restrictive), rank 51 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/no/ Possession is fined. After 2022 Supreme Court rulings, people with dependency are generally not punished for small amounts. - **Possession 2/10.** Possession is a criminal offence. For up to 15 g for personal use the normal outcome is a fine — but the kind that is entered on the criminal record. After Supreme Court rulings, the Attorney General instructed in May 2022 that people with drug dependency should no longer be punished for small amounts, with doubt resolved in their favour. Recreational users are still fined. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis is a crime, prosecuted as drug production: section 231 of the Penal Code punishes anyone who unlawfully manufactures a narcotic with a fine or up to two years in prison, and section 232 raises the maximum to ten years for an aggravated offence. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Fines for most users, none for dependent users with small amounts. A 2021 government bill to decriminalise all personal possession was voted down in parliament. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime. When the Supreme Court ended punishment for dependent users in 2022, the Director of Public Prosecutions stressed that the judgments do not touch drugs meant for resale. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is itself an offence, fined in the same way as possession. - **Legal access 1/10.** No legal source: section 231 of the Penal Code makes it an offence to acquire, store, import or hand over a narcotic unlawfully. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* Two authorised cannabinoid medicines only. - *Seeds and clones.* Norway's narcotics list defines cannabis as the above-ground parts of any plant of the genus, "except the seeds". Seeds are therefore not narcotics. Growing plants to produce narcotics counts as manufacture under section 7 of the narcotics regulation and needs a permit. - *Medical use.* Narrow: two approved prescription medicines, plus case-by-case specialist applications for other products since 2018. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 1,087 kg of herbal cannabis and 2,591 kg of cannabis resin seized in Norway in 2024, against 533 kg and 3,281 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 2,345 occasions and resin on 5,939. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Norway sets graded limits for THC of 1.3, 3 and 9 nanograms per millilitre of blood, meant to match the national blood-alcohol steps, together with a general impairment offence. Police may stop and test at random, with oral-fluid tests and blood taken at a hospital or police station. The ban is at least one year, the fine about one and a half times gross monthly income, and prison of up to a year is possible. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession is a criminal offence; for up to 15 g for personal use the normal outcome is a fine that is entered on the criminal record. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The national police statistics kept by Kripos count drug cases, not people: 18,273 in 2024, 12 per cent more than in 2023, after a decline that ran from 2014 to 2022. A case is counted once whatever it is charged as, so the series does not separate use and possession from sale. Cannabis accounted for 40 per cent of drug seizures: 7,547 seizures of hashish, marijuana and plants, 8 per cent more than the year before, weighing 3,678 kg in all. Kripos notes that minor cases are often settled by a fine without the substance being analysed, which makes the seizure counts uncertain. - *Other consequences.* The fine appears on the criminal record, which can block jobs, visas and a driving licence — the main real-world penalty for Norwegian users. ### Palau Score 17/100 (Restrictive), rank 52 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pw/ Small-scale possession is punished by a $500 fine rather than prison; giving away under an ounce is treated like possession. - **Possession 2/10.** Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under Palau law, but small-scale possession is punished by a fine rather than prison: $500 for a first offence and $1,000 for a second, for amounts reported as up to two ounces. People are cited rather than jailed. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is illegal and prosecuted as production. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Fines and citations for users; prison for trafficking. - **Sharing & gifting 2/10.** Trafficking carries up to eight years and a fine of up to $5,000 — but giving away less than an ounce is punished like simple possession, an unusual explicit carve-out for sharing. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is illegal; Palau has long had one of the highest reported rates of cannabis use in the world. Under a drug law signed in May 2026 (RPPL 12-5), testing positive for an illegal drug is treated as possession of a small amount. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Medical use.* None. A Medical Marijuana Act was introduced in 2015 and shelved; a later president said he supported medical but not recreational use, and advocates have kept pressing. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Trafficking carries up to eight years, with one carve-out: giving away less than an ounce is punished like simple possession. Nothing in the law provides for collective growing. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 2.3 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Driving on a highway under the influence of narcotic drugs is prohibited by 42 PNC section 514. The current code provides one day to one year in prison, a fine up to US$1,000, a one-year licence suspension and up to 60 hours’ community service. A second conviction within two years raises the minimum imprisonment to 20 days, fine ceiling to US$2,500 and suspension to two years; a third or subsequent conviction within two years of the second brings at least 90 days’ imprisonment and licence revocation, with no new licence application for three years. The 2026 amendment reflected in sections 602 and 609 provides for field sobriety tests for controlled-substance impairment, subject to adopted rules, lawful arrest and a warning about refusal sanctions. Refusal can result in six-month revocation after a judicial hearing checking those conditions and reasonable grounds; nonresident driving privileges are covered too. Section 608’s concentration presumption concerns alcohol, not THC. The implementing field-sobriety rules and drug laboratory cutoffs remain unverified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says there are heavy penalties for all drug offences and that possessing even a small amount of an illegal drug can bring a fine or a prison sentence. - *Other consequences.* A citation is recorded but does not mean custody. ### Georgia Score 16/100 (Restrictive), rank 53 of 196. Recreational: Partly legal / tolerated. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ge/ Private cannabis consumption is legal, while possession, growing and sale remain restricted. Parliament restored prison for possessing more than 5 g of dried cannabis in July 2025. In June 2026 the Constitutional Court barred imprisonment in a case about 0.1315 g of personal-use resin under the pre-May-2025 code; criminal liability remained. - **Possession 2/10.** Up to 5 g of dried cannabis is an administrative offence with a fine. Amendments adopted on 2 July 2025 restored prison for buying or holding more than 5 g, with up to six years for the basic offence, five to eight years for 70–250 g, and up to one year for a repeat offence under 5 g. In its 24 June 2026 ruling on the code as it stood before May 2025, the Constitutional Court barred imprisonment for buying or possessing 0.1315 g of cannabis resin for personal use, including after a prior drug conviction. It left criminal liability in place. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing remains illegal, with no tolerated plant count. The 2025 amendments added a separate offence of sowing or growing, punished by a fine, community service, house arrest or two to six years in prison depending on quantity. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Private consumption itself is not punished. Since July 2025, prison is again possible for possessing more than 5 g of dried cannabis and for repeat small-quantity possession. In its 24 June 2026 ruling on the code as it stood before May 2025, the Constitutional Court barred imprisonment for buying or possessing 0.1315 g of cannabis resin for personal use, including after a prior drug conviction. It left criminal liability in place. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Sale and any supply remain crimes; the Court's reasoning protects only the consumer's own choice. - **Consumption 3/10.** On 30 July 2018 the Constitutional Court abolished all penalties for consuming cannabis, calling it an act protected by the right to free development of personality. Parliament then restricted it: not in public places, on transport, at work in certain professions, or in the presence of children. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. Georgia made use legal but left no lawful way to obtain cannabis: buying, selling and growing are all still prohibited. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. A 2018 government plan to allow cultivation for export was withdrawn after church opposition. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Seeds and clones.* The narcotics law defines cannabis as the flowering and fruiting tops of the hemp plant, leaving out seeds and leaves that come without tops. It defines sowing as putting a seed into soil or planting a seedling, and sowing, growing and cultivating plants that contain controlled substances is among the acts the law forbids. The text read is an English consolidated version on the official gazette site, before the new law passed in 2025. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: the Constitutional Court's rulings protect only a person's own use, and sale or any other supply remains a crime. - *Driving.* Criminal Code article 276(1) criminalises driving a motor vehicle under narcotic, psychotropic or new psychoactive substance influence even without a crash. Its sanctions include a fine, house arrest for six months to two years, community service of 200–400 hours, and/or imprisonment up to one year, as specified in the Code. Note 2 requires clinical and laboratory reports to establish drug influence; if a laboratory test is refused, a clinical report alone can establish it. A positive trace must not be substituted for that stated evidential rule. The separate Law on Combating Drug-related Crime includes drug-influenced article 276 offenders in its drug-user definition and provides five years' deprivation of a driving licence on conviction. Plea agreements can shorten or exceptionally remove that restriction; early restoration is possible after one-third of the period. For a custodial sentence the restriction begins after imprisonment ends. More serious crash outcomes carry separate, higher criminal penalties. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no lawful recreational supply: buying, growing and selling remain prohibited. Up to 5 g of dried cannabis brings an administrative fine; the July 2025 amendments restored prison above 5 g and for repeat small-quantity possession. In its 24 June 2026 ruling on the code as it stood before May 2025, the Constitutional Court barred imprisonment for buying or possessing 0.1315 g of cannabis resin for personal use, including after a prior drug conviction. It left criminal liability in place. - *Other consequences.* Administrative fines leave no criminal record. Certain professions are barred from use, and driving under the influence is an offence. ### Ghana Score 16/100 (Restrictive), rank 54 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gh/ The 2020 Narcotics Control Commission Act fines possession for personal use. Buying a narcotic drug or plant for personal use is a separate offence, and the Second Schedule allows a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 penalty units or four to ten years in prison. A 2023 amendment licenses low-THC cultivation for industrial and medicinal purposes. - **Possession 2/10.** Holding a narcotic drug or plant for personal use is an offence under sections 37(2)(a) and 41(2)(a). The Second Schedule sets a fine of 200 to 500 penalty units (roughly GH¢2,400–6,000), and up to fifteen months in prison if that fine is not paid. Buying a narcotic drug or plant for personal use is section 45(2). The Schedule sets that penalty at 2,000 to 10,000 penalty units or four to ten years in prison, the same range as buying with intent to sell. A court may also order the buyer to attend treatment at a facility approved by the Commission. The earlier law imposed a minimum of ten years for possession. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Illegal. Growers of 'wee' are still arrested and remanded. The Act allows licences only for cannabis with no more than 0.3% THC for industrial and medicinal purposes; that provision was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2022 on procedural grounds and re-enacted by Parliament in 2023. On 31 July 2026 the commission issued the first two of those licences, to MG Adom Limited and Juliopta Limited. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Possession for personal use is punished with a fine. Buying for personal use can be punished with four to ten years in prison or with a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 penalty units. Cultivation and trafficking still carry long sentences. The Act was the first in West Africa to replace prison with a fine for simple possession. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking, with long prison sentences. - **Consumption 1/10.** Drug use is treated as a public-health matter, with treatment as an alternative to punishment, but it has not been legalised. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source for THC cannabis. Buying it without lawful authority is an offence under section 45. - *Commercial production.* Licences are limited to cannabis with no more than 0.3% THC for industrial, medicinal and research use. On 31 July 2026 the Narcotics Control Commission issued the first two, to MG Adom Limited and Juliopta Limited. Recreational cultivation stays illegal. - *Products.* No legal THC products. - *Seeds and clones.* Only cannabis with no more than 0.3% THC may be grown, and only under a licence from the Narcotics Control Commission; the regulator repeated in April 2026 that anything above that limit falls outside the law. Seed and planting material therefore exist legally only inside the licensed industrial and medicinal scheme. - *Medical use.* No medical programme for THC cannabis. The July 2026 licences cover low-THC cultivation for industrial, medicinal and research purposes, not a supply for patients. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* All cannabis on sale is illegal. The Narcotics Control Commission burned about 50 tonnes of seized drugs, mostly cannabis, in February 2023, valued at 50 million cedis; it had been intercepted between 2021 and 2023, mainly in the Volta and Eastern regions, and the commission called it one of its biggest hauls in recent years. It warned drivers and vehicle owners against being used as couriers. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession for personal use is a fine of 200 to 500 penalty units, with up to fifteen months in prison if the fine is not paid. Buying cannabis for personal use is a separate offence and can bring four to ten years in prison or a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 penalty units. - *Other consequences.* A conviction for possession for personal use is a fine, and the record remains. A conviction for buying for personal use can be a prison sentence of four to ten years. ### Nicaragua Score 16/100 (Restrictive), rank 55 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ni/ Under 5 g is a minor offence punished with day-fines and community service; 5 to 20 g brings up to three years in prison and more than that up to eight. - **Possession 2/10.** Law 735 of 2010 criminalises cannabis, but the Penal Code treats possession of less than 5 g of marijuana as a minor offence: 70 to 100 day-fines and 30 to 60 days of community service at two hours a day, with no prison. Under Article 358, more than 5 g and less than 20 g brings six months to three years in prison, and more than 20 g three to eight years. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing drug plants for exploitation or trade carries five to ten years in prison and a fine under Article 349 of the Penal Code. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** A fine and community service under 5 g, described by one analysis as de facto decriminalisation, then prison in two steps: up to three years below 20 g and up to eight above it. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Selling or distributing drugs carries five to fifteen years under Article 359 of the Penal Code, and ten to twenty when it is international; transporting them carries five to fifteen under Article 352. Penalties rise by a third when minors are involved or the offence is near a school. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is not separately punished beyond the minor-possession offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 349 of the Penal Code punishes anyone who, "for the purpose of exploitation or trade", illicitly sows, grows or harvests plants or seeds from which controlled substances can be obtained, with five to ten years in prison. Financing the growing or sale of such seeds or plants carries ten to twenty-five years under Article 348. The code does not make growing for one's own use a separate offence. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,980 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 2,640 kg in 2022. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The Penal Code treats possession of less than 5 g of marijuana as a minor offence, with 70 to 100 day-fines and 30 to 60 days of community service and no prison; larger amounts are crimes. - *Other consequences.* The minor offence is still recorded. ### United Kingdom Score 15/100 (Restrictive), rank 56 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gb/ A Class B drug; small amounts often end in a warning or community resolution. Medical cannabis is legal since 2018 but almost exclusively through private clinics. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is a Class B drug: possession carries up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine. In practice police in England and Wales use an escalation — a cannabis warning or community resolution first, a £90 penalty notice next, then arrest. Of those who do reach court, about 60% are fined and 20% conditionally discharged; immediate custody is uncommon and usually a month or less. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing any number of plants is production of a controlled drug, with up to 14 years on indictment. A few plants for personal use typically bring a fine or community order. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Mostly out-of-court disposals and fines for users, with wide variation between police forces. Production and supply are imprisonable and enforced. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply, including giving cannabis to a friend, carries up to 14 years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is prosecuted through the possession offence. Letting your premises be used for smoking cannabis is a separate offence. - **Legal access 2/10.** No legal adult-use source. Since November 2018 specialist doctors can prescribe cannabis; almost all of it — over 99% of prescriptions — comes through private clinics, which now serve tens of thousands of patients with flower delivered by pharmacy. - *Commercial production.* The Home Office licenses cultivation, mainly for pharmaceutical products and export, plus low-THC hemp. The UK is a large exporter of cannabis-based medicines. - *Products.* Prescription flower, oils and vape cartridges via clinics; CBD products with negligible THC on general sale. - *Seeds and clones.* The Misuse of Drugs Act's definition of cannabis leaves out the seed, so buying and holding seeds is not an offence. Cultivating any plant of the genus Cannabis is unlawful without a licence, which covers germinating seeds and keeping cuttings, so cuttings cannot lawfully be sold. - *Medical use.* Legal since 1 November 2018, but only doctors on the specialist register may initiate it, and the NHS funds it for a handful of patients. In November 2019 the medicines watchdog NICE approved two cannabis-based medicines, for two forms of epilepsy and for multiple sclerosis, and declined to recommend them for other conditions such as chronic pain. The private route costs patients a consultation fee plus the product. - *Cannabis clubs.* No law provides for clubs and cannabis remains a class B drug. A federation, UK Cannabis Social Clubs, was founded in 2011 and by 2016 counted more than 80 clubs, most with 100 to 150 members and registered as non-profits. Most have since gone: there were still dozens in 2019, but the pandemic, unpaid rents, infighting and arrests broke the movement, and one organiser was jailed for running a cannabis café. Teesside Cannabis Social Club in Stockton-on-Tees is one of the few survivors and the only one that worked with the consent of the authorities, backed from the start by the Durham police commissioner; in 2024 more than 850 members paid £120 a year, and cannabis grown mostly by about a dozen members was sold on the premises. Newer venues are opening as lounges for holders of private medical prescriptions, some with the apparent blessing of local police. Tolerance is a matter of local police discretion, not national policy. - *Black market.* All recreational cannabis is supplied illegally. The most detailed estimate found is old: a 2018 report by the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think tank arguing for legalisation, put consumption in 2016/17 at 255 tonnes by just over three million users, worth about 2.55 billion pounds at ten pounds a gram, and described a market dominated by high-strength cannabis. No recent official estimate was found. - *Driving.* The THC limit is 2 micrograms per litre of whole blood in England and Wales and, since 21 October 2019, Scotland. Exceeding the limit can be an offence without proof of impaired driving. A roadside saliva screen for cannabis is followed by evidential testing; a positive screen alone is not the measured blood concentration. Patients taking a lawfully supplied medicine as instructed can raise a medical defence to the specified-limit offence, but not to driving while impaired. GOV.UK lists a minimum one-year driving ban, an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison, with the conviction recorded on the licence for eleven years. Northern Ireland instead prosecutes driving while unfit through drugs, with a minimum one-year ban and a fine of up to £5,000; these Great Britain blood limits do not apply there. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. Whatever legal supply exists is medical, for patients with a prescription or registration. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Home Office statistics for England and Wales count 269,321 drug seizures by police forces and Border Force in the year ending March 2025, the most since the series began in 1973, and cannabis was present in 72 per cent of them: 194,682 seizures, up 28 per cent on the year before. Most police seizures are small. Of herbal cannabis seizures, 12 per cent weighed under one gram and 54 per cent between one gram and 500 g, and three quarters of plant seizures involved ten plants or fewer. Police recorded 204,664 drug offences in the same year, up 12 per cent; the Home Office notes that each seizure also generates a recorded offence, so the two series move together. The figures do not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland. - *Other consequences.* A caution or conviction shows on criminal-record checks and can affect work and travel; a cannabis warning is recorded but not shown on a standard check. Drug-driving has a very low THC limit. ### Finland Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 57 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/fi/ Use itself is a criminal offence, typically fined. Medical cannabis is available to a small number of patients. - **Possession 1/10.** Unlawfully possessing a small amount for one's own use, or attempting to acquire it, is a drug-use offence: a fine or imprisonment for at most six months. The Police Board's summary fine table, in the instruction of 31 May 2024, lists hash and marijuana at up to 10 g. The ordinary fine is 10 day-fines, the range is 10 to 15, and continuous use is 15 to 20. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Chapter 50 section 1(2) criminalises cultivating or attempting to cultivate hemp for use as a narcotic or its raw material. It is not a blanket offence covering all hemp growing. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** The drug-use offence can be dealt with by a summary fine. The statute still allows imprisonment for at most six months. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Chapter 50 section 1(4) covers sale, brokering, transfer to another and other distribution or attempted distribution. The ordinary narcotics offence carries a fine or up to two years in prison. - **Consumption 1/10.** Unlawful use is the same drug-use offence, a fine or imprisonment for at most six months. The small-amount limit applies to possession and attempted acquisition, not to the use itself. - **Legal access 1/10.** No recreational source. Sativex, a THC/CBD mouth spray, may be prescribed by a neurologist for severe multiple-sclerosis spasticity; other cannabis medicines require an individual special permit and prescription. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* One approved cannabinoid medicine, plus imported medical flower by special permit. - *Seeds and clones.* Finnish law punishes growing hemp only when it is grown as a drug. In 2020 the Court of Appeal of Eastern Finland overturned the conviction of a man who grew hemp to collect seed for breeding and had told the police beforehand. A criminal-law professor commenting on the case said selling seeds so that drugs are made from them is certainly a crime, while selling them for other purposes can be allowed; both professors quoted stressed that it was a single case. - *Medical use.* Extremely limited: a mouth spray for multiple sclerosis as a last resort, and Dutch medical flower only through an individual special permit held by a small number of patients. - *Cannabis clubs.* No clubs are known. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 found, after online searches and contact with people in the field, that there did not seem to be any active club in Finland. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 1,668 kg of herbal cannabis and 274 kg of cannabis resin seized in Finland in 2024, against 1,018 kg and 211 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 988 occasions and resin on 248. Plant seizures came to 10,373 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Under the criminal code a driver commits an offence if a narcotic is found in the blood at all, unless it comes from a medicinal product the person has a right to use; a second provision covers impaired driving. Police may stop at random and test on suspicion, with an oral-fluid test after a physical test and blood taken at a hospital or police station. The detection offence carries up to 120 day-fines or six months in prison, impaired driving at least 60 day-fines or up to two years, and the ban can last up to five years. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Unlawful use, or possession of a small amount for one's own use, is a drug-use offence: a fine or imprisonment for at most six months. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Statistics Finland counted 25,600 narcotics offences coming to the attention of the police, customs and border guard in 2024, 1,200 more than in 2023. Of these, 17,100, about two thirds, were drug use offences, the lesser offence that covers use and possession of a small amount for one's own use; that was 1,600 fewer than the year before. The clearance rate for narcotics offences was 89.5 per cent. The figures are not split by substance. - *Other consequences.* Drug-user fines are recorded in police registers and can affect security clearances, some professions and a driving licence. ### France Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 58 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/fr/ One of Europe's strictest laws alongside its highest use rates. Since 20 August 2026 illicit use can be ended by a fixed fine of €500, or €400 if paid within 15 days and €1,000 if the fine is increased. A medical experiment has run since 2021. CBD flower is legal. - **Possession 1/10.** Illicit use of a drug scheduled as a narcotic is a criminal offence punishable by up to one year in prison and a €3,750 fine. Since 20 August 2026 the prosecution for that offence, including a repeat offence, can be ended by a fixed fine of €500, reduced to €400 if paid within 15 days and raised to €1,000 once the fine is increased. Article L3421-1 sets no gram amount for that fine. Accepting it means the cannabis is destroyed and the offence is entered on the criminal record. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis is treated as production of narcotics, a serious crime with sentences far above those for use, even for a few plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Among Europe's strictest laws on paper, applied mainly as fixed fines of €500 — hundreds of thousands a year — concentrated in poorer neighbourhoods. The one-year prison sentence remains available. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving cannabis to someone for their personal use is a specific offence with up to five years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use itself is the offence in French law, public or private. - **Legal access 1/10.** Extremely restricted medical access survives for patients enrolled before 27 March 2024. They may continue to receive prescriptions and pharmacy dispensing during the transition; no new patients can enter. CBD flower under 0.3% THC is also lawful to sell. - *Commercial production.* Hemp cultivation is long established; medical cannabis production has awaited a permanent legal framework. - *Products.* CBD flower and products under 0.3% THC; medical preparations for trial patients only. - *Seeds and clones.* Only certified seed of authorised Cannabis sativa varieties at or below 0.3% THC may be used, and only active farmers may cultivate hemp flowers and leaves. The sale of plants and taking cuttings are expressly prohibited, so psychoactive seed is not an adult-use route and clones cannot lawfully be supplied. - *Medical use.* A national experiment began in 2021 for a few thousand patients with severe conditions. It formally ended on 31 December 2024 with no permanent regime in place. Existing patients remain eligible for prescriptions and dispensing during a transitional extension lasting until three months after the forthcoming health-technology assessment is published. A decree setting out how cannabis medicines will be assessed and reimbursed went to the Conseil d'État on 2 July 2026; first prescriptions under a permanent regime are expected in 2027 at the earliest. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs have no legal footing and the one organised attempt was shut down by the courts. In March 2013 a federation of Cannabis Social Clubs registered itself with the prefecture in Tours as an act of open defiance, claiming about 150 clubs growing for their members' own use; only six declared themselves. Its spokesman was given a six- month suspended sentence and a 2,000 euro fine in April 2013 after 126 plants were found at his home, and in June 2013 the Tours court dissolved the federation as unlawful and contrary to good morals and barred its members from meeting. Other branches faced the same dissolution proceedings. No source read describes clubs operating openly since. - *Black market.* All cannabis sold in France is illegal, and it is the largest drug market by volume. A study for the national drug observatory OFDT estimated that 397 tonnes were consumed in mainland France in 2023, worth about 2.7 billion euros. The volume has been almost flat since 2017 (up 2.3%), in line with use. In value, cocaine overtook cannabis for the first time, at 3.1 billion euros; together the two make up nearly 90% of a drug market estimated at 6.8 billion euros. - *Driving.* Driving after using a narcotic is an offence whatever the amount; there is no threshold. Police screen heavily: the road-safety observatory counted about 1.2 million drug screenings in 2024, of which 11.1% were positive. Nine in ten were preventive checks or followed another traffic offence, and those were positive 11.7% of the time; of the 55,886 screenings carried out after an injury or fatal crash, 6.2% were positive. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Illicit use is a criminal offence punishable by up to one year in prison and a €3,750 fine. Since 20 August 2026 the prosecution can be ended by a fixed fine of €500, or €400 if paid within 15 days and €1,000 if the fine is increased. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Use itself is a criminal offence and is policed on a large scale. The road-safety observatory's compilation of police data records 148,556 offences of drug use in 2024, almost three times as many as in 2017; the figure covers all narcotics, of which cannabis is by far the commonest. - *Other consequences.* The fixed fine is recorded on the criminal record and in a national database for ten years. A court that convicts someone under articles L3421-1 or L3421-6 may also suspend a driving licence, or a licence to operate a powered pleasure boat, for up to three years. Roadside saliva tests penalise any trace of THC. ### Greece Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 59 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gr/ Personal use is a misdemeanour that is rarely jailed. Medical cannabis was legalised in 2017 and production licences are issued. - **Possession 1/10.** Under Law 4139/2013, obtaining or possessing cannabis in a quantity that indicates personal use is a misdemeanour punishable by up to five months in prison. In practice sentences are usually suspended or replaced by treatment, and the conviction is not entered on the ordinary criminal record. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing a number of plants consistent with personal use falls under the same misdemeanour, up to five months. Anything more is treated as production for trafficking. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Prison is legally possible for users but rare in practice. Trafficking carries at least eight years. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a felony, with a reduced sentence where the supplier is a dependent user. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is covered by the same personal-use misdemeanour. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source. Medical cannabis became legal in 2017, but finished products reached patients only years later. - *Commercial production.* Greece issues licences for cultivation and processing of pharmaceutical cannabis, simplified by a 2021 law, aimed largely at export. - *Products.* Prescription pharmaceutical cannabis products. Hemp foods, cosmetics and supplements within set THC limits are legal, and the hemp limit rose from 0.2% to 0.3% THC in May 2026. The same law banned selling dried hemp flower to consumers, and a July 2026 law banned smokable or vapable plant products with added cannabinoids. - *Seeds and clones.* The drug law deals with seeds only inside its licensing regime for medical cannabis. Under Article 2A a producer holding a state approval may import seed for sowing and propagating material of varieties with more than 0.2% THC, while making such seed or propagating material available to others, or exporting it, is prohibited. For everyone else, growing plants in a number that fits personal use is the same misdemeanour as possession. No provision or court ruling on unsown seeds kept by an individual was found. Hemp varieties under the THC limit follow separate rules with certified seed. - *Medical use.* Legal on prescription since 2017 after cannabis was moved to a less restrictive schedule. Availability has been slow to follow. - *Cannabis clubs.* No club is confirmed. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 received no answer from Greece but, because of contradictory sources, could not rule out that clubs were active there. The model is prohibited throughout the European Union. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 5,216 kg of herbal cannabis and 218 kg of cannabis resin seized in Greece in 2024, against 6,116 kg and 349 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 9,447 occasions and resin on 904. Plant seizures came to 52,271 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Code Law 5209/2025 article 46 prohibits driving under toxic-substance or medication influence. Paragraph 8 sets at least two months' imprisonment, a criminal fine of at least EUR200 and mandatory court removal of the driving licence for three to six months. These are drug provisions, not the EUR1,200 and 180-day alcohol schedule. Police and port authorities may test drivers; a drug-test refusal creates the paragraph 6 presumption of drug influence. Fatal accidents require blood sampling, with medically certified alternatives for surviving persons who cannot give blood. Injury and ordinary roadside checks use scientifically appropriate methods. Article 132(2)(e) made article 46 effective on publication, 13 June 2025, despite the code's general three-month commencement rule. The ministry's November 2025 reply identifies the 2011 joint testing decision as applicable alongside article 46. No operative numerical THC cutoff, general prescription defence or complete repeat-offence schedule was verified in this pass; later procedural amendments require separate review. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under Law 4139/2013, obtaining or possessing cannabis in a quantity that indicates personal use is a misdemeanour punishable by up to five months in prison, usually suspended or replaced by treatment. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 12,399 cannabis-related drug law offences in Greece in 2024, against 10,124 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 8,359 were for use or possession for use. Since 2018 the figure is the sum of offences for all cannabis products. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* Personal-use convictions are kept off the standard criminal record. ### Ireland Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 60 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ie/ First-time possession can be handled by an adult caution. The Medical Cannabis Access Programme covers only a few conditions. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession is a criminal offence. Since December 2020 police may give an adult caution instead of prosecuting a first cannabis possession, at their discretion and only for people without relevant convictions. Otherwise the first two offences are fine-only; a third can bring prison. Between late 2020 and early 2024 about 5,100 people were cautioned and over 17,000 charged. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is a criminal offence, with prison possible even for a few plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Cautions and fines for early offences, prison possible from the third. Most people caught are still brought to court. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply, including unpaid sharing, is an offence. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is prosecuted through the possession offence. - **Legal access 1/10.** No legal adult-use source. A Citizens' Assembly recommended a health-led approach to possession in 2023, which has not yet become law. - *Commercial production.* No licensed cannabis production. - *Products.* A few specified medical products; CBD products in a grey zone. - *Seeds and clones.* Since 1984 the Misuse of Drugs Act has defined cannabis as any plant of the genus Cannabis or any part of it, but not seed separated from the plant. Seeds are therefore not a controlled drug. Growing any cannabis plant without a ministerial licence is an offence under section 17, and a cutting is itself a plant. - *Medical use.* The Medical Cannabis Access Programme covers only three conditions where standard treatment has failed, prescribed by consultants; other patients need an individual ministerial licence. In an October 2026 parliamentary answer, the minister said a review of access, possible additional conditions and individual licences was expected to take about twelve months from its first meeting on 27 May 2026. This review has not itself expanded eligibility. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs exist without any legal basis. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 received answers from one club in Ireland, and its authors could not say how many more were active. The study notes that the model is prohibited throughout the European Union, that clubs sit in a legally sensitive position, and that many have been dissolved after court decisions or police raids. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 2,916 kg of herbal cannabis and 171 kg of cannabis resin seized in Ireland in 2024. Herbal cannabis was seized on 6,118 occasions and resin on 374. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Ireland sets two limits in whole blood, measured within three hours of driving: 1 nanogram of THC per millilitre, and 5 nanograms per millilitre of the metabolite 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC. Reaching either level is an offence without proof of impairment. A medical exemption certificate in the prescribed form, signed by the prescribing doctor and stating that THC was lawfully prescribed at that time, takes the driver outside those two limits. Driving while impaired remains a separate offence. Police may stop at random at designated checkpoints and test on suspicion, with roadside oral-fluid tests since April 2017 and blood taken at a police station. The threshold offence brings a ban of at least one year, or two years for a later offence. The impairment offence brings at least four years for a first offence and six for later ones. The fine is up to 5,000 euros and prison up to six months. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession is a criminal offence; since December 2020 police may give an adult caution instead of prosecuting a first cannabis possession, at their discretion and only for people without relevant convictions. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Central Statistics Office recorded 16,119 controlled drug incidents in 2024, 7 per cent fewer than in 2023, a fall it put largely down to fewer incidents of possession for sale or supply and for personal use. A breakdown of the same series published by the community drugs network Citywide gives 10,701 incidents of possession for personal use in 2024, about two thirds of the total, against 4,551 for sale or supply and 85 for cultivation or manufacture. The figures cover all drugs and are not split by substance. - *Other consequences.* A conviction creates a criminal record that affects travel and employment; an adult caution does not. ### Liechtenstein Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 61 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/li/ Illegal, with small-quantity cases usually diverted; authorised cannabinoid medicines are prescribable. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing cannabis for one's own use is a contravention under article 21 of the Narcotics Act: a fine of up to 50,000 francs, and up to six months in prison only if the fine cannot be collected. The court may waive punishment in a minor case. Other acts under article 20, such as possession that is not for the possessor's own use, carry up to three years. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation of cannabis above 1% THC is prohibited, with up to three years in prison. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** Fines are the norm for users. Under article 21 of the Narcotics Act, consumption and offences committed for one's own use carry a fine of up to 50,000 francs, with up to six months in prison only if the fine cannot be collected, and the court may waive punishment in minor cases. Other offences under article 20 carry up to three years. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Selling, supplying to others or putting on the market carries up to three years in prison or a fine under article 20 of the Narcotics Act, and one to twenty years in serious cases such as commercial dealing. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence under the same provisions. - **Legal access 1/10.** There is no general medical-cannabis programme, but authorised cannabinoid medicines can be prescribed. The government specifically identifies Sativex as authorised for medical use in Liechtenstein. Residents are not covered by neighbouring Switzerland's cannabis pilot trials. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production; industrial hemp has been restricted since 2005. - *Products.* Products under 1% THC occupy a grey area. - *Seeds and clones.* The Narcotics Act treats cannabis-type material with an average total THC content of at least 1% as a banned narcotic. Growing narcotics needs a permit from the Office of Public Health, and growing without one carries up to three years in prison. The act counts plants and parts of plants as substances but does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme, though two cannabinoid medicines can be prescribed. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* Traffic Regulations article 2(2a) treats inability to drive as established when blood THC is at least 1.5 micrograms per litre (1.5 ng/mL). A driver who proves use under a medical prescription is excepted from that automatic evidential rule, but the general prohibition on driving while unfit still applies. Police can order a blood test on suspicion of drug influence and take the licence immediately; the road office and prosecution receive the report, and a medical fitness assessment may follow. Road Traffic Act article 86(1) sets a fine up to CHF50,000, with imprisonment up to six months if the fine is uncollectible, rather than an automatic six-month custodial sentence. Article 16 specifies at least three months' licence withdrawal for driving while unfit or intentionally obstructing the required test, with longer periods for specified repeats. Administrative withdrawal and court punishment are separate proceedings. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties and tells travellers to expect a long jail sentence and heavy fines for possessing, using or smuggling them, also when only passing through the country. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Poland Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 62 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pl/ Possession and home growing remain crimes, though small personal-possession cases can be dropped. Patients can obtain prescribed cannabis through pharmacies; prescribing normally requires an in-person examination. A proposal to exempt 15 g and one personal plant remains before parliament. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing cannabis without authorisation carries up to three years in prison; minor cases can bring a fine, restricted liberty or up to one year, and a significant quantity one to ten years. Prosecutors may drop cases involving a small amount for personal use when punishment would be pointless given the circumstances and harm involved. Possession of any amount became punishable in 2000, ending the earlier personal-use exception. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis other than fibre hemp without authorisation carries up to three years in prison, rising to six months to eight years where the crop could yield a significant quantity. A bill submitted in March 2026 proposes exempting one plant for personal use, kept away from public access; parliament has not passed it. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Small personal-possession cases can be dropped before a formal investigation begins, but the decision depends on the circumstances and social harm. A Polish Drug Policy Network analysis reported 2,307 such dismissals in 2012: 2,145 by prosecutors and 162 by courts. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving cannabis to another person carries up to three years in prison in the basic case. Supplying a minor or a significant quantity carries six months to eight years; supply for financial or personal gain carries one to ten years in the basic case. - **Consumption 1/10.** Possessing cannabis for personal consumption remains punishable, with the possibility of dropping a case involving a small amount. There is no fixed gram allowance in that exception: officials assess the quantity and circumstances. - **Legal access 3/10.** Patients can obtain prescription preparations made from authorised cannabis flower, extracts or resin through pharmacies. Since 7 November 2024 prescribing normally requires an in-person examination; a doctor providing contracted primary care may continue an existing treatment remotely under the stated exception. Recreational supply remains prohibited. - *Commercial production.* Research institutes supervised by the agriculture minister may grow medical cannabis with permission from the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector. Permits last up to five years, with security, supervision and records of the crop required. Fibre hemp is defined by no more than 0.3% combined THC and THCA in the flowering or fruiting tops, subject to the statutory rounding rule. - *Products.* Cannabis flower, extracts, tinctures and resin can serve as authorised pharmaceutical raw materials for prescription preparations. Selling or giving cannabis to recreational users remains an offence. - *Seeds and clones.* Seeds are excluded from the statutory definition of non-fibre cannabis herb. That definition covers above-ground material exceeding 0.3% combined THC and THCA, subject to rounding. Growing cannabis other than fibre hemp without authorisation is a separate offence, so the seed exclusion does not permit home growing. - *Medical use.* Doctors can prescribe cannabis preparations made from authorised pharmaceutical raw materials; veterinarians cannot issue these prescriptions. An in-person examination is normally required, with a limited exception for continuing treatment through contracted primary care. - *Cannabis clubs.* A European survey conducted in 2018–19 received a response from one Polish cannabis social club; its authors could not establish the full national count. Growing and supplying recreational cannabis remain offences, leaving clubs without an authorised growing-and-distribution route. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency records 7,058 kg of herbal cannabis and 1,635 kg of resin seized in Poland in 2024, against 4,251 kg and 783 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 20,222 occasions and resin on 809. Plant seizures totalled 18,130 plants. - *Driving.* Poland sets no laboratory THC limit. Driving after using a substance that acts like alcohol is a misdemeanour under article 87 of the Code of Petty Offences: arrest or a fine of at least 2,500 zlotys, and a driving ban. Driving under the influence of a narcotic is a separate crime, with up to three years in prison and a driving ban of at least three years. A court in Gliwice held that an inactive THC metabolite shows only earlier cannabis use, and that the crime depends on the effect on that driver rather than on a concentration. The Supreme Court held that a positive screening test and an admission of earlier use were not enough, on their own, to prove the crime. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no authorised recreational supply: giving or selling cannabis remains an offence. Personal possession carries up to three years in prison in the basic case, though a small personal-use case may be dropped under the law’s conditions. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Recorded possession offences rose from 1,896 in 1999 to 31,260 in 2007 and stood at 18,441 in 2012, according to a 2014 Polish Drug Policy Network analysis. The Institute of Public Affairs recorded 30,548 possession offences in 2008, when possession accounted for 53% of drug-act charges and trafficking 24%. Its court-file research found marijuana involved in 65% of charges, while the network reported that 79% of marijuana possession cases in the Kraków study involved less than three grams. The institute reported 714 people imprisoned for drug possession in 2007. The national possession totals cover all drugs. - *Other consequences.* A conviction enters the criminal record; once it is legally expunged, the entry is removed and the conviction is treated as having never occurred. Drug-impaired driving can bring up to three years in prison and a driving ban of at least three years. ### Puerto Rico Score 14/100 (Prohibition), Unincorporated territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pr/ Unauthorised cannabis possession remains a felony, with probation and other alternatives available in qualifying cases. Medical dispensaries began serving patients in December 2016. The health department counted 110,736 active patients in August 2026. - **Possession 1/10.** Under Article 404 of the Controlled Substances Act (Law 4 of 1971), possessing a controlled substance without a prescription is a felony with a fixed prison term of three years (two to five with mitigating or aggravating circumstances) and a fine of up to $5,000; a repeat conviction brings six years. A first offender may instead be put on probation without a finding of guilt and, if it is completed, have the case dismissed once in a lifetime. After a qualifying treatment assessment and with prosecution consent, a court may also impose a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 and up to six months of community service instead of prison. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis outside the licensed medical industry is production of a controlled substance. The medical system is built on licensed cultivators supplying dispensaries. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Possession is still prosecuted as a felony in the Court of First Instance; one 2025 case reached the Court of Appeals over a challenge to the search. About 222 people were convicted under Article 404 in 2022, and a San Juan politician asked the governor in 2024 to pardon those convicted of cannabis possession. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Distributing a controlled substance is a separate offence under the same law, with no exception for sharing without payment. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is dealt with through the possession offence. Even medical patients may not smoke cannabis. - **Legal access 3/10.** There is no legal adult-use supply. The medical route requires a recommendation from an authorised doctor and patient identification under the regulated programme. The health department’s August 2026 report counted 110,736 active patients and 59 registered certifying doctors. Dispensaries began serving patients in December 2016; the 2017 law supplied the statutory structure. - *Commercial production.* The Medical Cannabis Regulatory Board had issued 498 licences for cultivation, transport, research and sale by 2024. All production serves the medical market. - *Products.* Medical cannabis products sold in licensed dispensaries; smoking is not an approved form of use. Industrial hemp-derived products such as CBD are covered by a 2020 circular letter. - *Medical use.* The May 2015 executive order directed the health secretary to authorise medical cannabis through the drug law’s procedures. Dispensary sales began in December 2016, followed by the 2017 Medical Cannabis Act. In August 2026, anxiety was certified for 59.34% of active patients, insomnia for 55.14% and chronic pain for 34.81%; patients may be certified for more than one condition. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Outside licensed medical dispensaries, distribution is an offence. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no adult-use supply. For medical access, article 12 of the 2017 law recognises a nonresident patient’s identification from the relevant jurisdiction for entering a dispensary and possessing cannabis; the programme’s applicable conditions still govern. The law also provides for board rules recognising resident-jurisdiction patient cards. - *Other consequences.* Registered medical patients who identify themselves to an employer have statutory protection against discrimination, subject to exceptions involving safety, essential duties, federal permissions or funding, and unauthorised workplace use or possession. A 2022 amendment also prevents registered medical use from triggering the disability law’s exclusion for illegal-drug users. ### Albania Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 63 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/al/ A 2023 law legalised licensed cultivation for medical and industrial purposes, largely for export. Personal use remains illegal. - **Possession 2/10.** Possession is an offence under the Criminal Code, but the Code has long exempted a small single dose held for personal use, assessed case by case rather than by a fixed gram limit. Anything more is prosecuted, with prison terms of several years. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlicensed cultivation is a serious crime — Albania spent years eradicating large illegal plantations. Since July 2023 companies can be licensed to grow for medical and industrial purposes. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The personal-dose exemption protects users in principle; growers and dealers face long sentences, and policing remains heavy after years of anti-cultivation campaigns. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is not separately punished where only a personal dose is involved. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source for consumers; the 2023 law is aimed at export. - *Commercial production.* The law passed on 21 July 2023 creates a national cannabis agency that grants 15-year renewable licences to cultivate and process cannabis for medical and industrial use, with products destined for export. - *Products.* No legal consumer products. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 283 of the criminal code punishes selling, offering, giving, receiving, transporting or keeping narcotic substances "and seeds of narcotic plants" with five to ten years in prison, apart from small doses for personal use. The 2023 law on medical and industrial cannabis allows cultivation only by licensed companies. - *Medical use.* The 2023 law concerns production; domestic patient access is not yet established. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Policing of the illegal market is aimed at the crop in the field. Each summer the State Police search all twelve regions together with Italy's Guardia di Finanza, flying more than 50 high-resolution drones and using helicopters where the terrain is too rough, with most attention on the highlands of Shkodra, Dukagjini, Kruja and Dibra and on areas around Tepelena, Skrapar and Vlora. The joint monitoring destroyed 191,000 plants in 2024. Growers have been moving indoors, into so- called weed houses, and in 2025 a laboratory was set up in Tirana to process the survey data. - *Driving.* Road Code article 185 prohibits a drug or psychotropic-substance user from driving. Its influence heading does not supply a numerical THC cutoff or a presence-based laboratory rule. After an accident, or where drug-related abnormality is suspected, traffic police may take the driver to the competent public health service for checks under jointly prescribed procedures. The licensing authority can order a medical fitness review and suspend the licence pending satisfactory checks. Article 185(4) incorporates article 184(3), (5) and (10), concerning accident-related vehicle detention, towing and refusal. It does not incorporate the whole alcohol concentration and penalty table. Consequently, no alcohol-limit fine, fixed drug-driving ban, THC allowance or medical-use exemption is inferred here. The transport authority's published consolidation includes Law 58/2026 of 18 June 2026; the precise current drug fine and operational toxicology protocol remain follow-up questions. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession is an offence under the Criminal Code, which exempts a small single dose held for personal use, assessed case by case rather than by a fixed gram limit. - *Other consequences.* A conviction carries a criminal record. ### Azerbaijan Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 64 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/az/ Personal-use amounts and small-scale cultivation are administrative offences that can still bring up to two months' detention; larger amounts are crimes. - **Possession 1/10.** Holding a small amount without intent to sell is an administrative offence under Article 206 of the Code of Administrative Offences: a fine of 300 to 400 manat or, where the court finds a fine insufficient, administrative arrest of up to two months. A small amount is anything below the 'substantial' amount set by law, and a person who hands the drugs in voluntarily is released from liability. A substantial amount without intent to sell is a crime under Article 234.1 of the Criminal Code, with restriction of liberty for one to three years or up to three years in prison, and a large amount brings three to eight years. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Small-scale cultivation is an administrative offence under Article 208: the penalty is a 200–300 manat fine or, when the court considers a fine insufficient, up to two months of administrative detention. Article 237 of the Criminal Code applies above the statutory threshold, with a 3,000–6,000 manat fine, restriction of liberty for one to three years, or up to three years in prison; aggravated cases carry three to ten years. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The law offers an administrative route for small amounts and an exit for those who cooperate: both codes release a person who voluntarily hands in drugs, and the Criminal Code also releases one who actively helps uncover drug crimes. Above the small-amount threshold possession is a crime with up to three years in prison. No figures on how often users are fined, detained or prosecuted were found. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Article 234.2 punishes possession, production, transport or sending with intent to sell, and sale itself, with three to seven years in prison. The narcotics law defines sale as a paid or barter transaction; the sources read do not identify a separate lesser rule for an unpaid gift. - **Consumption 1/10.** Using a narcotic is an administrative offence under the same Article 206 as small possession: a fine of 300 to 400 manat or, where that is judged insufficient, administrative arrest of up to two months. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* Cultivation and production of narcotic plants are prohibited except where needed to prepare experimental samples of medicines; experimental production is reserved to competent state authorities. - *Products.* Controlled narcotic medicines may be supplied by licensed pharmacies and medical institutions. The law does not establish a legal retail market for cannabis products. - *Medical use.* The narcotics law permits controlled drugs for medical needs through licensed pharmacies and medical institutions, but the sources read do not establish a patient-access programme for cannabis itself. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 5,335 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,711 kg in 2023, and 65.2 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2023, against 42.3 kg in 2022. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Use or a small amount brings a fine of 300 to 400 manat or up to two months' administrative arrest; a substantial amount is a crime with up to three years in prison, and holding or carrying drugs for sale three to seven years. - *Other consequences.* People convicted of illicit drug trafficking may not work in organisations that handle controlled drugs, while separate employment restrictions may be imposed on people diagnosed with drug dependence in specified occupations or work involving dangerous facilities. ### Kazakhstan Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 65 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/kz/ Unauthorized possession of even a small amount, without intent to sell, is a criminal offence under Article 296, with a fine, corrective work, community service or up to 40 days' arrest. An especially large amount can bring three to seven years. A proposal to take simple possession out of the Criminal Code has not been enacted. Wild cannabis covers the Chu valley. - **Possession 2/10.** Article 296 of the Criminal Code covers acquiring, keeping, making or carrying drugs without intent to sell. The basic offence brings a fine of up to 160 monthly calculation indices, corrective work, up to 160 hours of community service or arrest of up to 40 days; a 'large amount' raises this to 200 indices, 200 hours or 50 days; an 'especially large amount' brings three to seven years in prison. The amounts are set in a government table. A person who voluntarily hands over drugs acquired for personal use, or seeks medical help, is released from criminal liability. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 300 of the Criminal Code punishes sowing or growing cannabis and other prohibited plants with a fine of up to 2,000 monthly calculation indices, corrective work, up to 600 hours of community service, or restriction of liberty or prison for up to two years. A large amount, a group or a repeat offence brings three to eight years; an especially large amount or a criminal group seven to twelve. Since 2025, licensed companies may grow registered hemp varieties containing no more than 0.3% THC; individuals may not. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Fines or short arrest for the smallest amounts, years in prison above them. The Interior Ministry has itself proposed not jailing people for simple possession. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Article 297 of the Criminal Code punishes acquiring, storing or transporting drugs for sale, and selling them, with five to eight years in prison and confiscation of property; six to ten years for a large amount; seven to twelve for a group, a repeat offence, an especially large amount or a public place; and fifteen to twenty for a criminal group, an official, or sale in a school or to a minor. - **Consumption 1/10.** Using drugs for non-medical purposes in a public place is an offence under the first part of Article 296: a fine of up to 80 monthly calculation indices, corrective work, up to 80 hours of community service or arrest of up to 20 days. A person who voluntarily seeks medical help is released from liability. Officials have proposed softening the treatment of users. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* Since 2025 licensed companies may grow listed hemp varieties for industry. The country's cannabis is otherwise wild: some 140,000 hectares in the Chu valley, which the interior ministry once estimated could yield 140,000 tonnes of marijuana a year, policed each summer in an operation named Poppy. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* The 1998 narcotics law lists the cannabis plant as any plant of the genus containing THC, "with the exception of seeds and roots, if they are not accompanied by the plant itself or other parts of plant". Sowing and growing hemp counts as cultivating a narcotic plant and is a controlled activity. Since 2025 licensed companies may grow listed hemp varieties with up to 0.3% THC, and only from original or elite registered seed; individuals may not. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* The market is supplied from inside the country, from wild and planted cannabis in the south. Every summer the interior ministry runs an operation called Karasora against growing, harvesting and transit, with helicopter and drone reconnaissance over the Almaty, Zhetysu, Turkistan, Kyzylorda and Ulytau regions. In 2024 it removed more than 15 tonnes of drugs in 70 days and recorded 450 drug crimes, 102 of them for cultivation; flights alone found over 9,000 cannabis plants. In the first nine months of 2025 police seized more than 26 tonnes of drugs, 35% more than a year earlier, including over nine tonnes of marijuana and more than 600 kg of hashish. - *Driving.* The Code of Administrative Offences punishes driving 'in a state of alcoholic, narcotic or toxic intoxication' with 15 days of administrative arrest and loss of the licence for seven years; where harm or damage results, 20 days. A repeat within a year brings 20 days and eight years. The article names a state of intoxication, not a measured level, and the Constitutional Court upheld it in October 2023. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The Criminal Code's penalties run from fines or up to 40 days' arrest for holding drugs without intent to sell to five to eight years in prison, with confiscation of property, for holding or carrying them for sale. Advertising or promoting drugs is a separate crime under Article 299-1, added in 2019: up to three years in prison, or three to six when done online, through the media or in a place where many people gather. - *Arrests and prisoners.* In the interior ministry's operation Karasora-2024, between 1 June and 31 October 2024, police recorded 1,607 drug crimes: 799 of sale, 245 of cultivation and 194 of possession. They seized 21.5 tonnes of drugs, among them about 4.5 tonnes of marijuana and more than 16 tonnes of cannabis plants, and destroyed over 380 hectares of wild hemp in the Shu district of Zhambyl region. The ministry gave no total for arrests. - *Other consequences.* Article 296 is in the Criminal Code. A conviction for unauthorized possession is a criminal record. The basic amount is punished by a fine, corrective work, community service or short arrest, and users may be placed on a narcological register. A ministry proposal to remove some of these acts from the Criminal Code has not been enacted. ### Latvia Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 66 of 196. Recreational: Decriminalized. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/lv/ Up to 1 g is an administrative offence on first occurrence; repeat offences are criminal. - **Possession 2/10.** Possession of up to 1 g of dried cannabis (5 g undried, 0.1 g of hashish) is an administrative offence with a fine of up to €280. A second offence within twelve months is a crime, punishable by short imprisonment of 15 days to three months, community service or a fine. Anything above 1 g is criminal from the start. With the first penalty the person is warned in writing that a repeat within a year is a crime. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing any number of plants is a criminal offence. Section 256 of the Criminal Law punishes unauthorised sowing or growing of plants containing narcotic substances with up to two years in prison, short-term detention, probation, community service or a fine, and up to five years for a large area grown by an organised group. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** One of the EU's lowest thresholds: a single gram separates a fine from a criminal case, and repeat users are prosecuted. Parliament has discussed decriminalisation without acting; in 2019 one person was fined fifteen times in a year. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime. Section 253.1 of the Criminal Law sets two to eight years in prison for unauthorised sale, and five to fifteen years for large amounts, organised groups or supply to minors or in schools, bars and public events. Selling a small amount carries up to three years under Section 253.2. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an administrative offence the first time and a crime if repeated within a year. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source: Section 253.2 of the Criminal Law covers acquiring or storing even a small amount, and unauthorised use. - *Commercial production.* Industrial hemp only. Fibre hemp returned to Latvian fields in 2009, when the first hundred hectares were sown; growers have been mistaken for drug producers, as in 2018, when police pulled up a pensioner's 363 plants and later apologised. - *Products.* No legal THC products. - *Seeds and clones.* The agriculture ministry stated in 2017 that the narcotics law does not apply to seeds, so trade in Indian hemp seed is not prohibited in Latvia, while sowing and growing those plants is banned and punished under section 256 of the Criminal Law. The same answer also cites the Criminal Law's section on trade, so the position on selling is less clear than its headline, and it is given as informative, not binding. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. In 2018 the health minister said there were more important things to discuss; in April 2025 one of the governing parties decided to seek a rule letting doctors prescribe cannabis medicines, saying patients now obtain them illegally. - *Cannabis clubs.* No clubs are known. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 found, after online searches and contact with people in the field, that there did not seem to be any active club in Latvia. The model is prohibited throughout the European Union. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 158 kg of herbal cannabis and 186 kg of cannabis resin seized in Latvia in 2024, against 190 kg and 2.7 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 1,039 occasions and resin on 102. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Criminal Law section 262(1¹) makes it a crime to drive a vehicle, or to instruct a learner, while under the influence of narcotic, psychotropic, toxic or other intoxicating substances. The Latvian text sets the punishment at up to one year in prison, short-term deprivation of liberty, or probationary supervision, and loss of the driving licence for five years. If the driving causes slight bodily injury the prison term can reach four years, five years for moderate injury, three to ten years for serious injury or one death, and three to fifteen years for two or more deaths. Road Traffic Law section 62(5) keeps an administrative fine for a cyclist, an electric-scooter rider or a moped driver under that influence: 34 fine units (€170) for a bicycle or scooter, and 240 to 400 units (€1,200 to €2,000) for a moped, with the moped rider losing the licence for five years. One fine unit is €5. The Administrative Liability Law lists a warning, a fine, loss of a right, and a ban on using a right. Cabinet Regulation No. 719 has the doctor record clinical symptoms and laboratory tests, and it allows a finding that a substance was used when influence is not found. That regulation sets no THC figure. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession of up to 1 g of dried cannabis is an administrative offence with a fine of up to €280; a second offence within twelve months is a crime. - *Arrests and prisoners.* In 2019 Latvia registered 3,159 drug crimes, 7.9% of all recorded crime, most of them use or possession of small amounts. Courts convicted 1,370 people and 3,203 received administrative penalties; since 2018 the number punished administratively has risen and the number convicted has fallen. Marijuana is the drug most often seized. The figures cover all drugs. - *Other consequences.* A repeat offence brings a criminal record. ### Venezuela Score 14/100 (Prohibition), rank 67 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ve/ Possession of up to 20 g is treated as personal use and leads to mandated treatment rather than prison. - **Possession 2/10.** The 2010 drug law defines a personal dose of up to 20 g of cannabis. Possession within it is not punished with prison but with 'security measures': referral to rehabilitation or detoxification, which a judge can make compulsory, including internment. Foreign non-residents can be deported. Above 20 g, trafficking penalties of eight to twelve years apply. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is a crime. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** No prison for the personal dose in law, but forced treatment is possible and police practice is arbitrary. The jump to eight years just above 20 g is steep. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use leads to the same treatment-based security measures as possession. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 151 of the 2010 Organic Drug Law is headed "illicit trafficking of seeds, resins and plants": sowing, growing, storing, transporting or distributing seeds or plants that contain or reproduce a controlled substance carries twelve to eighteen years in prison. For no more than 300 grams of seed or ten plants the penalty is six to ten years. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 13,115 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 8,416 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The 2010 drug law defines a personal dose of up to 20 g of cannabis; possession within it is not punished with prison but with security measures such as referral to treatment. - *Other consequences.* Security measures are recorded, and can include supervised release. ### Cambodia Score 13/100 (Prohibition), rank 68 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/kh/ Cannabis is controlled under the 2012 drug law. Unlawful possession carries prison terms; the law retains limited discretion for customary consumption and provides both voluntary and compulsory treatment procedures. - **Possession 1/10.** Unlawful possession, concealment or storage of drugs in Tables I and II carries a basic two-to-five-year prison term, with a possible fine of 4–10 million riel. Cannabis, resin and oil are listed in Table I. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlawful cultivation of narcotic plants in Tables I and II carries six months to two years in prison; growing for distribution, manufacture or trade carries two to five years. Drug-related activity requires permission or a licence from the competent authorities. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Cambodia's anti-drug campaign began in 2017 and led to at least 55,770 arrests on suspicion of using or selling drugs by March 2020. Amnesty International documented detention and abuse affecting poor communities; its findings cover drugs generally, without a separate cannabis arrest count. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The drug law treats transfer from one person to another as transport of drugs, alongside selling and other trafficking activity. The basic unlawful keeping, transport and trafficking offence carries two to five years in prison, with higher penalties for specified circumstances and quantities. - **Consumption 2/10.** The drug law provides criminal penalties for unlawful consumption and lets prosecutors advise medically assessed dependent users to enter treatment before prosecution. It also retains discretion for limited quantities consumed as a non-addictive ancestral practice. Compulsory treatment has separate statutory conditions. - **Legal access 1/10.** No legal source. 'Happy pizza' restaurants and street sellers operate openly in some cities, tolerated rather than licensed. - *Commercial production.* Cultivation, manufacture and supply require permission or licensing; permitted purposes are research, clinical, scientific or industrial. The Ministry of Health oversees lawful activity involving drugs in Tables I–III. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2012 law includes cannabis among narcotic plants and makes unauthorised cultivation an offence. Licensed activity is limited to research, clinical, scientific or industrial purposes. No public seed or cutting retail permission was verified in the reviewed provisions. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* The law criminalises unauthorised cultivation and transfer of controlled drugs between people. Its licensing rules limit permission to research, clinical, scientific or industrial purposes. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 142 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 45.2 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Unlawful possession of cannabis falls under the drug law's basic two-to-five-year prison penalty. The reviewed law gives visitors no separate recreational possession or supply permission. - *Arrests and prisoners.* A report by the Anti-Drug Department counted 14,977 people arrested for drug offences of all kinds between January and July 2025, 2.7% more than a year earlier; 537 were foreigners. Seizures included 505 kg of dried cannabis and 12,212 fresh cannabis plants, out of 1.91 tonnes of drugs. - *Other consequences.* State-centre treatment and rehabilitation can last six months to two years. The law provides medical conditions, prosecutor or court decisions and appeal routes for compulsory treatment. Amnesty International documented detention without proper safeguards during the anti-drug campaign. ### Fiji Score 13/100 (Prohibition), rank 69 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/fj/ Cannabis possession remains criminalised, with court guidelines favouring non-custodial sentences for up to 100 g. A separate hemp exemption was approved in 2022. A drug-law rewrite signed in October 2026 provides for commencement by ministerial notice. - **Possession 1/10.** The 2004 drug law makes unauthorised possession an offence carrying a maximum FJ$1 million fine, life imprisonment, or both. The 2012 Sulua court guidelines favour fines, community service, counselling or discharge with a warning for up to 100 g, reserving suspended or short prison terms for the worst cases. Higher weight bands run from one to three years, three to seven years and seven to fourteen years. The law signed on 2 October 2026 sets a separate personal-use offence for cannabis plant material, with a maximum FJ$500 fine or three months in prison, or both, and restricts custody to prior-conviction or exceptional cases; it provides for commencement by ministerial Gazette notice. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unauthorised cannabis cultivation is an offence. The 2023 Seru guidelines combine plant count with the grower’s role: fewer than ten plants for personal use and a lesser role fall in a non-custodial to suspended-sentence range. Leading-role cultivation of 100 or more plants has an eighteen-year starting point and a sixteen-to-twenty-year range, before the remaining sentencing adjustments. - **Punishment & enforcement 3/10.** The Sulua guidelines favour outcomes outside prison for possession of up to 100 g, with custody available in the worst cases. Cultivation sentences can be lengthy: in May 2024 the appeal court applied the newer guidelines to two growers and reduced their prison terms from nineteen and eighteen years to fifteen and fourteen. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 2004 law defines supply to include giving cannabis to another person. The same statutory maximum applies to possession and supply, and Sulua’s weight-based guidelines were applied across the listed drug offences. The 2026 law signed in October separates personal use from supply, with commencement to be set by ministerial notice. - **Consumption 1/10.** The 2004 law expressly prohibits unauthorised use or administration of an illicit drug, including cannabis. Its medical-treatment and lawful-profession exceptions are set out separately in section 11. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational possession, cultivation and supply are criminal offences. Lawfully prescribed or supplied treatment and authorised professional activity are covered by statutory exceptions. - *Commercial production.* The 2022 amendment excludes hemp and hemp-derived plant parts at no more than 1% THC from the schedule’s references to the cannabis plant. The budget proposal envisaged an export industry, laboratory-tested imports, Fiji National University growing trials and seed distribution to farmers. - *Products.* The 2004 drug schedule lists cannabis, resin, oil, seed and plant material. The 2022 hemp exemption concerns hemp and plant parts derived from it at no more than 1% THC; a person claiming the exemption in a prosecution bears the burden of proving it. - *Seeds and clones.* Schedule 1 of the Illicit Drugs Control Act lists cannabis seed by name as an illicit drug, alongside the plant, its fruit, resin and oil, and the Act bans importing, cultivating, selling, supplying and possessing them. Since the 2022 amendment hemp with no more than 1% THC is excluded, but a person who claims a plant is hemp must prove it. - *Medical use.* Fiji has been developing a medicinal cannabis industry proposal. Separately, section 11 of the 2004 drug law exempts lawfully prescribed or supplied treatment and permits health-authority licensing of drug imports, exports or manufacture. - *Cannabis clubs.* Unauthorised cannabis cultivation and supply, including giving it to another person, are prohibited under the drug law. - *Driving.* Land Transport Act section 102 makes driving or being in charge while drug influence prevents proper vehicle control an offence. Police can forbid driving, take the keys and immobilise or remove the vehicle until the person can control it, with a right to request review by a more senior officer in the circumstances specified by the Act. The government's published statutory penalty schedule lists a maximum FJ$5,000 fine or five years' imprisonment or both, plus five years' disqualification, subject to the court's statutory powers concerning disqualification. These are court penalties, not a roadside ticket tariff. Section 103's numerical concentration offence concerns alcohol; no quantified THC threshold appears in section 102. The Trade Portal's February 2025 upload reproduces a text incorporating 1999 and 2000 amendments; later changes to the penalty schedule remain a verification target. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational cannabis possession and supply are criminal offences. Section 11 of the 2004 law separately exempts people entering, leaving or transiting Fiji with up to one month of an illicit drug lawfully prescribed or supplied for treatment of themselves or someone in their care. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Fiji recorded 6,659 drug cases between 2019 and 2023, and marijuana accounted for 94 per cent of them, with methamphetamine and cocaine making up the rest, according to figures reported by the Pacific Islands News Association. - *Other consequences.* Cannabis offences can lead to conviction, fines and imprisonment. The guidelines for possession of up to 100 g also allow counselling, community service or discharge with a strong warning. ### Guernsey Score 13/100 (Prohibition), Crown Dependency, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-17. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gg/ Cannabis is a Class B drug and possession leads to a criminal conviction, usually with a fine of a few hundred pounds. Importing even a small amount is treated severely. Doctors may prescribe medical cannabis privately, and a review of non-punitive approaches to drug possession stalled in 2023. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession is a criminal offence that ends in a conviction. In 2019 the Magistrate's Court fined a man £650 for 2.44 g, with 32 days in prison if he did not pay, and his friend £400 for the 0.67 g found in the car. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis is prosecuted as production of a Class B drug, even for a few plants. In 2024 the Royal Court gave a man who grew four plants in two tents 240 hours of community service in place of two years in prison, plus a £5,000 fine. In 2022 it jailed the organiser of a 141-plant basement grow for four years. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Users found with small amounts are fined and convicted. In 2023 the Committee for Home Affairs said people whose only offence was possessing a small amount of drugs were not receiving custodial sentences, while admitting that the courts may not use non-punitive options consistently. Importation is treated much more harshly. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is prosecuted as such and punished with prison: a 2022 case brought sentences of up to four years for supplying cannabis. No distinction is made for sharing without payment. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is dealt with through the possession offence. There are no places where it is tolerated. - **Legal access 2/10.** No legal adult-use source. Local doctors may prescribe cannabis-based medicines privately and islanders can obtain them through an on-island clinic and pharmacy, or import a UK or Jersey prescription under licence; the patient bears the cost. - *Commercial production.* No commercial cannabis production for adult use. Licensed routes exist only for importing and dispensing prescribed medicines. - *Products.* Prescribed cannabis-based medicines that meet pharmaceutical standards. The health service funds only Epidyolex for two rare epilepsies, Sativex for some multiple sclerosis symptoms and nabilone for chemotherapy nausea. - *Medical use.* Guernsey doctors may prescribe privately, and residents can use an on-island clinic and pharmacy. Prescriptions from the UK or Jersey can be imported with an import licence for each prescription, at £30 per licence; importing without one is a criminal offence. The health committee will not fund cannabis medicines for chronic pain. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Supply is prosecuted with prison sentences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal supply for anyone. In December 2025 the Royal Court gave a visitor who brought 16.15 g from Poole a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and a £1,000 fine. The court said importation carries up to 21 years and the guideline starting point for importing up to 2 kg is three years in prison. - *Other consequences.* In July 2020 the States voted to draw up non-punitive options for possessing small amounts of drugs. In 2023 Home Affairs concluded that such approaches already existed and said the work had all but paused; a separate review of a legal framework for cannabis was shelved. ### India Score 13/100 (Prohibition), rank 70 of 196. Recreational: Partly legal / tolerated. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/in/ The NDPS Act bans flower (ganja) and resin (charas), but bhang made from leaves is legal and sold in government-licensed shops in several states. Some states license hemp and medical cultivation. - **Possession 1/10.** The NDPS Act of 1985 bans ganja (flowering tops) and charas (resin). Possessing a 'small quantity' — up to 1 kg of ganja or 100 g of charas — is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of ₹10,000, or both; consumption alone by up to six months. The law does not cover leaves and seeds, which is why bhang is legal. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivating the cannabis plant is an offence with up to ten years. States may permit and regulate cultivation for industrial or horticultural purposes: Uttarakhand licensed hemp from 2018, followed by others. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Arrests for small quantities are common and bail can be difficult under the NDPS Act; enforcement is uneven and occasionally high-profile. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking, with sentences scaled to quantity. Section 31A also allows death for a repeat qualifying offence involving at least 20 kg of hashish or 500 g of THC. - **Consumption 1/10.** Consuming ganja or charas is an offence; addicts who volunteer for treatment can be exempted from prosecution. Bhang is consumed openly, especially at Holi and Shivaratri. - **Legal access 2/10.** Bhang — a preparation of leaves — is sold in government-licensed shops in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, a legal cannabis product with real psychoactive effect. Flower and resin have no legal source. Rules vary by state; some ban bhang too. - *Death penalty.* Section 31A of the NDPS Act makes death a discretionary sentence for certain repeat offences. The cannabis thresholds in its table are 20 kg of hashish or 500 g of THC. The headline status remains partial because bhang made from leaves is lawfully sold in several states. - *Commercial production.* State-licensed hemp cultivation in a growing number of states; Ayurvedic manufacturers use cannabis leaf under licence. - *Products.* Bhang, hemp-seed foods, and Ayurvedic cannabis-leaf medicines. - *Seeds and clones.* The 1985 Act defines ganja as the flowering or fruiting tops of the plant, "excluding the seeds and leaves when not accompanied by the tops", so loose seeds are not a narcotic drug. Cultivating any cannabis plant is an offence under section 20 unless a state government permits it under section 10. - *Medical use.* No national medical programme, but cannabis-leaf preparations are sold as Ayurvedic medicines, some on prescription. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and no law provides for them: supply of ganja or charas is trafficking, with sentences scaled to quantity. India's legal outlet for cannabis is of another kind. Bhang, made from the leaves and seeds, falls outside the national narcotics law and is left to the states: Uttar Pradesh licenses bhang shops, Bihar and West Bengal allow its production, and Rajasthan allows it to be bought in and sold. It is traditionally handed out at the festivals of Holi and Maha Shivaratri, and Varanasi is known as the centre of its use. These are shops and festival customs, not members' clubs. - *Black market.* Cannabis is by far the most seized drug in India. The Narcotics Control Bureau's annual report for 2025 counted 633.59 tonnes of cannabis seized, about half of all drugs by weight, up from 540.8 tonnes in 2024 but below the 816.9 tonnes of 2021. Almost all of it was ganja (628.19 tonnes); hashish fell from 6.48 to 5.11 tonnes. The bureau points to a new trend of potent hydroponic ganja reaching the big cities from abroad: cases rose from 102 in 2021 to 687 in 2025 and seizures from 303 kg to 4,862 kg, nearly all of it caught at airports. - *Driving.* Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act covers driving or attempting to drive while under the influence of a drug to the extent of being incapable of proper vehicle control; it is not a fixed THC blood-limit offence. The transport department explicitly includes ganja and charas. A first offence can bring up to six months in prison, a ₹10,000 fine, or both; a repeat offence up to two years, a ₹15,000 fine, or both. Section 20 provides disqualification for at least six months on a section 185 conviction. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The one legal cannabis product is open to anyone: bhang, made from the leaves, is sold over the counter in government-licensed shops in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, with no residency condition described. Flower and resin have no legal source for residents or visitors. Under the NDPS Act possessing a small quantity, up to 1 kg of ganja or 100 g of charas, is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of ₹10,000, or both, and consumption alone by up to six months. - *Other consequences.* An NDPS conviction is a serious criminal record. ### Isle of Man Score 13/100 (Prohibition), Crown Dependency, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Legal. Reviewed 2026-10-17. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/im/ Cannabis is a Class B drug and possession of even half a gram goes to court, usually ending in a fine of a few hundred pounds. Private medical prescriptions have been dispensed on the island since 2022. Tynwald backs a harm-reduction approach to drugs but rejected a citizens' jury on a regulated market in 2026. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession is a criminal offence dealt with in court. In 2024 magistrates fined a woman £300 plus £125 costs for half a gram, and a man £750 plus £125 costs for 2.6 g found in his bedroom, which he said helped him sleep. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis is an offence even for one plant: in 2022 a man who grew a single plant for what he said was medicinal use was fined £700 plus £125 costs. Commercial growing needs a licence from the Gambling Supervision Commission. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Small amounts usually end in a fine and a conviction. Supply is punished with prison: a man concerned in supplying 1.5 kg was jailed for three years and ten months in 2024. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying cannabis is prosecuted as supply and punished with prison. No distinction is made for sharing without payment. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is dealt with through the possession offence. There are no places where it is tolerated. - **Legal access 2/10.** No legal adult-use source. Patients with a private prescription from a specialist doctor can have it dispensed by an island pharmacy: more than 650 patients used the first licensed pharmacy in its first year, mostly for chronic pain. The products are not available on the island's health service. - *Commercial production.* The Gambling Supervision Commission regulates licensed cultivation, manufacture, extraction, import, export and industrial hemp. There is no production for adult use. - *Products.* Prescribed cannabis-based medicines, imported through licensed pharmacies, which may set up supply chains with UK wholesalers. An average of about 335 products a month was dispensed in the pilot year. - *Medical use.* From December 2022 a single pharmacy in Onchan dispensed private prescriptions in a year-long pilot. Since July 2024 any registered island pharmacy may apply to dispense, and private clinics may register to prescribe on the island; prescriptions must come from a doctor on the GMC specialist register. Clinics are inspected yearly and pharmacies every six months. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Supplying cannabis to another person is prosecuted with prison sentences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to obtain cannabis. Medical products are dispensed only on a private prescription. - *Other consequences.* In 2024 Tynwald approved policy principles for tackling the harm caused by illegal drugs. In May 2026 it rejected a motion for a citizens' jury on timelines for a regulated recreational market, reaffirming those principles instead; the government said an action plan would follow that summer. ### Morocco Score 13/100 (Prohibition), rank 71 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ma/ Law 13-21 (2021) legalised cultivation for medical, cosmetic and industrial use in the Rif provinces. Recreational kif remains illegal but is widely tolerated; thousands of growers were pardoned in 2024. - **Possession 1/10.** Recreational possession and use are illegal under the law of 21 May 1974. Article 8 sets two months to one year in prison and a fine of 500 to 50,000 dirhams, and proceedings can be suspended if the person agrees, after a medical examination, to detoxification in a therapeutic establishment. Kif smoking is nonetheless deeply traditional and widely tolerated in the north, so enforcement is uneven. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Illegal for personal use. Growing is lawful only for farmers in designated Rif provinces who join a cooperative and hold an authorisation from the cannabis agency, selling their whole crop to licensed processors. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Users can be jailed, though often are not; traffickers face long sentences. The 2024 pardon was limited to growers. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking: Article 2 of the 1974 law sets five to ten years in prison and a fine of 5,000 to 500,000 dirhams, with minimum penalties a judge must respect. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use is an offence, with prosecution avoidable by accepting treatment. Tolerated in practice in much of the Rif. - **Legal access 1/10.** No legal adult-use source; the law of 2021 explicitly excludes recreational use. - *Commercial production.* Law 13-21 legalised cultivation, processing, export and sale for medical, pharmaceutical and industrial purposes. In 2024 the agency issued over 3,000 authorisations, most to small farmers, and a royal pardon cleared thousands of growers with past convictions or warrants. - *Products.* Licensed medical, cosmetic and food-supplement products; THC above 1% only for pharmaceutical use. - *Seeds and clones.* Under Law 13-21 importing or exporting cannabis seeds and plants needs an authorisation from the regulator ANRAC, and licence holders may bring in only seed the agency has approved. Certified lots must carry the variety's certification number and THC level. The first imported seed arrived in April 2023 and went to cooperatives in Al Hoceima and Chefchaouen. - *Medical use.* Cannabis-based medicines can be registered and sold through pharmacies; the domestic medical market is young. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Morocco is the world's biggest producer of cannabis resin according to the United Nations, and the illegal trade still dwarfs the legal one. Official figures put illegal cultivation at 55,000 hectares in 2019, in a Rif economy on which up to 120,000 families depend; hashish from there is smuggled mainly to Europe. Official estimates of trafficking revenue fell from about 540 million dollars in the early 2000s to almost 350 million in 2020. The licensed medical and industrial sector created by the 2021 law is growing but small beside it: about 3,141 hectares farmed by 4,776 licensed growers in 2025, producing 19,576 quintals of dried cannabis, and the regulator withdrew 1,308 farming licences that year after inspections. - *Driving.* The government's July 2024 consolidation of Road Code 52-05, article 183, prohibits driving under the influence of narcotics or certain medicines after which driving is forbidden. It provides six months–one year in prison and MAD5,000–10,000, or either punishment, plus a court-ordered licence suspension of six months–one year. Repetition within five years of a final judgment for similar conduct doubles both penalties and the suspension. The same article applies to instructors accompanying learners and refusal of the specified tests or checks. Article 99 provides a six-point deduction for drug-influence driving or the listed refusals; it is distinct from the court suspension. Articles 213–214 distinguish screening from subsequent medical, clinical and biological checks after a positive result, refusal or inability to undergo screening. A numeric THC cutoff, medical-cannabis exemption and amendments after this consolidation were not verified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Recreational possession and use are illegal under a 1974 decree, punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine; the licensed growing allowed since 2021 is for medical and industrial use only. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The national police's report for 2025 counts 106,117 drug cases and 134,126 people arrested in them, 378 of them foreign nationals; the figures cover all drugs. Police seized nearly 170 tonnes and 796 kg of cannabis resin and its derivatives during the year, against 1.7 tonnes of cocaine and about 6 kg of heroin. Controlled deliveries run with Spain accounted for 55 tonnes of resin and 38 arrests. - *Other consequences.* A drug conviction is a criminal record; the pardon removed that burden for many Rif farmers. ### Transnistria Score 13/100 (Prohibition), disputed territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-25. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/xt/ Small possession can bring a fine or up to thirty days’ administrative arrest. Large personal possession can carry up to three years in prison. Growing below the criminal threshold brings a warning or fine; large-scale growing and supplying cannabis remain crimes. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession without intent to supply is administrative when it falls below the criminal offence: a fine of 50–300 statutory calculation units or up to thirty days’ administrative arrest. A legally defined large amount can bring a fine, work penalties or up to three years in prison; an especially large amount carries three to ten years. - **Personal cultivation 2/10.** Growing below the criminal threshold can bring a warning or a fine of up to fifty statutory calculation units. Large-scale cultivation carries a fine, compulsory work or up to two years in prison; group cultivation or an especially large grow carries three to eight years. The president’s quantity rules determine the criminal threshold. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Personal possession can lead to custody through either administrative arrest, for up to thirty days, or a criminal prison sentence for a large amount. The criminal code also permits fines and work penalties for its ordinary personal-possession offence. The 2012 reform introduced those alternatives to a prison-only penalty. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The Supreme Court’s drug-case guidance treats unpaid transfers, including gifts and loans, as supply alongside sales and exchanges. The ordinary unlawful supply offence carries four to eight years in prison; aggravated tiers carry five to twelve or ten to twenty years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Using drugs without a doctor’s prescription is a separate administrative offence. Its ordinary penalty is a fine of 50–150 statutory calculation units or up to fifteen days’ arrest, with a one-year restriction on driving rights. The code exempts someone who voluntarily seeks medical treatment for that use from liability for the use offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* None known. - *Products.* No legal cannabis products are known. - *Seeds and clones.* The Supreme Court’s 2004 guidance describes sowing as planting seeds or seedlings without permission on any land, with completion at the time of sowing. It also includes tending plants and improving varieties within cultivation. Today the criminal offence requires a legally defined large scale; cultivation below that threshold is administrative. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme is known. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The administrative code separately punishes foreign nationals and stateless people. Possession falling below the criminal offence carries a fine or up to thirty days’ arrest, with expulsion; use without a prescription carries a fine or up to fifteen days’ arrest, also with expulsion. - *Other consequences.* The 2023 reform added a one-year restriction on driving rights to the ordinary offence of drug use without a prescription, alongside its fine or administrative arrest. Specified public-use offences also carry the one-year restriction. A person without a licence cannot take a driving test during the restriction. ### Botswana Score 12/100 (Prohibition), rank 72 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bw/ Possession of 60 g or less remains an offence, but a December 2025 amendment excludes prison and caps the fine at P10,000. Licensed medical, research and industrial cannabis is permitted. - **Possession 1/10.** Under the amended Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, possession of 60 g or less of cannabis (dagga, or motokwane) is a low-level offence with a fine up to P10,000 or prescribed alternatives; the person shall not be imprisoned. A notice requires payment within 21 days, with mandatory rehabilitation as prescribed. Above 60 g but below 1 kg, the published law provides up to P20,000, three years, or both; above 1 kg, up to P500,000, ten years, or both. The text does not resolve exactly 1 kg. Cannabis preparations have a separate provision carrying up to P20,000, three years, or both. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlawful cultivation carries a fine of up to 500,000 pula or up to twenty years. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Older court reporting describes fines with prison in default of payment. The amendment effective 22 December 2025 instead excludes imprisonment for low-level cannabis possession, including nonpayment, and provides prescribed alternatives and rehabilitation. Implementation of those programmes and post-amendment sentencing practice remain unverified. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Trafficking carries long prison terms. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence under the Act. - **Legal access 1/10.** A narrow prescription route exists under the Cannabis Act. Licensed pharmacists and health professionals may provide cannabis medical products to patients holding a valid medical cannabis prescription within the licensed framework. - *Commercial production.* The Cannabis Act 2025 allows cultivation, manufacture, transport, import and export under licence, with licensing and security requirements set by the Cannabis Regulations 2026. - *Products.* Licensed cannabis medical products supplied on prescription. - *Seeds and clones.* The Cannabis Act 2025 defines cultivation to include "planting, sowing, scattering the seeds" and gives the National Cannabis Control Authority the power to license cultivation and propagation, for medicinal, scientific, research and industrial purposes only. Its definition of cannabis covers all parts of the plant, while the item on flowering tops leaves out seeds and leaves not accompanied by the tops. - *Medical use.* Cannabis is legal for medicinal, scientific, research and industrial purposes within the licensed framework of the Cannabis Act 2025. Recreational use remains illegal. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,268 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,325 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 46(2) prohibits driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drugs. Section 46(4) provides P5,000–10,000, two–five years in prison, or both; being in charge without driving is a separate offence. Section 48 permits drug-analysis evidence from specimens taken within three hours and gives refusal evidential consequences. The published section 53 contains overlapping licence provisions: subsection (3) specifies two–five years for section 46(2), while (3A) specifies one–three years for section 46 generally. Their application needs judicial clarification. The February 2026 announcement of a proposed drug-driving ban does not establish that existing section 46 excludes drugs. No numerical THC cutoff or current roadside cannabis-testing practice was verified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply. The amended Act treats possession of 60 g or less as a low-level offence with a fine up to P10,000 or prescribed alternatives, mandatory rehabilitation as prescribed, and no imprisonment. This does not authorise purchase, cultivation, sale or importation, and no separate exemption for visitors was verified. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Faroe Islands Score 12/100 (Prohibition), Self-governing territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/fo/ Recreational possession and growing remain offences, including small personal quantities. Doctors have been able to prescribe medical cannabis through a trial scheme since April 2019. Patients receiving it are told not to drive. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing cannabis outside the authorised medical or scientific routes is prohibited. Faroese police say even small quantities for personal use are prosecuted when discovered. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis needs permission from the medicines authority; recreational home growing has no authorised plant allowance. A separate permit route covers commercial crops with no more than 0.2% THC on plots of at least 0.3 hectares. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The basic drug-law offence carries a fine or up to two years in prison. Police say small personal-use cases are prosecuted, while their strategic focus is on organisers and larger middlemen. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Unauthorised sale, supply and receipt of controlled drugs are prohibited, with no recreational gift exception. The underlying law separately permits receipt and possession through a lawful prescription. - **Consumption 1/10.** Controlled drugs may be used only for medical or scientific purposes under the regulations. Police prosecute small personal-possession cases when discovered. - **Legal access 1/10.** Doctors have been able to prescribe medical cannabis through a trial scheme since April 2019. Pharmacies may dispense controlled medicines, and patients may receive them through a lawful prescription. Recreational supply remains prohibited. - *Commercial production.* The regulations permit licensed cannabis cultivation for medical manufacturing, raw pharmaceutical materials and supplying other authorised growers. Commercial low-THC crops need a separate annual permit, with a 0.2% THC ceiling and plots of at least 0.3 hectares. - *Products.* Official prescribing guidance describes dronabinol and cannabidiol preparations made from plant extracts as oils and capsules. In July 2019 the Pharmacy Service also ordered cannabis flower from the Netherlands at a doctor’s request, alongside the drops already supplied to patients. - *Seeds and clones.* The cannabis definition excludes hemp seeds and isolated hemp fibre. Growing plants is separately regulated and requires a permit, including the specified low-THC commercial route. - *Medical use.* The Chief Medical Officer confirms a medical-cannabis trial has operated since April 2019. Joint prescribing guidance identifies pain, multiple sclerosis, spinal-cord injury and chemotherapy-related nausea among treatment areas, with conventional medicines tried first and the decision documented. It recommends specialist prescribing for neurological conditions and chemotherapy-related symptoms. - *Cannabis clubs.* The reviewed regulations authorise medical and scientific handling of controlled drugs; they provide no recreational growing-and-supply route for clubs. - *Black market.* Police seized 29.58 kg of hashish in 2025, compared with 69.69 kg in 2024 and 16.25 kg in 2021. Their strategic drug-enforcement focus is on organisers and larger middlemen. - *Driving.* Driving with THC above 0.001 mg per kg of blood is prohibited when it was not taken under a lawful prescription. Prescribed THC also falls under the prohibition if taken contrary to the prescription, and the law separately prohibits driving when unable to do so safely. The Pharmacy Service advises patients not to drive while receiving medical cannabis. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no authorised recreational supply: cannabis may be handled only through the permitted medical and scientific routes. Small personal quantities are prosecuted when discovered, according to Faroese police. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Police recorded 62 drug-law reports in 2025, down from 107 in 2024 and 142 in 2021. These are reports covering controlled drugs generally, rather than a count of cannabis users arrested. - *Other consequences.* The Pharmacy Service tells patients they may not drive while receiving medical cannabis. It also stresses reporting adverse reactions because trial products are subject to different evidence requirements from approved medicines. ### Gibraltar Score 12/100 (Prohibition), British Overseas Territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gi/ Cannabis possession and home growing are crimes, with fines or imprisonment available. Medical access is limited to controlled medicines: trained public-health doctors may authorise approved cannabis-based products for specified conditions, with smoking prohibited. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis and resin are Class B drugs. Possession can bring up to twelve months in prison or a fine in lower-court proceedings, or five years or a fine in a higher-court trial. In December 2025 a man found with about 127 g of resin received an £800 fine in the Magistrates’ Court. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivating any cannabis plant is an offence, subject to authorised exceptions. The cultivation offence carries up to nine months in lower-court proceedings or fourteen years in a higher-court trial, with fines also available. The wider medicinal-cannabis industry Act remains awaiting commencement. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Courts can impose fines or prison for possession; the statutory maxima depend on how the case is tried. One December 2025 possession case involving about 127 g of resin ended in an £800 fine. A separate reported possession-with-intent-to-supply case ended in 200 hours of community work. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying or offering to supply cannabis is an offence, with no payment requirement in the prohibition. Class B supply or possession with intent to supply can carry up to life imprisonment in a higher-court trial; fines are also available. - **Consumption 1/10.** Unauthorised possession associated with cannabis use is criminal. Occupiers who knowingly permit cannabis smoking on their premises can also commit an offence. Patients using approved GHA cannabis products may not administer them by smoking. - **Legal access 1/10.** Adult-use supply is prohibited. The medical route requires trained GHA doctors and approved products for specified conditions; the government designated St Bernard’s Hospital pharmacy for public dispensing. In September 2023 it announced completed training and a Cantourage UK supply agreement, subject to final detail. - *Commercial production.* Unauthorised production is criminal, and cultivating cannabis has its own offence. The 2021 medicinal-cannabis Act provides for a wider industry licensing system but is still marked Not In Force; commencement requires a ministerial notice. - *Products.* The rules distinguish the specifically defined cannabis-extract mouth spray in Schedule 2 from GHA-approved cannabis-based medicines in Schedule 2A. The latter require medical-practitioner involvement and product approval. Public dispensing under the GHA route was assigned to St Bernard’s Hospital pharmacy. - *Medical use.* GHA doctors must complete training before authorising cannabis medicines. Eligible conditions are treatment-resistant multiple-sclerosis spasticity, severe refractory epilepsy, severe life-altering pain, and intractable chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting. Products require GHA approval, and smoking is prohibited. The government reported completed doctor training and a supply agreement in September 2023. - *Cannabis clubs.* Supplying cannabis to another person and cultivating it are offences, subject to authorised exceptions. The criminal code provides no personal-use club exemption. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Adult-use cannabis imports are prohibited; authorised imports depend on a licence or a regulatory exception. The medicines regulations allow personal prescribed controlled drugs to be carried to or from a Schengen state with a valid Article 75 certificate, limited to thirty days’ supply. - *Other consequences.* Possession can lead to a fine, imprisonment or both, depending on the proceedings and sentence. Courts can order forfeiture and destruction or disposal of items connected with drug offences. ### Greenland Score 12/100 (Prohibition), Self-governing territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gl/ Recreational cannabis possession and supply remain prohibited. Greenland’s own rules provide medical and prescription permissions and an exception for products with no more than 0.2% THC brought in through authorised importers for local distribution. The government continues to emphasise customs controls, prevention and treatment. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis possession is controlled under Greenland’s own drug law, with exceptions for authorised activities and people receiving medicines on valid prescriptions. Separate rules exempt qualifying products with no more than 0.2% THC when imported through an authorised legal entity for local distribution. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation of controlled cannabis is restricted to activities permitted under the medicines rules. The regulation also controls experimental cultivation and requires safeguards against unauthorised access and removal. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Breaches of the possession and supply prohibitions can lead to measures under Greenland’s Criminal Code. Repeated sales of particularly harmful substances, and supply intended for resale at schools or specified youth settings, are aggravating circumstances. In June 2026 the government highlighted stronger customs staffing and prevention. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Delivering or receiving controlled drugs is prohibited outside the law’s pharmacy, prescription and special-permission routes. Supplying them without payment for later resale at schools, concerts, festivals or other specified settings is an aggravating circumstance. - **Consumption 1/10.** Controlled drugs may be used only for medical or scientific purposes. Qualifying low-THC cannabis products have a separate exception requiring authorised importation and local distribution. - **Legal access 1/10.** The law permits people to receive controlled medicines from the national or hospital pharmacies under prescription rules. The low-THC route requires a permitted importer, a THC maximum of 0.2% and receipt at storage controlled by the importer before distribution. - *Commercial production.* Controlled cannabis cultivation, manufacture and conversion must follow Greenland’s medicines rules, including protection against unauthorised access. The current low-THC exception is linked to authorised imports and distribution through local storage. - *Products.* The cannabis listing covers above-ground plant parts from which resin has not been removed, excluding isolated seeds and hemp fibres. Products with no more than 0.2% THC can fall outside the controlled-drug definition when the authorised-import and local-distribution conditions are met. - *Medical use.* Greenland’s law permits pharmacy supply and possession of controlled medicines under prescription rules. The regulation permits receipt and possession by people receiving treatment and authorised institutions. Approval of medicines, including cannabis medicines, falls to Greenland’s medicines committee, as explained in the government’s 2019 answer. - *Cannabis clubs.* The law restricts delivery, receipt and possession to pharmacy, prescription and special-permission routes. The regulation confines use of controlled cannabis to medical and scientific purposes. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The low-THC exception requires importation by an authorised legal entity and local storage before distribution. Controlled-drug receipt and possession follow prescription, treatment or other specified permissions; the government continues to prioritise customs checks against illicit imports. - *Other consequences.* The current law provides criminal-code measures for breaches and treats specified supply in youth settings as more serious. In 2026 the government said Allorfik had expanded cannabis treatment and counselling since 2016, with an emphasis on early intervention and access for families and young people. ### Laos Score 12/100 (Prohibition), rank 73 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/la/ Cannabis possession can lead to treatment or prison; licensed low-THC hemp medicines are permitted. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing under five grams of cannabis for consumption leads to treatment under the Penal Code. Five to ten grams of dried cannabis for consumption carries six months to two years in prison and a fine of five to twenty million kip. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Ordinary cannabis cultivation is prohibited under the narcotics rules. Approved companies may grow low-THC hemp under the health ministry’s licensing rules. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The Penal Code provides treatment for the smallest personal quantities and prison for five to ten grams of dried cannabis. A November 2024 government report recorded 5,168 suspects arrested across all drugs over eleven months, including 199 foreigners. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Trading less than five kilograms of dried cannabis carries six months to three years in prison; five to ten kilograms carries three to seven years. Regular or organised trading, or more than ten kilograms, carries five to ten years. THC, hashish and derivatives have separate weight bands, reaching life imprisonment above 500 grams. - **Consumption 2/10.** Consumption or possession for consumption of under five grams of cannabis leads to treatment. Addiction recurring after certified treatment brings escalating sanctions: public criticism and a fine after the first treatment, then possible prison after later treatments. - **Legal access 0/10.** Health ministry rules permit prescribed low-THC hemp flower and medicines through approved businesses. Ordinary cannabis trading remains punishable under the Penal Code. - *Commercial production.* Rules issued in December 2022 permit licensed hemp cultivation, processing and trade, with registered seeds and qualified technical staff. - *Products.* The hemp rules distinguish prescribed flower and medicines from registered consumer products, including supplements, cosmetics and CBD beverages. - *Seeds and clones.* Approved hemp businesses must use registered seed varieties. The Penal Code sets one to three years in prison for trading, distributing, transporting, possessing or moving more than ten grams of marijuana seeds across borders. - *Medical use.* The legal review describes prescribed dried hemp flower with a 1% THC ceiling, and medical products with a 0.2% ceiling and CBD at least four times the THC content. - *Cannabis clubs.* The criminal rules prohibit ordinary cannabis cultivation and trading; the hemp permission is for approved businesses. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 3,274 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,045 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Possessing five to ten grams of dried cannabis for consumption carries six months to two years in prison. The Penal Code also penalises importing and exporting cannabis for trade. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Public Security Minister Vilay Lakhamphong reported 5,168 suspects arrested in 3,395 drug cases over eleven months to parliament on 20 November 2024, including 199 foreigners. Seizures included 3,583 kilograms of marijuana. The arrest total covers all drugs together. - *Other consequences.* After the first certified treatment, renewed addiction brings public criticism and a fine. After the second, the prison range is three months to one year; after the third, one to three years. ### Lithuania Score 12/100 (Prohibition), rank 74 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/lt/ Possession of any amount has been a criminal offence since 2017; decriminalisation has been repeatedly debated. Cannabinoid medicines are permitted. - **Possession 1/10.** Since 2017 possession of any amount, however small, is a criminal offence — before that, small amounts were an administrative matter. Typical outcomes are a fine, restriction of liberty or short arrest, plus a criminal record. A bill to replace this with warnings or fines of €50–300 has been in parliament for years; a contradictory vote added administrative liability without removing the criminal one, and the committee postponed it again in 2025. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is a crime. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Thousands of mostly young people acquire criminal records each year for small amounts — the main argument behind the stalled reform. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime with prison. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use without possession is an administrative offence; in practice users are charged with possession. - **Legal access 1/10.** Prescription-only cannabinoid medicine is obtainable through the medicines system. The state register lists Epidyolex (cannabidiol oral solution) as registered and a 100 ml package as currently supplied. - *Commercial production.* Industrial hemp only. - *Products.* Registered cannabinoid medicines only. - *Seeds and clones.* The Fibre Hemp Law covers only catalogue varieties with up to 0.2% THC, sown from seed that meets the ministry's quality rules. Since 1 November 2021 gardeners may grow such hemp among other garden plants, up to 20 plants per 100 m² on at most 0.1 ha, and must hand the seed-packet labels to the State Plant Service. The law speaks only of sowing seed and does not mention cuttings. - *Medical use.* Cannabis-based medicines have been permitted since 2019, but only as registered pharmaceuticals. Epidyolex is registered as a prescription medicine and is currently supplied. - *Cannabis clubs.* No clubs are known. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 found, after online searches and contact with people in the field, that there did not seem to be any active club in Lithuania. The model is prohibited throughout the European Union. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 230 kg of herbal cannabis and 410 kg of cannabis resin seized in Lithuania in 2024, against 198 kg and 3.7 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 2,067 occasions and resin on 157. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* No THC limit is set; the administrative offence is committed if a drug is detected. Police may stop at random and test on suspicion, there is no roadside oral-fluid test, and blood or urine is taken at a hospital. The penalty is a fine of 300 to 860 euros and a ban of one to three years, with no prison sentence. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Since 2017 possession of any amount, however small, is a criminal offence; typical outcomes are a fine, restriction of liberty or short arrest, plus a criminal record. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 764 cannabis-related drug law offences in Lithuania in 2024, against 783 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 682 were for use or possession for use. It was about twice as high in 2021 and 2022. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* The criminal record blocks certain jobs and travel for years. ### Nepal Score 12/100 (Prohibition), rank 75 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/np/ Illegal since 1976 but widely tolerated, notably during Maha Shivaratri. Legalisation bills resurface regularly. - **Possession 1/10.** The Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act of 1976 treats use and storage as different offences. Use can bring up to one month in prison or a fine of up to 2,000 rupees. Storing, buying or selling up to 50 grams can bring up to three months or a fine of up to 3,000 rupees. From 50 grams to 500 grams the sentence is one month to one year and a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 rupees. From 500 grams to 2 kilograms it is six months to two years and a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 rupees. From 2 to 10 kilograms it is one to three years and a fine of 5,000 to 25,000 rupees, and 10 kilograms or more is two to ten years and a fine of 15,000 to 100,000 rupees. The Act writes the 50-gram and 500-gram points into the neighbouring bands. Enforcement is relaxed in much of the country, where the plant grows wild. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is prohibited. Up to 25 plants can bring up to three months or a fine of up to 3,000 rupees; more than 25 plants can bring up to three years or a fine of 5,000 to 25,000 rupees. In August 2026 Gandaki authenticated a law for licensed medicinal and industrial farming. Section 1(2) of the gazetted Act starts it on a later notice, and a review on 13 October had not found that notice. No licence can be issued until the province makes the rules. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Use can bring up to a month or a fine. Storage and sale follow quantity bands that reach two to ten years for 10 kilograms or more. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Sale and distribution sit in the same quantity bands as storage: up to three months or a fine of up to 3,000 rupees for up to 50 grams, and two to ten years plus a fine for 10 kilograms or more. - **Consumption 2/10.** Use can bring up to one month in prison or a fine of up to 2,000 rupees. During Maha Shivaratri devotees smoke openly at Shiva temples such as Pashupatinath and police look the other way. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. The government-licensed shops were closed in 1973, and the 1976 Act still bans sale. Gandaki's 2026 law is a framework for future medicinal and industrial growing. It is not a shop or a supply for patients. - *Commercial production.* The federal budget for 2024/25 announced legal arrangements for commercial cultivation for medicinal purposes. Gandaki authenticated a cultivation law on 3 August 2026. Farmers cannot obtain a licence until the Act commences and the province writes the rules. A national framework is still pending. - *Products.* No legal consumer products. - *Medical use.* Medical use appears in federal plans. Gandaki's 2026 Act is a cultivation framework for medicinal and industrial cannabis, and a patient still has no lawful supply under it. A review on 13 October had not found the commencement notice that section 1(2) requires. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Cannabis is grown illegally across Nepal; one campaigner quoted by Nepali Times in 2026 called it an open secret. Narcotics Control Bureau figures for the last full fiscal year show police seizing 1,603 kg of cannabis and 41.5 kg of hashish, and also 204 kg of cannabis imported from Thailand. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Use can bring up to one month in prison or a fine of up to 2,000 rupees. Storing up to 50 grams can bring up to three months or a fine of up to 3,000 rupees, and from 50 grams to 500 grams the sentence is one month to one year and a fine. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Narcotics Control Bureau figures for the last full fiscal year show 1,768 people arrested in the police's anti-trafficking operations nationwide and 993 cases registered, with 1,325 people charged; arrests were 5.55 per cent up on 2024/25. Seizures included 1,603 kg of cannabis, 204 kg of imported Thai cannabis and 41.5 kg of hashish. - *Other consequences.* A drug conviction carries a criminal record. ### North Macedonia Score 12/100 (Prohibition), rank 76 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mk/ Medical cannabis was legalised in 2016 and many producers are licensed for export. Recreational use is illegal. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession for personal use is not explicitly criminalised as such, but there is no defined threshold, and people caught with small amounts are routinely charged under the offence of 'enabling the use of narcotics' or with unauthorised production and trade. In practice it is treated as a crime. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlicensed cultivation is a crime with prison. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Users are prosecuted through neighbouring offences; sentences for production and trade are heavy. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is not itself an offence in the Criminal Code, though it brings police attention and related charges. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source. Pharmacies can dispense cannabis oils on prescription. - *Commercial production.* Medical cultivation and manufacturing were legalised in March 2016, and by 2022 the state had issued 66 licences — far more than the domestic market needs. Exports were at first limited to oils and extracts, with dried flower exports opened later; diversion from licensed sites has been a recurring scandal. - *Products.* Prescription oils and extracts. - *Seeds and clones.* The narcotics law defines medical cannabis as all above-ground parts of the plant "including the seeds". Cannabis may be grown only for medical or scientific purposes, by companies holding health ministry approval given with the government's consent, and they need a further approval from the agriculture ministry before sowing or planting. - *Medical use.* Legal since 2016 for a list of serious conditions, on specialist prescription, dispensed in pharmacies. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* The licensed medical cannabis industry has itself become a source for the illegal market. Police actions against licensed companies seized 561 kg and 8,723 stems in 2022 and 4.6 tonnes and 3,799 plants in 2023, and the government revoked 26 licences between 2021 and 2024, out of 75 companies authorised since 2018. In early 2026 police seized about 40 tonnes of cannabis in North Macedonia, part of the largest drug bust in the region's history, and the authorities pledged to close the grey zones in the oversight of medical cannabis. - *Driving.* Drug-related inability to drive safely can lead to immediate removal from traffic and temporary licence withdrawal under Road Safety Law article 341. The Interior Ministry's published consolidation includes amendments through Gazette 193/2025. Articles 336–338 provide police testing, medical examination and blood/urine analysis, with health safeguards. Article 336(6) specifies a EUR500-equivalent refusal fine and one year's driving prohibition in that consolidation; the neighbouring EUR400 provision concerns alcohol findings, not a generic cannabis-driving tariff. Drug driving also engages Criminal Code article 297-a: the ministry reported a drug-related arrest under that article in January 2026. The Constitutional Court confirms that Gazette 16/2026 changed article 297-a and added mandatory-ban and vehicle-confiscation provisions, applicable from 1 February. The final criminal amendment and its correction were not fully retrieved here, so exact current criminal penalties, ban lengths and confiscation conditions remain unresolved. No numerical THC allowance, positive-test-only offence or general prescription defence is inferred. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession for personal use is not explicitly criminalised, but there is no defined threshold, and people caught with small amounts are routinely charged under the offence of enabling the use of narcotics. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Panama Score 12/100 (Prohibition), rank 77 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pa/ Medical cannabis was legalised in 2021; recreational use is illegal. - **Possession 1/10.** Recreational possession is illegal. Small amounts for personal use are often dealt with by a fine, a security measure or referral to treatment, but imprisonment remains possible and foreigners can be deported. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is a crime; only licensed medical producers may grow. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Fines or treatment for small amounts in many cases, prison for larger amounts and trafficking. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking. - **Consumption 1/10.** Recreational use is prohibited. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source. Registered patients can obtain medical cannabis products through licensed pharmacies. - *Commercial production.* Law 242 of October 2021 — the first medical cannabis law in Central America — and its regulations created a national directorate that issues a limited number of production licences. - *Products.* Prescription medical products only. - *Seeds and clones.* The Penal Code punishes sowing, growing or keeping the seeds of plants from which drugs are made. In July 2023 a man in Los Santos was sentenced to 80 months for "cultivation and custody of seeds and plants of marijuana" under Article 314, after police found 12 plants and 279 seeds. Licensed medical cannabis producers work under a separate law. - *Medical use.* Any licensed doctor who has completed health-ministry training may prescribe, for qualifying conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Patients are entered in a national registry. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 24,290 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 33,610 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Traffic Regulation articles 142–143 prohibit driving under the effects of narcotics and provide for licence retention and removal of the vehicle when intoxication is established. The transport authority's published offence table still directs drug-influenced driving to articles 251–252, rather than the ordinary fixed-fine rows. Article 251's published schedule provides B/.150 and three months' licence suspension for the first offence, with higher fines and longer suspensions for repetition. Where intoxication is aggravated by a crash, damage to another person's property or injury, article 252's first-offence schedule provides B/.1,000 and a one-year suspension; the third such offence brings definitive cancellation. Seminars or talks are also specified. The 2025 amendment is recorded as changing articles 241 and 243, rather than these intoxication schedules. No numerical THC cutoff or prescribed-cannabis exception was established in the reviewed provisions; alcohol concentration limits must not be substituted for a cannabis allowance. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. Whatever legal supply exists is medical, for patients with a prescription or registration. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Ministry of Public Security reported that in the first six months of 2024 it carried out 80 operations against drug trafficking, seizing 58.5 tonnes of drugs, and arrested 181 people for trafficking and 1,730 for micro-trafficking, meaning small-scale selling. The figures are not split by drug. - *Other consequences.* A drug conviction is a criminal record; foreigners risk deportation. ### San Marino Score 12/100 (Prohibition), rank 78 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sm/ Medical use is permitted; recreational reform has been proposed by citizens' initiative. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession is a criminal offence. The statutory penalty for illicit possession or use of narcotics is severe on paper — prison and a fine — though small personal amounts are dealt with more leniently in practice. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Home growing is illegal. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Criminal penalties apply, with leniency for small amounts. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is covered by the same offence as possession. - **Legal access 1/10.** Cannabis-based medicines are available through the state pharmacy on prescription. There is no adult-use source; a proposal for 30 g and four plants was shelved in 2020. - *Commercial production.* Since Law 113 of 2021 cannabis may be grown in authorised greenhouses and processed for medicines only, under an authorisation from the health authority. Whether any authorisation has been issued was not confirmed. There is no production for adult use. - *Products.* Cannabis-based medicines only; no flower. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2021 medical cannabis law counts the seeds as part of the cannabis plant when THC exceeds 0.2% and allows seeds and plants to be grown only in authorised greenhouses for medicines. Growing, processing and trading all require an authorisation from the health authority. - *Medical use.* Legal since a 2016 citizens' petition: approved cannabis-based medicines for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, spinal injury and neuropathic pain, provided free to residents. No flower and no home growing. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* Road Code article 57 criminalises driving with psychophysical alteration caused by narcotic or psychotropic substances or medication abuse. It permits objective evidence, non-invasive checks and portable instruments approved by decree; refusal to attend a health facility when the specified indications exist is also punishable. Article 63 provides immediate licence withdrawal. The reviewed original statute uses graded criminal penalties, whose current fine and duration conversions have not been established here. Decree 170/2024 specifically approves the Civil Police's Dräger DrugTest 5000 Analyzer and was ratified without amendments on 16 January 2025. The April 2026 amendment to article 57 introduces zero alcohol for professional transport: it is not a numerical THC limit or a replacement of the drug-alteration requirement. Its novice-driver suspension reduction applies only under stated non-criminal conditions and must not be assumed to halve a criminal drug-driving ban. Current consolidated penalties, confirmatory toxicology procedures and any prescription exception remain follow-up questions; no safe waiting interval is inferred. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice describes a zero-tolerance policy towards possession and use of illegal drugs, with a prison sentence or a heavy fine on conviction. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Seychelles Score 12/100 (Prohibition), rank 79 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sc/ CBD medicine rules introduced in 2020 require specialist assessment and public-health approval; recreational cannabis remains illegal. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is a Class B controlled drug and unauthorised possession remains a criminal offence. The 2016 law removed the old mandatory minimum for the cannabis trafficking offence considered in R v Ah Kong; the judge gave that first offender a suspended sentence and a fine. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation carries a maximum of twenty years. The 2020 medical regulations restate the ban: regulation 19 says no person shall cultivate cannabis of any form or type, and lets police arrest without a warrant. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Sentences depend on the offence and circumstances. In October 2016 Paul Ah Kong received a suspended two-year term and a 15,000-rupee fine for trafficking 115 grams of cannabis. In January 2023 the Seychelles Kanabis Association protested custodial cannabis sentences given to two other men. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Possession with intent to traffic carries up to fifty years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence; the 2016 Act allows treatment-oriented outcomes for dependent users. Regulation 19 of the 2020 medical regulations forbids smoking cannabis of any form, and using even the permitted cannabidiol products without authorisation is an offence. - **Legal access 1/10.** There is no adult-use supply. Rules effective from 1 July 2020 allow an application for prescribed CBD medicines after specialist assessment, Public Health Authority approval and issuance of a permit. Authorised pharmacies may dispense a maximum 30-day supply. - *Commercial production.* No domestic licensed production; medical products are imported. - *Products.* Approved cannabidiol-based medical products only. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2020 medicinal cannabis regulations define cultivating to include "sowing or scattering the seed" and planting the cannabis plant "or any part thereof", and state that a person shall not cultivate cannabis of any form or type. Patients may receive only imported cannabidiol-based products. The regulations do not say whether seed on its own may be held or sold; the definition of cannabis in the 2016 Act was not read. - *Medical use.* The 2020 rules cover defined CBD medicines, with THC and specified related substances limited to 2% of the CBD content. A specialist must assess the failure of earlier treatments and likely benefits and risks before submitting an application. Public-health approval, a permit and a prescription are required. The rules followed Ralph Volcere’s case seeking access for his mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 42.1 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 31 kg in 2023, and 1,055 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 200 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Transport Act section 24(1)(c) makes it an offence to drive or be in charge of a vehicle on a road or public place when drugs cause unfitness to drive. Section 24(5) defines unfitness as impaired ability to drive properly; it is not simply a positive-THC rule. The Attorney General's publicly linked 2010 edition also contains an in-charge defence where driving while unfit was not likely, subject to its further conditions. Section 24(4) requires material corroboration when that offence is alleged on a single witness's evidence. Section 27 provides licensing consequences and a twelve-month minimum for a section 24(1)(c) conviction unless the court finds special reasons. These are findings from that older published edition: subsequent amendments, current fine and prison maxima, specimen procedures and the current application of the minimum ban still require verification. No 2026 penalty tariff, numerical THC allowance, safe waiting period or medical-use exception is inferred from this source. The review date records when the source was checked, not a new legal commencement. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply. The CBD medicine rules recognise a visiting qualifying patient with an equivalent foreign medical document, but require prior written Public Health Authority authorisation to enter or leave Seychelles carrying the medicine. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Andorra Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 80 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ad/ Possessing or growing cannabis for personal use is a minor offence under the Criminal Code, punished with a short arrest and a fine of €500–1,200. No medical programme. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing cannabis for one's own use is a minor offence (contravenció penal) under article 499 of the Criminal Code, punished with arrest and a fine of €500 to €1,200. For minor offences arrest means at most eight weekends, a month of house arrest or two months of partial daily arrest. In practice small amounts usually bring a fine or a conditional sentence, often for people stopped at the border with Spain or France. The new Criminal Code passed in July 2026 keeps the same rule, as article 545. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis for one's own use falls under the same minor offence as possession: arrest and a fine of €500 to €1,200. Growing to supply others is drug trafficking. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Fines and conditional sentences are the norm for small amounts; prison is available. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is a crime; a 2025 case brought an 18-month conditional sentence for sharing a joint with a minor. - **Consumption 1/10.** Using cannabis is punished like possession for one's own use, with arrest and a fine of €500 to €1,200. Using it in a public place, or together with other people, brings arrest and €600 to €1,500 under article 500. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* No legal THC products. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme; a government-backed study of a possible model began in 2021. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 2.5 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 3.5 kg in 2023, and 2.9 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 5.9 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Traffic Code article 112(k) treats driving with drugs or analogous substances in the body as a very serious administrative offence when it is not a criminal offence: EUR201–400 and up to two months' licence suspension under article 115. Article 82 provides authorised saliva screening and a right to a confirmatory blood or saliva test. Criminal Code article 268 separately covers drug influence: ordinary driving can bring up to one year's imprisonment or arrest, up to three years' driving deprivation/prohibition and EUR300–3,000. Certain passenger or heavy transport has higher maxima. Article 269 penalises refusing a lawful test and also declining blood analysis; its ordinary fine starts at EUR600. The July 2026 procedural amendment requires police licence retention and judicial review within ten days. The new July 2026 Criminal Code has a four-month publication delay and is not yet operative on 12 October: its renumbered article 300 adds blood/saliva evidence of consumption and removes the arrest alternative. No numerical THC allowance or general medical-use exception was verified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Bringing cannabis into the country for one's own use is part of the same minor offence as possession, punished with arrest and a fine of €500 to €1,200. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Angola Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 81 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ao/ Holding or using cannabis (liamba) for personal use is a crime with up to three months in prison, or up to a year above three days' supply; a court can suspend the sentence for treatment. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 23 of Law 3/99 punishes anyone who unlawfully uses, or holds, buys or grows for their own use, a plant or substance in Tables I to IV with up to three months in prison. If the amount exceeds the average individual need for three days, the penalty is up to one year. Cannabis, its resin and its oil are in Table I-C. A court can suspend the sentence of a user it finds dependent, on condition of treatment (Article 26). - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing for your own use falls under the same Article 23 offence (up to three months, or up to a year above three days' supply). Cultivation without authorisation for any other purpose is trafficking under Article 4: 8 to 12 years. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The statute sets prison, not a fine, for personal use, but only up to three months, and allows a suspended sentence with treatment. Anonymous health care is guaranteed to a user who asks for it (Article 24). How often users are jailed is not shown by the statute. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or handing cannabis to another person without authorisation is trafficking under Article 4 (8 to 12 years). If the aim is only to get the drug for personal use, Article 9 sets up to two years and a fine, unless the amount exceeds five days' supply. - **Consumption 1/10.** Using cannabis is itself a crime under Article 23 (up to three months in prison). - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful source for personal use. Trading without authorisation is punished under Article 4; the law leaves authorised activity to licences. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 3/99 punishes anyone who, without authorisation, cultivates, sells, buys, transports or holds plants listed in its tables with eight to twelve years in prison. The law does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 22,362 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 33,032 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Law 3/99 punishes using a listed drug, or holding, buying or growing it for one's own use, with up to three months in prison, or up to one year where the amount exceeds the average individual need for three days. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Bahamas Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 82 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bs/ Cannabis remains criminal. The 2024 Act created a Cannabis Authority, but its possession, medical-use and licensing provisions have not been brought into force. - **Possession 1/10.** Unauthorised possession remains an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act. Although the 2024 Cannabis Act contains an uncommenced $250 fixed-penalty route for possession below 30 g, the sections creating that route have not been commenced. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Home growing is a criminal offence. The Dangerous Drugs Act prohibits growing any plant of the genus Cannabis; its narrow exception requires ministerial authority for medical or scientific purposes. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Possession can be prosecuted under the Dangerous Drugs Act and prison remains legally possible. The Cannabis Act's fixed-penalty provisions are not among the sections in force. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying or offering to supply cannabis remains a criminal offence, including unpaid transfer. - **Consumption 1/10.** Recreational possession and use remain unlawful. The religious-use licence contemplated by the 2024 Act is not yet available because its licensing Part has not commenced. - **Legal access 0/10.** There is no lawful retail source. The 2024 Act provides for medical and religious retail licences, but those provisions have not commenced and licence applications had still not opened in July 2026. - *Commercial production.* The Cannabis Authority exists, but the Act's cultivation, manufacturing, retail, testing, research, transport and religious-use licensing Part has not commenced. - *Products.* No licensed cannabis products are yet available. - *Seeds and clones.* The Dangerous Drugs Act defines Indian hemp as all parts of any plant of the genus Cannabis, whether growing or not, and prohibits cultivating or trading it without narrow ministerial authority. Viable seeds and cuttings therefore remain controlled; the 2024 licence system that would govern cultivation and supply has not commenced. - *Medical use.* The 2024 Act lays out a prescription and dispensary system, but those sections and the companion Dangerous Drugs and Pharmacy amendments remain out of force. In July 2026 the Cannabis Authority had still not opened licence applications. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,241 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 4,089 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession remains an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act and prison is legally possible; the 2024 Cannabis Act's fixed-penalty route for less than 30 g has not been brought into force. - *Other consequences.* The 2024 framework has not removed criminal liability for personal possession. ### Bosnia and Herzegovina Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 83 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ba/ Illegal. In the Federation, unauthorized possession of a narcotic drug is a criminal offence with up to one year in prison, including for personal use. Republika Srpska's criminal code does not copy that offence. A December 2025 decision opened the way to cannabis-based medicines, but the prescribing rules it depends on will not be adopted in the Federation before 2027. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is illegal. In the Federation, article 239(3) of the criminal code punishes unauthorized possession of a narcotic drug with up to one year in prison. That paragraph sets no smaller tier for a personal amount. Republika Srpska's criminal code, consolidated through 2023, punishes unauthorized production and trade, including holding a drug in order to sell it, and enabling another person to use a drug. It has no matching standalone possession offence. Brčko District's possession penalty was not established from a statute read for this entry. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis is a criminal offence. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** In the Federation, unauthorized possession can bring up to one year in prison. The statute sets that maximum. Growers and dealers face the longer production and trade sentences. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Sale and supply are crimes with prison. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is not separately criminalised; 'enabling' others to use is. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source yet. On 29 December 2025 the Council of Ministers moved cannabis, its resin, extracts and tinctures from the table of prohibited substances to the table of substances under strict control, so that cannabis-based medicines can be prescribed. Prescribing still depends on entity rulebooks. In September 2026 the Federation health ministry said it would not adopt its new rulebook until the first quarter of 2027; Republika Srpska's amendments were still in their final drafting stage. Without the rules, the medicines agency cannot send the UN control board the estimate it needs before imports can be approved. - *Commercial production.* Industrial hemp only, under tightly regulated permits with large fines for violations. - *Products.* No legal THC products. - *Seeds and clones.* Industrial hemp may be grown only for fibre, for seed used as animal feed, and for further reproduction, processing and marketing of seed, with THC in the dry plant no higher than 0.2%. Only people and companies authorised by the competent body may grow hemp or place it on the market. - *Medical use.* The Council of Ministers approved medical use on 29 December 2025, after a decade of campaigning that began with a state task force in 2016. Only pharmaceutical preparations prescribed by a doctor are allowed; the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices oversees import and distribution, and growing cannabis for medicine remains prohibited. No patient could be treated by September 2026. The Federation drafted changes covering indications, prescribing doctors, registers, doses and pharmaceutical forms, but said it would replace the rulebook only in the first quarter of 2027. Republika Srpska's amendments were still in their final drafting stage. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. In the Federation, unauthorized possession can bring up to one year in prison under article 239(3) of the criminal code. Republika Srpska's criminal code does not contain that standalone possession offence. Brčko District's penalty was not established from a statute read for this entry. - *Other consequences.* In the Federation, unauthorized possession is a criminal offence under article 239(3), so a conviction is a criminal record. An indictment is not itself a conviction. ### British Virgin Islands Score 11/100 (Prohibition), British Overseas Territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/vg/ Cannabis possession, supply, cultivation and use are offences. The House passed medical-licensing and record-clearing bills in 2020, but an official July 2026 review still reported both awaiting assent. In 2023 the premier proposed a route for doctors under existing legislation. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing cannabis is an offence, and more than 50 g of cannabis or resin creates a rebuttable presumption of possession for supply. The ordinary possession offence also applies below that threshold. In a reported June 2015 case, a visitor was fined $5,000 for 15.2 g, payable immediately or six months in prison. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing any cannabis plant is prohibited, subject to regulations authorising activities under the Act. The 2020 licensing bill proposed a regulated cultivation system, but the July 2026 legal review still reported it awaiting assent. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The Act provides imprisonment and fines for possession and cultivation; its schedules classify cannabis and resin as Class B drugs. The reported 2015 fine for 15.2 g included six months in prison in default of immediate payment. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying, offering to supply or participating in supply of controlled drugs is an offence, subject to authorised exceptions. The Act defines supply to include distribution. - **Consumption 1/10.** The Act expressly makes smoking or otherwise using a controlled drug an offence. It also penalises occupiers or managers who knowingly allow specified cannabis preparation or smoking on premises. - **Legal access 0/10.** The Act provides powers for ministerial licences and regulations authorising specified activities. In January 2023 Premier Wheatley proposed using existing legislation to arrange medical administration by doctors. The broader 2020 licensing bill still lacked assent in the July 2026 official review. - *Commercial production.* Cannabis cultivation and production require authorisation under the drug law. The published 2020 bill proposed a licensing authority covering cultivation, processing, testing, import, export and distribution. The July 2026 review recorded that bill as still unassented. - *Products.* Cannabis and resin are listed as Class B controlled drugs. The published 2020 bill proposed dispensary sales with different requirements for proof of age, a declaration of therapeutic use or a medical document. The July 2026 review still reported the bill awaiting assent. - *Medical use.* The Act gives the minister powers to regulate authorised controlled-drug activities, including professional medical and pharmacy handling, subject to specified restrictions. Premier Wheatley said in 2023 that work remained on arrangements for doctors to administer medical cannabis. The 2020 licensing bill still lacked assent in the July 2026 review. - *Cannabis clubs.* Supplying cannabis is controlled by the drug law, and occupiers or managers can commit an offence by knowingly permitting specified production, supply or smoking activities. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Importing controlled drugs requires an applicable exception or a ministerial licence. A visitor arriving from the US Virgin Islands in 2015 admitted possessing cannabis found by customs officers in his luggage and received a $5,000 fine. - *Other consequences.* The law permits forfeiture of drugs and property connected with offences, with special rules for conveyances used or intended for drug trafficking and procedures for owners to seek restoration. A 2020 bill proposed clearing some historic cannabis convictions, but it remained unassented in the July 2026 review. ### Cayman Islands Score 11/100 (Prohibition), British Overseas Territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ky/ Cannabis possession, use, growing and supply remain criminal offences. A doctor may prescribe extracts and tinctures through the medical route introduced in 2016. Voters backed decriminalising small amounts in April 2025; after a public consultation, the premier expected reform recommendations and supporting legislation in November or December 2026. - **Possession 1/10.** Unauthorised possession is an offence. For cannabis or resin below one pound, the statutory maximum is CI$20,000 and seven years in prison with hard labour, rising to ten years on a repeat conviction; larger amounts attract higher repeat-offence penalties. These are statutory maxima; the Act also provides community service and attendance orders as sentencing options in specified cases. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Producing cannabis without authorisation is an offence, and the Act’s definition of production includes cultivation. The 2026 consultation asked whether to permit up to four plants per household; the existing law provides no personal home-growing allowance. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Police recorded 73 ganja-possession offences and 16 consumption offences among 150 drug crimes in 2023; possession offences rose by 36 in 2024. The Law Reform Commission reports that police say drug charges often arise from supply investigations or encounters for other reasons. Courts may make community service or attendance orders in specified cases, alongside or instead of other sentencing options; the prison maxima do not describe every sentence imposed. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Unauthorised supply or distribution of cannabis is an offence, including supplying it without payment. The Law Reform Commission records 15 ganja-supply offences in 2023. - **Consumption 0/10.** Unauthorised consumption is a separate offence, with a maximum fine of CI$3,000 and three years in prison with hard labour, rising to CI$10,000 and ten years from the third conviction. Possessing a pipe or utensil for consuming controlled drugs is also an offence. Prescribed medical extracts and tinctures have an express lawful-use exception. - **Legal access 1/10.** A locally licensed medical doctor may prescribe cannabis extracts or tinctures for a patient under that doctor’s care and must set the dose. The authorised supply route includes licensed pharmacists, retail pharmacies and lawful importers. Buying or supplying cannabis for recreational use remains an offence. - *Commercial production.* The Act prohibits unauthorised production, including cultivation; its medical exception provides for extracts and tinctures through doctors, pharmacists and importers. In August 2017, Canadian producer Cronos reported a completed oil shipment to Caribbean Medical Distributors, working with a George Town hospital pharmacy. - *Products.* Cannabis and resin are controlled drugs. Extracts, tinctures and specified cannabinol derivatives fall within the Act’s hard-drug classification, while prescribed medical extracts and tinctures have a lawful-use exception. The 2026 reform consultation asked whether any decriminalisation should cover dried cannabis alone. - *Medical use.* The medical-extract amendment commenced on 18 November 2016. A doctor licensed locally may prescribe extracts or tinctures for medical or therapeutic purposes and determines the dosage. The Law Reform Commission’s July 2026 review focused on recreational possession and use because medical and therapeutic use was already permitted. - *Cannabis clubs.* Unauthorised supply and distribution remain offences, with no exception for supplying cannabis through a recreational club. The 2026 consultation asked whether importation, production, distribution and sale should remain illegal. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational possession, use and importation are offences under the Act. The lawful medical route requires extracts or tinctures prescribed by a doctor licensed under Cayman’s Health Practice Act for a patient under that doctor’s care. - *Other consequences.* After the April 2025 referendum, Premier André Ebanks told Parliament that 55.64% had supported decriminalisation and that the issue would go to the Law Reform Commission. Its July 2026 paper asked about 30 grams of dried cannabis, 150 grams wet, four plants per household and clearing old minor convictions. In October the premier expected the final report and supporting legislation in November or December. ### Côte d'Ivoire Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 84 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ci/ Possession is a crime; a 2022 law reframed drug use as a health matter and lets courts order treatment instead of prison. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession is a crime. Under Law 2022-407 of 13 June 2022, holding a drug for one's own use carries one to three months in prison and a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 CFA francs, and a court can order treatment in place of the sentence. The law it replaced, of 1988, set one to five years. How often the alternative is applied is unclear. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing without authorisation carries five to ten years in prison and a fine of 500,000 to 50 million francs under Article 3 of Law 2022-407. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The 2022 law softened the approach to users on paper; courts still hand down prison sentences for small-scale sellers. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply and trafficking carry five to ten years or more, with fines of up to 50 million CFA francs. - **Consumption 1/10.** Using is punished through possession: holding a drug for one's own use carries one to three months in prison and a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 CFA francs. The law exempts people taking part in a harm-reduction programme, on conditions set by decree. Driving after using a drug is a separate offence with one to five years. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 3 of Law 2022-407 punishes growing a listed drug without authorisation with five to ten years in prison and a fine of 500,000 to 50 million francs. The offence articles do not mention seeds. The text read is a chapter-by-chapter copy on a legal information site. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 10,760 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 13,267 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession is a crime. The law of June 2022 treats use as a public-health matter and lets courts order treatment instead of prison for users; the 1988 law it replaced set one to five years for personal use. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Equatorial Guinea Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 85 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gq/ Drug possession remains a serious offence. The 1993 decree expressly covered cultivation, possession, use and gifts; its penalties need reconciliation with the 2022 Penal Code. A report of open use in 2000 does not establish current tolerance. - **Possession 1/10.** The 1993 decree’s article 4 expressly included possession and prescribed medium-term imprisonment plus a CFA fine. Current British travel advice still warns of severe penalties including prison. The decree’s exact relationship to the Penal Code effective in December 2022 has not been verified, so the former one-to-twenty-year claim is removed and no current numerical custody range is asserted. The possession rating remains provisional. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 4 of the 1993 decree expressly criminalised unauthorised cultivation alongside manufacture and trafficking. No recreational home-growing exemption was established. The later Penal Code and representative sentencing need further review before a current tariff or typical outcome can be stated; the numerical rating remains provisional. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Current British travel advice describes drug possession as a serious offence punishable by prison. An AFP report dated 6 January 2000 described open cannabis use and quoted local claims of little enforcement; that is historical reporting, not a current arrest or sentencing survey. The enforcement rating remains provisional pending recent cannabis-specific outcomes. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 1993 decree expressly included donation and facilitating illegal use within article 4, without a general unpaid-gift exemption. The reviewed evidence does not establish a current lawful recreational gifting route. Precise penalties and the numerical rating require reconciliation with the later Penal Code and enforcement evidence. - **Consumption 1/10.** Articles 1 and 4 of the 1993 decree expressly prohibited and punished use. The 2000 report of open smoking is retained as historical context, not proof of present-day tolerance. Current cannabis-specific prosecutions and the effect of the 2022 Penal Code remain gaps; the numerical rating is provisional. - **Legal access 0/10.** No functioning legal recreational or cannabis patient supply route was established. Article 2 of the 1993 decree permitted Health Ministry authorisation for medical and scientific narcotic imports, exports, sales and use; a general controlled-medicines power is not proof of cannabis prescriptions or available products. - *Commercial production.* The 1993 decree criminalised cultivation and manufacture, while article 2 reserved medical and scientific authorisations to the Health Ministry. It does not establish that a cannabis production licence was issued or that a lawful hemp industry operates. The later legislative position remains under review. - *Products.* The 1993 decree regulated narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances generally; article 3 referred prescription and dispensing requirements to the national pharmaceutical selection committee under Decree 7/1991. It did not establish a cannabis flower, oil or other retail-product list. Current cannabis medicine availability remains unverified. - *Medical use.* Articles 2–3 of the 1993 decree expressly contemplated authorised medical and scientific use of controlled drugs and rules for prescribing medicines containing them. This is a general medicines framework rather than evidence of a cannabis-specific patient programme. The none label records that no such programme or supply route has been established. - *Cannabis clubs.* No recreational club authorisation was established. The 1993 decree expressly prohibited cultivation and donation, so its medical/scientific exception cannot be read as collective recreational-growing permission. Current informal club activity was not verified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says possession of drugs is a serious offence and that punishments can be severe, including prison sentences. - *Other consequences.* Article 5(2) of the 1993 decree prescribed professional disqualification for a physician or public official abusing their position, including specified health and pharmacy personnel. That is not a general employment ban for every cannabis user. Its present application must be checked against the later Penal Code. ### Eswatini Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 86 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sz/ Illegal, though 'Swazi Gold' is a major smallholder cash crop. Bills to license medical and hemp production have been debated for years. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession of cannabis (insangu, or dagga) is an offence under the colonial-era Opium and Habit-Forming Drugs Act of 1922, punishable by a fine or up to five years in prison. Small amounts usually end in a fine. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is illegal, yet 'Swazi Gold' is a major cash crop for smallholders in the northern hills, and Eswatini is among the world's largest illicit producers per head. Police periodically burn fields. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Fines for small amounts, prison possible; enforcement falls mainly on rural growers and couriers. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Dealing carries up to fifteen years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence under the same Act. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source for adult use. - *Commercial production.* None yet. A government bill to license cannabis for medical and research purposes has been before parliament in various forms since 2020; small farmers fear it would hand the trade to large investors. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* The Opium and Habit-forming Drugs Act 1922 defines cannabis, dagga, intsangu or Indian hemp as "the whole or any portion of the plant" and all its extracts and preparations, under whatever name. Seed and cuttings are portions of the plant, and the Act has no exception for them. - *Medical use.* No medical programme; the pending bill would create one. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Cannabis is an export crop for smallholders. Farmers in the northern Hhohho region grow the variety known as Swazi Gold and sell it at a premium to dealers and buyers in neighbouring South Africa; in a country of about 1.2 million people with 24% unemployment, the trade has given many households a meaningful income for decades. A bill to replace the colonial-era drug law and license cannabis for medical and research use is opposed by growers and activists, who fear it will hand the trade to companies and undermine theirs. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 91(1) prohibits driving on a public road under the influence of a drug having a narcotic effect. The published 2007 text also covers occupying a motor vehicle’s driver’s seat whether its engine is running or not. That drug-influence limb is distinct from the Act’s alcohol concentration offences. Section 122(2) in this edition lists a maximum E5,000 fine, four years’ imprisonment or both for the section 91(1) offence, but later amendments and the current tariff were not certified. Current licence-disqualification rules, cannabis sampling and confirmation procedures, refusal sanctions and any numeric THC cutoff remain follow-ups. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says punishments for possessing or smuggling narcotic drugs can be severe and that drug offences can lead to prison. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### French Polynesia Score 11/100 (Prohibition), Overseas collectivity, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-17. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pf/ Cannabis, known locally as paka, is widely grown and banned. Cases go to the court in Papeete and usually end in fines. A 2023 medical cannabis law was repealed that November without ever being used. Its 2024 replacement allows low-THC hemp and cannabis medicines, and a pilot with nine growers is now under way. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing and using cannabis are offences. In June 2024 the court in Papeete convicted the Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté of possession and use and fined him 2 million francs. The prosecutor, who called production, consumption and use "formally prohibited", had also asked for a six-month suspended prison sentence. On a customs mission to Bora Bora in 2024, a passenger carrying 21.8 g of herb was fined 11,000 CFP francs. The sources consulted do not show whether police there issue France's fixed fine for drug use. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis is prohibited even for therapeutic use; only the low-THC hemp pilot under the 2024 law is licensed. Small grows usually end in fines. A lawyer said in 2024 that a client caught with 93 plants was fined 150,000 francs after pleading guilty. The same year a father who had grown about a hundred plants to make oil for his epileptic son was acquitted, after the prosecutor asked the court to waive punishment. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Drug offences are a priority for the State. In 2025 drug-law offences rose by 32.9%, made up nearly a quarter of all recorded offences, and ran at twice the national rate per inhabitant. Gendarmes destroyed 25,000 cannabis plants and seized more than 1.5 tonnes of herb. Users who reach court mostly receive fines, though prosecutors sometimes ask for suspended prison terms. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Outside the activities the 2024 law licenses, cannabis remains prohibited, and passing it to someone else is not treated differently from supply. Recreational use was left out of the reform as a matter for a later debate. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use itself is an offence and was part of the conviction in the Laliberté case. Use is common among the young: in a 2009 survey of pupils, 29.3% had ever smoked paka and 20.4% had done so in the past year. - **Legal access 0/10.** There is no lawful source for adults. The 2024 law provides for doctors to prescribe and pharmacists to dispense cannabis-based medicines, with the products to be set by arrêté, but the sources consulted show no such medicine available yet. In February 2025 CBD oil still awaited further arrêtés. - *Commercial production.* The only licensed growing is a pilot under the law of 23 August 2024. Arrêtés published in February 2025 allow at most ten approved growers on 1.5 hectares in all: 0.15 hectares each, two per archipelago, and only for people resident for more than ten years. Plants must stay at or below 0.3% THC, and sites must be screened from view and kept away from schools and roads. In August 2026 nine growers were chosen for a one-year pilot, with first harvests expected in April 2027. Illegal outdoor growing is widespread across the islands. - *Products.* The 2025 arrêtés list seeds, food, dried leaves, infusions and food supplements among the permitted hemp products; CBD oil needs further arrêtés from the health and economy ministries. Before the 2024 law, CBD vape liquids, oils, monoï and creams were sold in a legal grey area. - *Medical use.* The Assembly first adopted a law on poisonous substances in November 2022, promulgated on 5 January 2023. It would have allowed cannabis medicines and licensed growing, but needed about fifteen implementing decisions. The new government had it repealed on 20 November 2023 as too complicated, which restored rules dating from 1978. A narrower law, adopted on 9 July 2024 by 41 votes with 16 abstentions, covers non-intoxicating cannabis and medicines containing cannabis or cannabinoids. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Supplying cannabis is an offence, and the 2024 reform left recreational use out. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal supply for anyone. A prescription from home does not help: in the Laliberté case the prosecutor argued that he could not rely on Canadian law, and the court convicted him. - *Other consequences.* The father acquitted in June 2024 had been prosecuted for two years, and the ruling did not allow him to keep growing for his son. A defence lawyer in the Laliberté case called his client one of the last to be convicted of an offence that would soon disappear. ### Honduras Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 87 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/hn/ Since 25 June 2020 the criminal code punishes cannabis trafficking, cultivation and possession for those purposes with four to seven years, or one to three when the case is of lesser gravity. The 1989 compulsory-rehabilitation rule for personal use was repealed. That repeal does not declare personal possession lawful. - **Possession 1/10.** Articles 16 to 30 of the 1989 drug law, including the personal-consumption security measure, were repealed when the criminal code commenced on 25 June 2020. Article 311 punishes possession when it is for trafficking or for promoting, favouring or facilitating illegal consumption. For cannabis, which article 321 treats as not causing grave harm, the basic sentence is four to seven years plus a fine, or one to three years when the circumstances show lesser gravity. The repeal does not declare that holding cannabis for oneself is lawful. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 311 punishes sowing, cultivation and harvest. For cannabis the basic sentence is four to seven years, or one to three years when the circumstances show lesser gravity. Domestic growing has expanded, much of it controlled by gangs. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Article 311 sets prison for trafficking, cultivation and possession for those purposes. The repealed article 26 compulsory-rehabilitation rule is not the current penalty. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Article 311 punishes commerce, transport and trafficking, and possession for those purposes. For cannabis the basic sentence is four to seven years plus a fine of 100 to 500 days, or one to three years when lesser gravity is found. Aggravating circumstances are listed in article 312, which a 2021 decree later restated. - **Consumption 1/10.** The criminal code punishes promoting, favouring or facilitating illegal consumption. It does not restate the repealed compulsory-rehabilitation rule for personal use. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* According to the Transnational Institute's summary of the 1989 drug law (Decree 126-89), Article 7 prohibits producing, planting, cultivating and gathering plants or seeds that contain narcotic or controlled ingredients. The statute itself was not read. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Marijuana is grown in the country. The armed forces said in June 2025 that they had secured 13 illegal marijuana fields with about 180,000 plants so far that year, beside 37 coca plantations with more than 770,000 bushes. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Articles 16 to 30 of the 1989 drug law were repealed on 25 June 2020, including the personal-consumption security measure and the expulsion rule for foreigners. Article 311 punishes possession for trafficking or for facilitating illegal consumption. For cannabis that basic sentence is four to seven years. Current immigration consequences were not read separately. - *Other consequences.* A conviction under article 311 is a prison sentence. The repealed article 26 internment rule is not the current penalty, and the repealed article 27 expulsion rule is not restated here. ### Kosovo Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 88 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/xk/ Possession is criminal. A first offence with less than three grams can bring a fine or up to one year in prison. - **Possession 1/10.** Unauthorised possession carries a fine and one to three years in prison. For a first offence involving less than three grams of cannabis or hashish for personal use, the penalty is a fine or up to one year; the drugs are confiscated. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis to produce narcotic drugs carries one to ten years in prison, with confiscation of the plants and cultivation equipment. The drug law also prohibits growing plants from which narcotics can be obtained. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The small-possession tier permits a fine for a first offence below three grams, with imprisonment also available. Police continue to investigate supply: in January 2025 they arrested four men after seizing 25.2 kg of suspected marijuana in Pristina. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Unauthorised distribution or sale carries a fine and two to twelve years in prison. Buying or holding drugs with intent to sell or distribute carries a fine and two to eight years. The drug law’s restrictions also cover free delivery. - **Consumption 1/10.** The drug law restricts cannabis activities to scientific research, educational and police purposes. Possessing cannabis for personal use remains a criminal offence, including below three grams for a first-time offender. - **Legal access 0/10.** Cannabis, resin, extracts and tinctures are in Table I, whose permitted purposes are scientific research, education and police work. The prescription and ordinary medical-treatment rules apply to other tables. - *Commercial production.* The drug law prohibits cultivating plants from which narcotics can be obtained and places cannabis in Table I, restricted to scientific research, educational and police purposes. Growing cannabis for drug production carries one to ten years in prison. - *Products.* Table I expressly includes cannabis, cannabis resin and cannabis extracts and tinctures. Activities involving them are restricted to scientific research, education and police purposes. - *Seeds and clones.* The drug law includes supplying and holding seeds, sowing and growing within cultivation for obtaining narcotics, and prohibits cultivating plants from which narcotics can be obtained. Cannabis is expressly listed in Table I. - *Medical use.* Cannabis is in Table I, whose exceptions cover scientific research, education and police work. The law’s ordinary medical prescribing and licensed health-institution routes concern other tables, leaving patients without a cannabis prescribing route under this law. - *Cannabis clubs.* The drug law restricts cannabis activities to research, education and police purposes, including restrictions on free delivery. The criminal code punishes growing cannabis for drug production and unauthorised distribution, leaving no lawful recreational growing-and-sharing club route. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Law 08/L-186 article 232 prohibits driving under narcotic or other prohibited-drug influence. Article 234(3) establishes drugs in the body through appropriate equipment, medical examination or blood and urine analysis; no separate numerical THC allowance is specified. The drug provisions use this presence evidence rather than an alcohol concentration band. Article 232(3) sets a EUR150 fine, three months' driving prohibition and two negative points. Article 241 authorises police screening and referral for medical examination or blood and urine analysis, including after a positive drug screen. A motor driver or instructor refusing the required control, examination or samples faces the separate EUR150 refusal fine, at least six months' driving prohibition and three points; the non-driver refusal tariff differs. Article 216 requires testing after serious accidents, with a doctor's exception where samples would harm health. No general prescription defence was verified. Kosovo Police's May 2026 statement confirms continued implementation of this 2024 law. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Cannabis is restricted to scientific research, education and police purposes. The criminal possession rule includes a fine or up to one year for first-time offenders with less than three grams for personal use; unauthorised import or export carries a fine and three to ten years. - *Other consequences.* Even the first-offence tier for less than three grams is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison, with confiscation of the drugs. Ordinary unauthorised possession carries a fine and one to three years. ### Lebanon Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 89 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-10. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/lb/ A 2020 law legalised cultivation for medical and industrial purposes, with slow implementation. Recreational use is illegal despite the Bekaa Valley's famous hashish. - **Possession 1/10.** Personal use and possession are crimes under the 1998 narcotics law, punishable by three months to three years in prison and a fine. The law allows treatment as an alternative to prosecution, but arrests of users remain common. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlicensed cultivation is a crime, yet hashish farming in the Bekaa Valley is a decades-old open secret, periodically raided. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Users are jailed, often in pre-trial detention, while large growers have historically enjoyed protection. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Trafficking carries long prison sentences. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is a criminal offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* Law 178 of April 2020 legalised licensed cultivation for medical and industrial purposes, aimed at export and recommended by consultants as a way to revive the economy. Implementation stalled for years; a regulatory authority was only appointed in 2025. - *Products.* No legal consumer products. - *Seeds and clones.* Under Law 178 of 2020 the cannabis regulatory authority may authorise cultivation of the plant "whether in the form of seeds or seedlings" for medical, pharmaceutical and industrial products. Outside such an authorisation cultivation remains a crime. - *Medical use.* The 2020 law concerns production for export; no domestic patient programme is operating. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Hashish from the Bekaa valley is grown entirely outside the law, because the legal industry promised in 2020 has not started. The Cannabis Regulatory Authority was formally set up only in the summer of 2025, five years after the law that created it; its head, appointed in July 2025, said in February 2026 that the timetable was too tight for a first legal harvest that year, while farmers in growing areas such as Saideh were pressing for the season to begin. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Other consequences.* A drug record affects employment and travel. ### Lesotho Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 90 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ls/ First African country to license medical cannabis cultivation (2017), mostly for export. Personal use remains illegal although matekoane is widely grown. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis (matekoane) is illegal to possess under the Drugs of Abuse Act 2008. Small amounts usually bring a fine, though prison is available. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing without a licence is a crime: a conviction for harvesting cannabis carries a minimum of five years in prison or a fine of at least M20,000. Yet matekoane has been a staple cash crop for highland farmers for generations, mostly sold into South Africa. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Fines for small amounts; the mandatory minimum for cultivation falls on small farmers. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Dealing is a crime with prison. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence, widely ignored in rural areas. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source for local consumers. - *Commercial production.* In 2017 Lesotho became the first African country to license cannabis cultivation for medical and scientific purposes. Licences are expensive and went mainly to foreign-backed companies: one went to a South African firm, the Toronto-based Supreme Cannabis Company invested in the industry, and a 2021 study put the licence at 10,000 US dollars, more than smallholders can afford. The sector has been dogged by allegations over how licences were awarded, and traditional growers remain outside it. - *Products.* Licensed medical products are made for export. - *Seeds and clones.* The Drugs of Abuse Act 2008 defines cannabis as any part of the plant "including the seeds", and cultivating as including planting, sowing and scattering the seed. Seed is therefore a controlled drug, lawful only for holders of a licence under the Act, such as the medical cannabis producers licensed since 2018. - *Medical use.* No functioning programme for patients inside Lesotho. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Unlicensed cannabis is one of Lesotho's most significant cash crops, though it appears in no official economic statistics. Farmers treat it as a crop to fall back on when other income declines, and for some it is the centre of their livelihood. A 2021 study of the region describes the trade as quasi-legal: growing and selling remain crimes, enforcement does not match the scale of production, and the law is applied only now and then. No figures for Lesotho's output were found. - *Driving.* The published Road Traffic Act section 92 makes it an offence to drive or attempt to drive a motor vehicle on a public road while drink or a drug makes the driver incapable of proper control. Its specimen-evidence provisions permit consideration of drug analysis from blood taken with consent by a medical practitioner, or urine or breath supplied by the accused. Refusal without reasonable cause supports prosecution evidence about the accused’s condition; it is not worded as an automatic finding of drug impairment. The available LesLII text is the 1981 edition, not a verified current penalty consolidation. Current fines, licence consequences, drug-testing practice and a numeric THC cutoff remain unverified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Cannabis is illegal to possess under the Drugs of Abuse Act 2008; small amounts usually bring a fine, though prison is available. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Malawi Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 91 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mw/ The 2020 Cannabis Regulation Act legalised cultivation for medical and industrial use. Recreational use of the famous 'Malawi Gold' remains illegal. - **Possession 1/10.** Recreational possession of chamba is a criminal offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act. Small amounts typically bring a fine or a short sentence. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlicensed cultivation is a crime: under the 2020 Act, growing, processing or distributing cannabis illegally carries up to 25 years in prison and a large fine. 'Malawi Gold' is nonetheless grown widely in remote areas. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Fines and short sentences for users, with very long maximums for unlicensed growing and trade. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Illegal distribution carries the same heavy penalties. - **Consumption 1/10.** Recreational use is not authorised by the 2020 Act and remains illegal. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source for adult use. - *Commercial production.* The Cannabis Regulation Act 2020 created a Cannabis Regulatory Authority that licenses cultivation, processing, storage, export and research for medicinal, industrial and scientific purposes — part of a drive to replace tobacco as an export crop. - *Products.* Licensed medicinal and hemp products. - *Seeds and clones.* The Cannabis Regulation Act 2020 puts cultivating, propagating, supplying, possessing and selling cannabis under licences from the Cannabis Regulatory Authority, and import or export under a ministerial permit. Only seed that has been crushed or processed so it cannot germinate falls outside the controlled plant, so viable seed and planting material are lawful only within the licensed medicinal and hemp schemes. - *Medical use.* Medical use is provided for in the Act, under licence; patient access is limited in practice. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 128 prohibits driving on a public road under the influence of a drug having a narcotic effect. It also covers occupying the driver's seat with the engine running and sitting beside a learner as the licensed supervisor. Drug-analysis evidence is admissible; police may require blood or urine samples, and refusal can lead to arrest. The statutory text provides up to three years' imprisonment, or a fine or both; injury or death raises the prison ceiling to five years. Section 60 requires licence and permit suspension of at least six months for a first offence, one year for a second and five years for a third or later offence. The numerical concentration rule is for alcohol, not THC. The source's monetary fine amounts were not verified against subsequent revisions and are not presented as current ticket tariffs. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Recreational possession is a criminal offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act; small amounts typically bring a fine or a short sentence. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Marshall Islands Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 92 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mh/ Cannabis offences carry fines or prison, with higher penalties for larger amounts and repeat convictions. - **Possession 1/10.** For a first marijuana offence involving one ounce or less, the statutory range is a $1,000–5,000 fine or six months to one year in prison, or both. More than an ounce on a first offence, or an ounce or less after a previous conviction, carries $5,000–25,000 or one to five years, or both. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Knowingly planting or cultivating a prohibited drug is an offence. Marijuana includes growing cannabis plants, seeds and resin; the law provides no ordinary personal plant allowance. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The law allows a fine, imprisonment or both for the smallest first marijuana offences. A January 2020 newspaper report described a six-month suspended sentence and a $1,000 fine for a personal marijuana import. The 2025 amendment also requires witnesses to report drug activity, with a $1,000 fine for failing to do so. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Distribution includes giving, transferring, delivering, bartering and exchanging drugs. Marijuana offences follow the quantity and conviction-history penalty ladder, with additional penalties for supplying someone under eighteen. - **Consumption 1/10.** Self-administration is expressly prohibited outside the law’s exceptions. In a March–May 2022 high school survey, 13.8% of participants reported marijuana use in the preceding thirty days. - **Legal access 0/10.** The law permits specified professional handling and possession under a valid medical prescription. Licensed practitioners obtain drugs through the government, which is the sole importer and distributor for that channel. - *Commercial production.* Planting, cultivation, production and manufacture are prohibited outside the Act’s exceptions. Practitioners handling drugs for professional work, approved research, teaching or analysis require licences specifying the drug and quantity. - *Products.* The law separates marijuana from marijuana concentrate, including hashish and THC, with different penalty bands. Both are expressly included in the current prohibited-drug definition. - *Seeds and clones.* Marijuana includes seeds and any part of a cannabis plant, growing or otherwise. The Act prohibits possession, planting, cultivation and distribution outside its specified exceptions. - *Medical use.* The Act expressly extends its medical and professional exceptions to marijuana and concentrates. It recognises licensed professional handling and possession under a valid prescription. Practitioner licences identify the drugs and exact quantities and last one year; receipt and dispensing records must be retained for two years. - *Cannabis clubs.* Ordinary cannabis cultivation and distribution, including gifts and transfers, are prohibited. The Act’s exceptions concern licensed professional or prescribed medical handling. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Importing and possessing cannabis are prohibited outside the Act’s specified exceptions. A small first marijuana offence can bring a fine, imprisonment or both, and larger quantities or previous convictions raise the penalty range. - *Other consequences.* Drugs may be confiscated, and property used in drug transport, import or export can be seized and forfeited. Owners have one month to seek recovery through the High Court. The 2020 amendment expressly added cash to seizure powers. ### Monaco Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 93 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mc/ Six months to three years in prison for use or possession, usually suspended or fined; even CBD is prohibited. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 5 of Law 890 of 1970 on narcotics punishes unlawful use, and possession for personal use, with six months to three years in prison, a fine, or one of the two. Courts usually impose suspended sentences or fines — one heavy user received ten months suspended — and police sometimes settle for a warning. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlawful growing carries five to ten years in prison and a fine under Article 2 of Law 890 of 1970. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Prosecutions are routine in a small, heavily policed state, but outcomes are mostly suspended sentences and fines. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Article 2 of Law 890 punishes offering, selling, buying, transporting or supplying narcotics on any basis, and helping another person to use them, with five to ten years in prison and a fine. The penalties double where a minor is involved or the offence takes place in or near a school or prison. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is itself an offence under Law 890, and it is prosecuted: in April 2025 a pensioner with a clean record was tried for possession and use over about 15 g found at his home and given one month in prison, suspended, with an obligation to undergo care. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. In a 2025 trial the prosecutor cited a ministerial order banning cannabis and its derivatives, CBD products included, even at low THC levels. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. Even CBD products are treated as prohibited, and people have been tried for holding them. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 2 of Law 890 of 1970 punishes unlawfully growing, holding, buying or selling narcotics with five to ten years in prison. The law does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* Penal Code article 391-15 criminalises driving a land vehicle after use of substances or plants classified as narcotics. It does not require the separate alcohol offence's intoxication standard. The current text provides one month to two years' imprisonment and a €2,250–9,000 fine, or either penalty alone. Article 391-15-1 allows drug screening in specified circumstances including suspected offences, certain traffic violations, crashes and preventive operations authorised by the Minister of State. A positive screen leads to a medical, chemical or biological examination, such as blood analysis; refusal carries the ordinary drug-driving penalties. The 2025 reform adds higher sanctions for specified professional drivers on duty: six months to three years and €9,000–18,000, or either alone. For the ordinary offence, complementary penalties include licence suspension up to two years, cancellation with a reapplication bar up to five years, or a Monaco driving ban up to five years for foreign-licence holders. No numerical THC allowance was established in the provisions reviewed. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record, which can affect a residence permit. ### Mozambique Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 94 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mz/ Use and personal possession carry up to two years plus a fine, with possible waivers for occasional users. More than three days' personal supply brings a one-year minimum. - **Possession 1/10.** Law 3/97 punishes use and personal possession with up to two years in prison plus a fine. Above three days' average personal supply, the law sets a one-year minimum. Courts may waive punishment for occasional users under Article 55(4). A separate exemption for minors requires no repeat offence, a promise to stop and acceptance of treatment if dependent. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unauthorised cannabis cultivation carries three days to one year in prison under Article 34. Growing for personal use carries up to one year or a fine under Article 55(3), with possible waivers for occasional users. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Legal researchers argue criminalising use is counter-productive; in practice arrests are selective — a well-known rapper critical of the government was detained over a small amount of suruma in 2011. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or selling cannabis without authority falls within trafficking, ordinarily punished with sixteen to twenty years. Small-scale or substantially less serious cases can receive two to eight years plus a fine. In May 2024 the Supreme Court applied that lesser offence to a seller with 590 grams, reducing his sentence from seventeen years to six. - **Consumption 1/10.** Consumption is itself criminalised under Article 55. - **Legal access 0/10.** None: Law 3/97 punishes use and possession of drugs with prison. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,856 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,853 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Use and personal possession carry up to two years plus a fine, with a one-year minimum above three days' personal supply. Courts may waive punishment for occasional users. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The annual report of the Central Office for Drug Prevention and Combat, presented by the public prosecutor's office in Maputo, counted at least 732 people detained for drug use and trafficking in 2024, 229 fewer than in 2023; Sofala province had the most, 199. Seizures of cannabis were almost unchanged at 1,856 kg, against 1,853 kg the year before, with 44 kg of hashish. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Romania Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 95 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ro/ Possession for personal use carries prison of three months to two years or a fine. Medical access is largely theoretical. - **Possession 1/10.** Under Law 143/2000, possessing a 'risk drug' such as cannabis for personal use is a crime punished with three months to two years in prison or a fine. Since the 2014 criminal code, users can often end up with a fine or community service. A wrinkle: cannabis plant and resin are 'risk drugs', but THC as a compound is listed as 'high-risk', which can raise the penalty. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing for personal use falls under the same three-months-to-two-years provision. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Fines and suspended sentences are common for users; prison remains available and is used for repeat cases. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking, with two to seven years for risk drugs. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is not separately punished, but possession for use is. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* Cultivation, import and sale of cannabis for medical use are allowed under Law 339/2005 with strict government authorisation and supervision. - *Products.* CBD products with negligible THC. - *Seeds and clones.* Seeds fall outside the criminal law because they contain no THC: Law 143/2000 punishes growing, using and trafficking the plant, not trading its seed. Many online shops sell them openly with cash on delivery, some as souvenirs or collectors' items and some with descriptions of the effects, from about 14 lei a seed. The line is germination: an antidrug official put it that the moment the plant sprouts you are holding an illegal drug, and growing for personal use is an offence under Article 4. Growing without authorisation under the 2005 law on plants and substances with narcotic content is likewise illegal, so cuttings and seedlings are covered. - *Medical use.* Cannabis may be prescribed for medical use only as a pharmaceutical product. The controlled-substances law requires a prescription and permits patients to hold the prescribed quantity of their controlled medicine. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs exist without any legal basis. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 received answers from one club in Romania, and its authors could not say how many more were active. The study notes that the model is prohibited throughout the European Union, that clubs sit in a legally sensitive position, and that many have been dissolved after court decisions or police raids. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 861 kg of herbal cannabis and 43 kg of cannabis resin seized in Romania in 2024, against 940 kg and 43 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 3,529 occasions and resin on 285. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Driving a vehicle that needs a licence, while under the influence of a psychoactive substance, carries one to five years in prison and a ban on exercising rights. Public passenger transport, dangerous goods, a driving lesson or a driving test raises that to two to seven years, again with a ban on exercising rights. Law 172 of 31 May 2024 set those sentences. Since 28 January 2025 a binding ruling of the High Court of Cassation and Justice has required two things: the substance in a biological sample, and proof that it was capable of affecting the ability to drive. The ruling sets no THC number. Proof that the driver made a mistake on the road is outside what the prosecution must show. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under Law 143/2000, possessing cannabis for personal use is a crime punished with three months to two years in prison or a fine. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Slovakia Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 96 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sk/ Possession and personal growing remain crimes: even the lowest cannabis quantity band carries up to one year in prison, and up to two plants carries up to six months. Medical cannabis has no lawful access programme. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing even a "negligible amount" of cannabis is a crime carrying up to one year in prison. The code sets that band at up to 2 g of material; above 2 g, up to 200 mg of THC can still place it in the lowest band. A small amount carries six months to three years; a greater amount or a repeat conviction within 24 months carries one to six years. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing up to two cannabis plants solely for personal consumption, without distribution or profit, carries up to six months in prison. Three to five plants carries up to two years, and the next quantity band six months to three years. Sentences reach five to fifteen years for the largest quantities or other aggravated cases. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Personal possession and growing remain criminal offences. Courts can withhold punishment for the lower possession and growing offences while ordering treatment and up to two years of probation under the code's conditions. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Manufacturing or trafficking in the lowest quantity band carries one to five years in prison, rising to ten to twenty-five years or life in the most serious cases. The code separately includes obtaining cannabis for another person's personal consumption within its possession rules when the quantity and no-distribution, no-profit conditions are met. - **Consumption 1/10.** The code punishes possession and growing for personal consumption. Its definition of possession includes buying, importing or otherwise obtaining a drug for personal use, so acquiring cannabis to consume remains a criminal offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** There is no lawful recreational cannabis supply or medical cannabis programme. The legal guide describes medical cultivation, import and sales as prohibited. - *Commercial production.* Hemp cultivation is allowed for industrial fibre and seed, or for research. Research growers need a health-ministry permit. Varieties in the EU common catalogue, including those listed when they were sown, are exempt from the cultivation permit requirement. Medical cannabis production remains prohibited. - *Products.* CBD was removed from the controlled-substance list in May 2021. CMS’s July 2024 guide describes CBD products for internal use as prohibited. Recreational THC products and medical cannabis have no lawful supply route. - *Seeds and clones.* Hemp may be grown for industrial fibre and seed or for research. A ministry permit normally lasts one year, but varieties in the EU common catalogue, including those listed when sown, are exempt from that permit requirement. Growing other cannabis for personal consumption remains a crime, including up to two plants. - *Medical use.* Growing, importing and selling cannabis for medical use remain prohibited; the country has no medical cannabis access programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* A European survey conducted in 2018–19 found no active cannabis social club in Slovakia after searches and contact with people in the field. Current law criminalises personal growing as well as trafficking, leaving clubs without an authorised route to grow and distribute cannabis. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency records 123 kg of herbal cannabis and less than 1 kg of resin seized in Slovakia in 2024, against 112 kg and 9.5 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 733 occasions and resin on 26. Plant seizures totalled 210 plants. - *Driving.* The road law prohibits driving while a drug can still be present in the body, with no numerical THC allowance. Driving while impaired to the point of being unfit carries up to one year in prison under the Criminal Code; the same basic maximum applies to refusing the prescribed drug examination. Aggravated cases carry higher sentences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no lawful recreational supply, and personal possession remains a crime. The lowest cannabis quantity band carries up to one year in prison; larger quantities bring higher sentences under the current weight and THC rules. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency records 414 cannabis-related drug law offences in Slovakia in 2024, against 482 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 235 were for use or possession for use. - *Other consequences.* For eligible lower-level possession and growing offences, a court can withhold punishment while ordering treatment. If the person completes the conditions successfully, the code treats them as having no conviction for the offence; otherwise the court can impose a sentence. ### Solomon Islands Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 97 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sb/ Cannabis possession, growing and gifting are offences. The published reprint gives up to six months on summary conviction or ten years on conviction with assessors, plus fines expressed in penalty units; current practice needs fuller verification. - **Possession 1/10.** Section 8(b) makes possession of Indian hemp an offence. Section 39(2) of the authorised reprint gives up to 5,000 penalty units or six months or both on summary conviction, and up to 100,000 penalty units or ten years or both on conviction by the court sitting with assessors. Penalty units are not a verified current dollar tariff. The government catalogue lists this reprint as current; a 2025 amendment bill was under parliamentary inquiry in February 2026, and its later enactment or commencement was not established. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Sections 7–8 prohibit growing Indian hemp even for private use, with no small-grow exemption in the reviewed text. Section 39 supplies the same general court-dependent maximum penalties as for possession. The statute does not itself demonstrate typical sentences or a separate plantation-size tariff. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The authorised statute permits fines, imprisonment or both, with distinct summary and assessor-court maxima. The retained 2016 case and crop-seizure report are individual observations, not sufficient evidence that most personal-use cases nationally end in fines or short sentences. A representative current sentencing account remains a research gap. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Section 8(b) expressly criminalises giving Indian hemp to another person as well as selling and possessing it. There is no exemption for an unpaid gift in that provision. The general penalties in section 39 depend on the mode of trial. - **Consumption 1/10.** Officially published sections 7–8 expressly cover cultivation, possession, giving and sale of cannabis. A separate cannabis-use offence was not identified there; the explicit smoking and use provisions in section 12 concern prepared opium. British travel advice more broadly warns that drug use is illegal. Possession associated with cannabis use remains criminal. - **Legal access 0/10.** No recreational supply or operating cannabis patient service was established. Sections 13–20 do provide a controlled medicines framework that expressly includes cannabis extracts and tinctures, with powers over manufacture, prescriptions, import, storage and dispensing. That framework is not evidence that medicines are stocked or that flower can lawfully be purchased. - *Commercial production.* The cultivation ban applies even to private use. Separately, sections 13 and 15 include cannabis extracts and tinctures within the controlled pharmaceutical framework and provide for rules authorising qualified pharmaceutical businesses to prepare controlled drugs. An operating cannabis production industry was not established. - *Products.* The Act covers the cannabis plant and resin under Part I and extracts or tinctures under Part III. These are statutory product categories, not a verified list of products currently available to patients. - *Seeds and clones.* Section 2 defines Indian hemp as Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica or any portion. Section 5 expressly prohibits importing or exporting cannabis seeds and plant portions; sections 7–8 prohibit cultivation and giving or selling the controlled plant. No personal seed or cutting exemption was identified. - *Medical use.* Sections 13–20 contemplate regulated cannabis extracts and tinctures within the controlled-medicines system, including prescription rules, storage and authorised withdrawal by medical and pharmacy professionals. A broad patient programme, issued cannabis licences and dispensing availability were not verified. - *Cannabis clubs.* The published Act has no recreational collective-growing exemption: sections 7–8 prohibit private cultivation and giving cannabis to another person. That statutory restriction does not establish whether informal associations exist. - *Driving.* Road Transport Act section 43 makes driving or attempting to drive on a road or public place while unfit through drugs an offence; unfitness means impaired ability to drive properly. In the Magistrates' Court a first offence carries up to 10,000 penalty units or twelve months' imprisonment or both; a repeat carries up to 20,000 units or two years or both. High Court conviction carries up to 20,000 units or two years or both. Penalty units must not be read as Solomon Islands dollars. Licence disqualification normally lasts at least twelve months, rising to at least three years if there was a like driving conviction within the preceding ten years, with a special-reasons exception. Being in charge while not driving is a separate offence with different penalties. The separate concentration offence concerns alcohol, not a numerical THC limit. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says possessing, selling and using drugs is illegal and can lead to prison sentences. - *Other consequences.* Section 39(2) requires forfeiture of articles involved in a conviction and permits destruction or other court-directed disposal. Sections 6 and 10 separately address unlawfully imported substances and destruction of plants. These provisions do not by themselves establish automatic deportation or employment consequences. ### Sweden Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 98 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/se/ Zero-tolerance model: use itself is criminal and police can compel drug tests. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession of any amount is a crime. A 'minor drug offence' — small personal amounts — brings income-based day-fines or up to six months in prison; ordinary offences carry up to three years. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is a drug offence, prosecuted with prison for anything beyond a plant or two. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Zero tolerance in practice: tens of thousands of use and possession cases a year, almost all ending in day-fines. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Transferring narcotics is an offence under section 1 of the Narcotic Drugs Punishments Act, with up to three years in prison and at least six months where the drugs are meant for sale. A minor offence brings a fine or up to six months, a gross one two to seven years and an exceptionally gross one six to ten. - **Consumption 0/10.** Sweden criminalised drug use itself in 1988. Police who suspect someone is under the influence can detain them and compel a urine or blood test; a positive result is enough for a conviction. This is the defining feature of the Swedish model and the reason this segment scores zero. - **Legal access 1/10.** Prescription access is narrow but lawful. Sativex and Epidyolex are approved medicines, and a doctor may apply for an individual licence for another medicine. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* Two approved cannabinoid medicines. - *Seeds and clones.* The narcotics control ordinance defines cannabis as the above-ground parts of any plant of the genus Cannabis "with the exception of seeds", so seeds are not narcotics. A cutting is an above-ground part of the plant and is covered, and producing narcotics is an offence under the Narcotic Drugs Penal Act. - *Medical use.* Limited to two approved prescription medicines; anything else requires an individual licence application by the patient's doctor to the Medical Products Agency, rarely granted. - *Cannabis clubs.* No clubs are known. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 found, after online searches and contact with people in the field, that there did not seem to be any active club in Sweden. The model is prohibited throughout the European Union. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 2,652 kg of herbal cannabis and 7,273 kg of cannabis resin seized in Sweden in 2024, against 2,060 kg and 8,849 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 6,071 occasions and resin on 15,973. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* No THC limit is set: the offence is committed if a drug is detected, though there is no liability where it was taken in accordance with a medical prescription. Police may stop at random and test on suspicion; there is no roadside oral-fluid test. Penalties are day-fines or up to two years in prison, a ban of one month to three years, and the vehicle can be forfeited. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession of any amount is a crime: a minor drug offence, covering small personal amounts, brings income-based day-fines or up to six months in prison, and ordinary offences up to three years. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The crime prevention council Brå counted 125,142 reported offences against the Narcotics Penal Act in 2025, 4 per cent fewer than in 2024. Possession made up 57 per cent and personal use 36 per cent. Reported possession has almost doubled since 2016, and the total is 38 per cent higher than that year. Brå notes that the number of reported drug offences mainly reflects how much the police search and intervene. The statistics are not split by substance. - *Other consequences.* Fines are entered in the criminal register, visible to some employers, and police report users to licensing authorities, which can cost a driving licence. ### Tonga Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 99 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-10. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/to/ Under 28 g carries a fine of up to T$5,000 or a year in prison; small cases usually end in fines. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is a Class B drug under the Illicit Drugs Control Act 2003. Possession of less than 28 g carries a maximum of a T$5,000 fine or one year in prison, or both; 28 g or more carries up to T$50,000 or seven years. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is an offence under the same Act, sentenced by number of plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Small cannabis cases generally end in fines or suspended sentences; Tonga's enforcement effort is focused on methamphetamine. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is punished more heavily. A 2020 amendment aimed at methamphetamine lowered the quantity at which possession is deemed to be supply. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The Illicit Drugs Control Act lists cannabis seed, cannabis fruit and any part of any plant of the genus cannabis as illicit drugs in its schedule. Possessing, growing or supplying any of them is an offence under section 4. The text read is the 2016 revised edition, before the 2020 amendments. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says drug taking in all forms is illegal, that importing or exporting illegal drugs carries up to 30 years' hard labour and very large fines, and that growing or distributing them is likely to be punished severely. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record, which matters for seasonal-work visas abroad. ### Türkiye Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 100 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tr/ Possession carries two to five years, often converted to probation and treatment. Hemp is licensed in selected provinces and a few cannabinoid medicines are prescribable. - **Possession 1/10.** Buying, receiving or possessing cannabis for personal use is a crime under Article 191 of the Penal Code, with two to five years in prison. For a first offence, however, prosecutors must normally defer prosecution for five years and impose at least a year of supervised probation, with treatment where needed. Breach the conditions or reoffend and the prison sentence applies. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 23 of the 1933 narcotics law prohibits growing hemp without a permit for any purpose, and unlicensed plants are destroyed. Sowing hemp to obtain cannabis carries four to twelve years in prison and a heavy fine; a person who grows only the cannabis they need for their own use faces one to three years. Sowing without a permit where no drug purpose is shown brings a fine. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Probation rather than prison for first-time users, but under a criminal framework with a multi-year sentence hanging over them. Dealing is punished severely. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying drugs to others is punished under Article 188 with at least ten years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is covered by Article 191 on the same terms as possession, and probation involves regular drug tests. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source for THC cannabis: Article 23 of the 1933 narcotics law prohibits growing hemp without a permit, and buying, receiving or possessing cannabis for personal use is a crime under Article 191 of the Penal Code. - *Commercial production.* Hemp may be grown under permit in a list of designated provinces; the state has promoted it for fibre and, more recently, for low-THC medicinal products. - *Products.* Low-THC cannabis-derived products through pharmacies under a 2025 measure; a prescription mouth spray since 2016. - *Seeds and clones.* Hemp may be grown for fibre, seed and stalk only with a permit from the local administrative authority, in 21 named provinces, applied for between 1 January and 1 April each year; growing for medicines goes through the state grain board. The 2026 regulation as reported does not set out how seed is supplied or sold. - *Medical use.* Very limited: a cannabinoid mouth spray on special prescription since 2016, and pharmacy distribution of products under 0.3% THC from 2025. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 47,710 kg of herbal cannabis and 13,751 kg of cannabis resin seized in Turkey in 2024, against 71,429 kg and 27,836 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 80,420 occasions and resin on 17,405. Plant seizures came to 108,378,999 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Highway Traffic Law forbids anyone who has taken narcotic or stimulant substances from driving, with no level set; police use roadside test kits, and a driver who objects is taken for a blood, saliva or urine sample. Under the paragraph as amended in February 2026, a driver found to have taken such a substance is fined 150,000 lira and the licence is cancelled; a new one requires a driving course and exams, which cannot begin until at least five years have passed. The Penal Code applies as well. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Buying, receiving or possessing cannabis for personal use is a crime with two to five years in prison under Article 191 of the Penal Code. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 103,992 cannabis-related drug law offences in Türkiye in 2024, against 87,268 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 83,744 were for use or possession for use. The number has risen by about three-quarters since 2020 and is the highest in the series. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* A year or more of supervision and testing; if probation is completed the case is dropped without a conviction. ### Vanuatu Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 101 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/vu/ Cannabis possession, supply and unlicensed growing are crimes. Court guidance distinguishes small personal grows from commercial cultivation. Medical-cannabis licences authorise production for export, while adult-use sales remain prohibited. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis possession carries a maximum of twenty years in prison, a VT100 million fine, or both. Court guidance also applies a lesser personal-use category to possession; a small personal case can receive a fine or community sentence. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlicensed cannabis growing is criminal. Courts distinguish small personal grows, small commercial grows and large commercial operations; fines and community measures are usual for the first group, with short custody possible in more serious cases. The separate industry law licenses medical cultivation for export. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The general drug-law maximum is twenty years or VT100 million, or both. Sentencing guidance directs courts to assess purpose, scale and circumstances. A first offender with five plants received a suspended sentence in 2024 after spending three months and two days in custody before bail. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying cannabis is prohibited and falls under the general drug-law maximum of twenty years or VT100 million, or both. The sentencing guidance treats non-commercial supply differently from cultivation for profit, but allows greater penalties than for a purely personal grow. - **Consumption 1/10.** Possession associated with cannabis use is criminal. Occupiers or managers may not permit their premises to be used for cannabis smoking. - **Legal access 0/10.** Adult-use supply is prohibited. The licensed medical-cannabis industry is for export; officials reaffirmed in January 2026 that licensed products could not be sold locally. The drug law separately permits controlled medical imports and properly prescribed and dispensed medicines. - *Commercial production.* Medical-cannabis cultivation under the industry law is for export. Its original licensing requirements included relevant experience, a local bank deposit, an agricultural lease and an export market or buyer. Officials said in January 2026 that licensing and secure management remained required, with no local sales. - *Products.* The drug law lists cannabis, resin and resin-based preparations, and excludes separated mature stalks and their fibre from its cannabis definition. The industry Act defines hemp at no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis. - *Seeds and clones.* The licensing Act covers importing and cultivating hemp or cannabis seeds and manufacturing and exporting industrial hemp or medical cannabis. Providing or selling a seed or plant contrary to the Act is an offence. - *Medical use.* Medical cannabis under the industry licensing Act is grown for export. The drug law separately provides medical or scientific import permits and exemptions for medicines prescribed and properly supplied by qualified practitioners or pharmacists. Officials reaffirmed the export industry’s prohibition on local sales in January 2026. - *Cannabis clubs.* The drug law prohibits cannabis supply and unlicensed cultivation remains criminal. Industry licences concern controlled export production. - *Driving.* Road Traffic (Control) Act section 16 prohibits driving on a road when a drug or alcohol makes proper vehicle control impossible, and permits arrest without a warrant. The official 2020 consolidation's section 53(3) sets up to VT100,000 or one year's imprisonment or both for that offence, rather than the lower general penalty for other contraventions. Under section 55 the court may also disqualify the driver for up to five years and endorse the licence; that is a discretionary maximum, not an automatic five-year ban. Section 54(2) allows detention of a vehicle involved in an offence seriously jeopardising road-user safety. The Supreme Court distinguishes court punishment from separate public- transport impoundment and permit processes; the vehicle owner must not simply be treated as the offending driver. No numeric THC allowance, operational roadside drug-screening protocol or medical-use defence was established in these reviewed sources. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Adult-use possession and supply remain criminal. The Act exempts a personal-use preparation carried into Vanuatu in a reasonable amount, correctly labelled and accompanied by a doctor’s letter from the traveller’s country of origin. - *Other consequences.* Prison, fines, supervision and community work can follow a cannabis conviction, depending on the case. A suspended sentence can come after months already spent in custody before bail. Drugs and related items can be condemned, destroyed or forfeited. ### Russia Score 11/100 (Prohibition), rank 102 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ru/ Up to 6 g is an administrative offence (fine or 15 days' detention); anything above is criminal with long sentences. 'Drug propaganda' is also penalised. - **Possession 2/10.** Up to 6 g of cannabis (2 g of hashish) is an administrative offence under Article 6.8 of the Code of Administrative Offences: a fine of 4,000–5,000 roubles or up to 15 days' detention. Above 6 g it is a crime under Article 228 of the Criminal Code — up to three years for a 'significant amount' (6–100 g) and three to ten years above 100 g. For hashish the tiers begin at 2 g and 25 g. Foreigners are deported even for the administrative offence. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing plants that contain narcotics is an administrative offence under Article 10.5.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences when it is not a crime: a fine of 3,000 to 5,000 roubles or up to 15 days' arrest. Growing in a 'large amount', which for cannabis starts at 20 plants, is a crime under Article 231 of the Criminal Code, with a fine, compulsory labour or up to two years in prison; in an 'especially large amount' or by a group it carries up to eight years. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Article 228 is known as the 'people's article' because so many prisoners are held under it. The low thresholds, planted-evidence scandals and long sentences for anything resembling supply make this far harsher than the 6 g rule suggests. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Any sale or transfer, including giving cannabis away, falls under Article 228.1 of the Criminal Code: four to eight years in prison in the basic case, five to twelve when done through the internet or in places such as schools, transport or entertainment venues, eight to fifteen for a 'significant amount' or a group, ten to twenty for a 'large amount', and fifteen to twenty years or life for an 'especially large amount'. - **Consumption 1/10.** Using a narcotic without a doctor's prescription, or refusing a medical examination when police have grounds to suspect use, is an administrative offence under Article 6.9: a fine of 4,000 to 5,000 roubles or up to 15 days' arrest, and for a foreigner the same with expulsion from Russia. A person who goes voluntarily to a medical organisation for treatment is released from liability. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source: any sale or transfer, including a gift, falls under Article 228.1 of the Criminal Code, and using a narcotic without a doctor's prescription is an administrative offence under Article 6.9. - *Commercial production.* Registered varieties of hemp may be grown for industry if the leaves and flowering tops hold no more than 0.1% THC; seed of the fourth and later generations may not be sown. The area was about 2,000 hectares in 2012 and 10,200 in 2019, against nearly a million in the Soviet Union of 1928. Growing cannabis for medicine is not allowed. No other production. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Lawyers answering on a Russian legal advice site say hemp seeds are part of the plant but contain no narcotic, are not on the government's lists, and may be bought and sold for any purpose except sowing. Growing is what the law punishes: fewer than 20 plants is an administrative offence with a fine or up to 15 days' arrest, and 20 or more is a crime under Article 231 of the Criminal Code. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis; cannabis is on the list of substances banned from medical use. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 6,847 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 7,868 kg in 2023, and 3,262 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 5,314 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Code of Administrative Offences punishes driving in a state of intoxication with a fine of 45,000 roubles and loss of the licence for one and a half to two years, where the act is not a crime. A note to the article defines the state: for alcohol it gives measured levels, but for drugs liability arises from the presence of narcotic or psychotropic substances in the body, with no level set. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, and the law treats foreigners more severely at the lowest level: a foreign citizen who uses a narcotic without a prescription, or refuses a medical examination, is fined 4,000 to 5,000 roubles or arrested for up to 15 days and in either case expelled from Russia. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Russian figures cover all drugs together. In 2024 courts convicted 69,900 people of drug crimes, 50,800 of them under Article 228, the possession article: about 13% of all 512,800 convictions that year, a share that has held steady for several years. One in five of those convicted under Article 228 as the main charge was sent to prison, most often for three to five years, and fewer than 1% were released from punishment. By various estimates about a third of all prisoners are serving time for drugs. The Interior Ministry counted 69,700 people prosecuted for drug crimes in 2024, nearly 10% fewer than in 2023, while seizures reached a seven-year record of 37.8 tonnes. - *Other consequences.* Users can be placed on a narcological register, which blocks driving licences and some jobs. 'Propaganda' of drugs, including online, is also penalised. ### Eritrea Score 10/100 (Prohibition), rank 103 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/er/ Cannabis remains prohibited. Eritrea’s published 2015 drug penalties were still awaiting enforcement in the government’s 2024 account and a 2025 UN report. - **Possession 1/10.** The government identified the Transitional Penal Code as the working law in November 2024. The older code published by the Justice Ministry includes unauthorised acquisition, receipt and storage of narcotic substances among its drug offences. A current cannabis-specific possession tariff has not been verified; the six-to-twelve-month tariff in the published 2015 replacement is not an established operative penalty. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** The published 2015 code would distinguish personal cultivation from commercial growing, but the government and a 2025 UN report said that code was not in force. The older narcotics provision covers unauthorised production. The current cannabis-specific growing penalty and any subsidiary plant-control rules remain unverified. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Canadian government advice warns of prison sentences and heavy fines for possession, use and trafficking of illegal drugs in Eritrea. The published 2015 fine alternative is not evidence of the sentence available under the working transitional law. Cannabis-specific sentencing practice remains unverified. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The older code’s narcotics offence covers unauthorised distribution and procuring substances for another person, with more serious provisions for organised or professional trafficking. The published 2015 definition that expressly includes giving and transferring drugs cannot establish the current rule while that code awaits commencement. - **Consumption 1/10.** Canadian government advice describes illegal drug use as punishable by imprisonment and heavy fines. The older code separately covers knowingly providing premises for drug use. A current cannabis-specific use offence and penalty have not been verified. - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful recreational source is established by the reviewed materials. The government’s account identifies the older transitional criminal law as the working system. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no established recreational supply route for visitors. Canadian government advice warns that possessing, using or trafficking illegal drugs can lead to imprisonment and heavy fines. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Hungary Score 10/100 (Prohibition), rank 104 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/hu/ Zero-tolerance policy, toughened further in 2025; diversion is available only for first-time small-quantity offenders. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession or use of a small amount is a crime with up to two years in prison. A small quantity of cannabis is up to 6 grams of total THC, the pure form and the acid form together. It stays a crime unless the person admits it, completes six months of treatment or a prevention programme, and by the time of indictment makes it possible to identify who sold the drug. That route is closed once it has been used twice. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Section 178 of the Criminal Code puts growing in the same offence as producing, acquiring and holding: two to eight years in prison, or up to two years where the amount is small. A small quantity of cannabis plants is up to five plants. Under section 180 a person who grows a small amount for their own use is not punished if they admit the act, complete six months of treatment or a prevention programme, and help identify the seller. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Among the EU's strictest regimes, tightened further in 2025 with a 'war on drugs' package that forces users into an informer role to avoid prosecution. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Offering, handing over or selling is drug trafficking under section 176 of the Criminal Code: two to eight years in prison, five to twenty years or life for a significant amount, and up to two years where a small amount is offered or handed over. Supplying a person under 18, or near a school, carries five to ten years under section 177. - **Consumption 1/10.** Consumption itself is a criminal offence. In 2025 the constitution was amended to state that producing, using, distributing and promoting narcotics is prohibited in Hungary. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. The Criminal Code punishes acquiring, holding and consuming a drug as well as supplying it, and names no lawful source. - *Commercial production.* Industrial hemp only. - *Products.* CBD products in a restricted grey zone. - *Seeds and clones.* Government Decree 162/2003 lets only low-THC hemp from the national or EU variety list be grown, sown from sealed certified seed, and only low-THC hemp seed may be put on the market. Breeding, research growing and seed production of high-THC hemp are reserved for organisations holding a licence from the public health authority. The decree does not mention cuttings. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* Clubs exist without any legal basis. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 received answers from one club in Hungary, and its authors could not say how many more were active. The study notes that the model is prohibited throughout the European Union, that clubs sit in a legally sensitive position, and that many have been dissolved after court decisions or police raids. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 605 kg of herbal cannabis and 34 kg of cannabis resin seized in Hungary in 2024, against 484 kg and 5.6 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 2,762 occasions and resin on 121. Plant seizures came to 3,926 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The criminal code punishes driving while impaired and sets no THC limit. Police may stop at random and test on suspicion; there is no roadside oral-fluid test, and blood is taken at a police station. The penalty is up to one year in prison where there are no aggravating circumstances, and a driving ban of one to ten years or for life. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession or use of a small amount, up to 6 grams of total THC, is a crime with up to two years in prison. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 3,845 cannabis-related drug law offences in Hungary in 2024, against 3,478 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 3,266 were for use or possession for use. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record; even diversion involves six months of mandatory weekly sessions. ### Pakistan Score 10/100 (Prohibition), rank 105 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pk/ 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. - **Possession 1/10.** Section 6 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act forbids possessing any narcotic, and Section 9 sets the sentence by drug and weight. In the consolidated text, up to 499 g of charas (hashish) carries ten months to five years in prison and a fine of up to 40,000 rupees, and 500 to 999 g five to nine years; up to 999 g of bhang, the herbal form, carries six months to three years and a fine of up to 10,000 rupees. 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 1/10.** Section 4 forbids cultivating any cannabis plant, letting land for it, or gathering any part of the plant; under Section 5 as amended in 2022 the penalty is one to seven years in prison and a fine. The federal government, or a province it authorises, may license cultivation for medical, scientific or industrial purposes only. Cannabis nonetheless grows wild across the north and is farmed in the tribal districts. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Mandatory minimum prison terms on paper, with uneven enforcement that falls hardest on the poor. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supply is trafficking, with sentences up to life imprisonment for the largest quantities. - **Consumption 2/10.** The Act deals with users through registration and treatment: each province is to register addicts, who must carry a registration card, and the federal government pays for a first compulsory detoxification. Holding the drug to use it is punished as possession. Use is culturally embedded, particularly at Sufi shrines, and bhang drinks are consumed at festivals. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source for adults: Section 6 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act forbids possessing any narcotic and Section 4 forbids cultivating any cannabis plant without a government licence. - *Commercial production.* 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. - *Products.* No legal consumer products. - *Seeds and clones.* The Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997 defines cannabis as the resin and the flowering or fruiting tops, "excluding the seed and leaves when not accompanied by the tops", so loose seed is not a narcotic drug. Section 4 forbids cultivating any cannabis plant or gathering any portion of one, unless the government licenses it for medical, scientific or industrial purposes. - *Medical use.* No working medical programme yet. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs in the modern sense are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing and supplying cannabis are prohibited. The collective use that does exist is religious and much older. Malangs, the wandering mendicants found in large numbers at Sufi shrines such as that of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan, commonly smoke charas and drink bhang, which they regard as part of their devotion and an aid to ecstatic dance and trance, according to a 2020 study in a Lahore university journal. That is a devotional custom outside respectable society, not a members' association. - *Black market.* The whole market is illegal, and hashish (charas) is the drug the Anti-Narcotics Force seizes most. In the twelve months to mid-2023 the force reported 157.5 tonnes of drugs seized nationwide, of which 61.8 tonnes were hashish, ahead of 43.2 tonnes of opium and 9.3 tonnes of heroin; 1,652 people were arrested in 1,678 cases. Eight operations at sea in 2023, run with foreign agencies on the force's intelligence, took another 13.3 tonnes of charas, which points to a large export trade as well as a domestic one. - *Driving.* The Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance's section 100 prohibits driving or attempting to drive while drink or drugs prevent proper vehicle control. The version published by Pakistan's Ministry of Law provides up to six months' imprisonment or a fine or both for a first offence, and up to two years or a fine or both for a repeat. Section 18(2) provides at least six months' disqualification on conviction under section 100. This describes the published baseline Ordinance: provincial amendments and separate highway legislation mean its fine figures should not be treated as a current uniform nationwide tariff. No numeric THC threshold is stated in section 100. Current provincial ticket schedules, testing procedures and any special rules for medical patients remain to be verified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The narcotics act sets minimum prison terms for possession of any amount: at least ten months for up to 499 g of charas and at least six months for up to 999 g of bhang, each with a fine. - *Other consequences.* A narcotics conviction carries a criminal record. ### China Score 10/100 (Prohibition), rank 106 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cn/ Use brings administrative detention and possible compulsory rehabilitation; trafficking can carry the death penalty. China is nonetheless a leading industrial hemp producer. - **Possession 2/10.** Possessing a small amount is not a crime but an administrative offence. Article 84 of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, as revised from 1 January 2026, sets 10 to 15 days' detention, with a fine of up to 3,000 yuan possible, or up to 5 days or a fine of up to 1,000 yuan in lighter cases. The crime of illegal possession begins at a 'relatively large amount', which the Supreme People's Court's 2016 interpretation puts for cannabis at 30 kg of leaf, 2 kg of resin or 1 kg of oil. A foreigner who breaks the law may be ordered to leave or repatriated, and the Ministry of Public Security may deport someone for a serious breach of the exit-and-entry law. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis for drug use is prohibited and the plants are uprooted. A small number of plants is an administrative offence under Article 83 of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law: 10 to 15 days' detention, with a fine of up to 5,000 yuan possible, or up to 5 days or 1,000 yuan in lighter cases, and no penalty for a grower who uproots the plants before they mature. It becomes a crime under Article 351 of the Criminal Law at 5,000 plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Short detention for users, extreme penalties for supply. Citizens have been warned that using cannabis abroad can be punished on return. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supplying any amount is trafficking under Article 347 of the Criminal Law, which has no minimum quantity; large amounts can bring life imprisonment or death. The 2016 interpretation counts 150 kg of cannabis leaf, 10 kg of resin or 5 kg of cannabis oil as the 'large amount' that opens the heaviest tier. - **Consumption 0/10.** Using a drug is an administrative offence under the same Article 84 as small possession: 10 to 15 days' detention and a possible fine of up to 3,000 yuan. Since 2026 a user can also be ordered, for six months to a year, not to enter entertainment venues or contact people involved in drug offences. Use is proved by urine or hair test, and police conduct testing sweeps in bars. Users are registered in a national database and can be sent to compulsory rehabilitation for up to two years. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Death penalty.* Trafficking in a 'large amount' falls in the tier of the Criminal Law that carries fifteen years, life imprisonment or death. For cannabis the Supreme People's Court's 2016 interpretation puts that amount at 150 kg of leaf, 10 kg of resin or 5 kg of oil. - *Commercial production.* China is one of the world's largest industrial hemp producers, licensed mainly in Yunnan and Heilongjiang, for fibre, seed and extraction for export. - *Products.* No THC products. CBD is not permitted in food or medicines, was banned from cosmetics, and in 2024 was placed under precursor-chemical controls. - *Seeds and clones.* The Drugs Prohibition Law forbids illicitly growing cannabis plants and makes it illegal to trade in, transport, carry or possess seeds or seedlings of drug plants that have not been inactivated. Only enterprises designated by the state may cultivate such plants. Cannabis seed itself is listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as a traditional medicine. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis of any kind. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 328 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 421 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Safety Law says a person who has taken state-controlled psychotropic or narcotic drugs may not drive a motor vehicle. It sets no level and does not ask whether the driver is impaired. The article itself carries no penalty of its own for drugs; the law's detailed drunk-driving penalties refer only to alcohol. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possessing a small amount is an administrative offence under Article 84, in force from 1 January 2026: 10 to 15 days' detention, with a fine of up to 3,000 yuan that may be added, or up to 5 days' detention or a fine of up to 1,000 yuan in a lighter case. Larger amounts are a crime under the Criminal Law. A foreigner who violates the law may be ordered to leave within a time limit, and may be repatriated, which bars return for one to five years. Where a breach of the exit-and-entry law is serious but not a crime, the Ministry of Public Security may deport the person, which bars return for ten years. - *Other consequences.* Registration as a drug user brings years of monitoring and random testing, and affects employment and travel. The Narcotics Control Law has police register drug users and sets community rehabilitation at three years; a user who comes forward to register or seeks treatment is not punished for the use. Since 1 January 2026 records of public-security penalties, drug use included, are sealed: they stay on file but may not be given out except to state organs handling a case or bodies entitled to check under national rules. ### Benin Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 107 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bj/ Illegal for all purposes; possession is reported to carry two to five years in prison, with some informal tolerance outside the cities. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is illegal for all purposes under the 1997 drug-control Act and the 2018 Penal Code. Unauthorised possession of a narcotic is reported to carry two to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 to 5 million CFA francs. There is some informal tolerance in parts of the country, but raids and arrests are active in Cotonou and at borders. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is a crime with heavy sentences. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** A 2017 review of the 1997 Act found that it fixes minimum fines and prison terms which judges must stay within, offers no alternatives to prison and contains no public health or human rights protections. The death penalty, abolished in 2016, no longer applies to any drug offence. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 1997 Act punishes export, import and international transport of drugs with five to ten years in prison and a fine of three times the value of the drugs seized (Article 96). Benin serves increasingly as a transit point: seizures of cannabis rose from 82 kg in 2006 to 2,444 kg in 2021. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is prohibited, but a 2017 review of the 1997 Act found that the law does not state a penalty for it; it only says that using drugs is forbidden. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source: the 1997 Act forbids using drugs and punishes import, export and transport. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 8 of Law 97-025 bans growing the cannabis plant anywhere in the country and obliges whoever owns or occupies land to destroy any plants that come up. The law does not mention seeds; it classifies substances by reference to the international conventions. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,209 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 13,705 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The 1997 Act prohibits drug use, and importing or carrying drugs across the border brings five to ten years in prison and a fine of three times their value. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Bolivia Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 108 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bo/ Recreational cannabis remains prohibited. A medically assessed personal-use quantity leads to compulsory treatment; possession above it falls under trafficking, with ten to twenty-five years in prison plus a fine. An individual compassionate medical import was reported in 2021, and a wider medical-access bill is pending in 2026. - **Possession 1/10.** The drug law sends dependent and occasional users found with a minimal immediate personal-use quantity to compulsory treatment until considered rehabilitated. Two medical experts assess an amount equivalent to 48 hours of consumption. Above that amount, possession falls under trafficking, carrying ten to twenty-five years in prison plus a fine. The rules give no fixed cannabis gram allowance. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlawfully sowing, planting, harvesting, growing or collecting controlled plants or their parts carries one to two years in prison, rising to two to four for repeat offending. The anti-narcotics police reported about 139 tonnes of marijuana seized in plantations or ready for sale in the first seven months of 2024. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Possession above the individually assessed personal-use amount is presumed to be trafficking. Two medical experts determine that amount, leaving the distinction between personal possession and trafficking dependent on their assessment. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Unlawfully supplying controlled substances to another person carries eight to twelve years in prison plus a fine, regardless of quantity. The separate trafficking offence carries ten to twenty-five years plus a fine and has a broad definition covering acts including delivery, supply and donation. - **Consumption 1/10.** Consumption of listed controlled substances is prohibited. Dependent and occasional users found with a minimal quantity for immediate personal use are subject to compulsory admission to a public or private drug-treatment institution until considered rehabilitated. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply remains prohibited under the controlled-substances law. The 2026 bill proposing registered medical patients and licensed pharmacy supply remains listed as pending. - *Commercial production.* The 2017 law requires registration and prior health-ministry permission for production of medicinal controlled substances. Unauthorised cannabis growing remains punishable under the 1988 law. The pending 2026 medical bill proposes specific grower and manufacturer licences. - *Products.* Cannabis and cannabis resin are listed controlled substances. The 2017 law regulates authorised manufacture and prescription supply of medicines containing controlled substances. In 2021 the ombudsman reported a compassionate cannabis-import approval exclusively for one child under medical supervision. - *Seeds and clones.* The 1988 law prohibits production or keeping of controlled plants and their seeds. Unlawful sowing, planting, harvesting, growing or collecting controlled plants or their parts carries one to two years in prison, rising to two to four for repeat offending. The 2017 law separately requires prior authorisation for production of medicinal controlled substances. - *Medical use.* The ombudsman reported an individual compassionate cannabis-import approval in November 2021 after helping a family clarify medicines-agency requirements. The 2017 law requires health-ministry permissions for medicinal controlled substances and provides limited scientific and medical research authorisations. A 2026 bill would create a patient register and prescribed cannabis supply through authorised pharmacies; parliament still listed it as pending in October. - *Cannabis clubs.* Recreational collective growing and supply remain subject to the offences against unlawful cultivation and supply. The 2026 medical bill proposes licensed production and pharmacy dispensing. - *Black market.* Marijuana is seized in far larger volumes than cocaine. The government reported in December 2024 that the anti-narcotics force had seized about 1,269 tonnes of marijuana and 139 tonnes of cocaine since November 2020, and that 13,359 people had been arrested for drug trafficking in that time. - *Driving.* Traffic Code article 97 prohibits driving under the effects of drugs or other intoxicants, as well as when physical or mental health prevents normal and safe driving. The licensing authority's published code confirms this drug-influence rule; it does not set a numerical THC concentration. The police-hosted code and regulations distinguish drug-caused intoxication from alcohol provisions and include licence consequences in the older first-degree offence schedule. That publication also contains later public-transport rules, but its historical monetary amounts and alcohol-specific sanctions have not been verified as a current cannabis-driving tariff. Exact fines, current suspension periods and toxicological testing procedures therefore remain unresolved here. No waiting time after cannabis use or general medical exception is inferred from those source gaps. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational supply is prohibited. The personal-possession rule sends users with the medically assessed immediate-use quantity to compulsory treatment and treats amounts above it as trafficking. The law also subjects foreigners without permanent residence to residence legislation and an additional fine in personal-use cases. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The anti-narcotics police force FELCN reported 1,877 people arrested in 5,670 operations between January and July 2024, when it seized about 139 tonnes of marijuana, counted both in plantations and ready for sale, and about 30 tonnes of cocaine. Over the 1,500 days from November 2020 to December 2024 the government counted 13,359 people arrested for drug trafficking and 1,269 tonnes of marijuana seized. The arrests are not split by drug. - *Other consequences.* A person classified as holding cannabis for immediate personal use faces compulsory treatment until considered rehabilitated. Possession above the medically assessed quantity falls under a trafficking offence carrying ten to twenty-five years in prison plus a fine. ### Burundi Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 109 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bi/ Cannabis possession and use are crimes; judges can impose one to five years in prison, a fine, or both. - **Possession 1/10.** Illicit possession of a controlled drug carries one to five years in prison, a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Burundian francs, or both, under Article 510 of the 2017 Penal Code. The code leaves drug classification to health-ministry orders. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing narcotic plants is prohibited outside conditions set by the health ministry. The general regulatory offence carries one to five years in prison, a fine of 100,000 to 250,000 Burundian francs, or both. The code separately punishes illicit production with ten to fifteen years and a fine up to one million francs, and orders confiscated crops destroyed. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Mainline's country briefing reports that people who use drugs face arrest, imprisonment or fines. Its interviewees described court supervision for consumption as rarely implemented because institutions lacked staff and resources. These accounts cover drugs generally; the report gives no cannabis-specific imprisonment rate. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Helping someone else use a controlled drug, for payment or free, carries one to five years in prison and a fine of 50,000 to one million Burundian francs. This includes providing a place for use. Production, import, manufacture and export carry ten to fifteen years and a fine up to one million francs; organised-group penalties are doubled. - **Consumption 1/10.** Illicit consumption carries one to five years in prison, a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Burundian francs, or both. Judges must also impose supervision intended to prevent repeat offending. This can include treatment after medical assessment or training, with further imprisonment if ordered care or training is refused. - **Legal access 0/10.** Growing, selling, transporting and holding controlled drugs are prohibited outside conditions set by the health ministry. The reviewed sources establish no authorised supply for recreational users. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The reviewed sources establish no legal recreational supply for visitors. Illicit possession or consumption carries one to five years in prison, a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Burundian francs, or both. - *Other consequences.* The drug provisions require confiscation of controlled plants and substances and equipment used for consumption, manufacture or transport. Courts must order confiscated crops destroyed; the offender bears the cost when authorities carry out the destruction. ### Cabo Verde Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 110 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cv/ Small personal-use possession, cultivation and consumption are criminal but have a separate three-month-or-fine provision. Trafficking has heavier penalties. Scientific growing and controlled-medicine authorisations exist in law; a functioning cannabis patient service remains unverified. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 20 of Law 78/IV/93 covers small quantities held or acquired for personal use, with up to three months in prison or a fine of up to 30 days. It gives no fixed gram threshold. Lesser trafficking under article 6 instead carries one to five years for Table I/II substances. The case described in Constitutional Court ruling 18/2023 involved 15 g and an eighteen-month lesser-trafficking sentence; the defendant disputed that classification. That case does not make every 15 g possession offence trafficking or establish typical sentencing. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Small cultivation intended for the grower’s own consumption falls under article 20, with up to three months or a fine of up to 30 days; it is not legal home-growing. Other unauthorised cultivation falls under article 3, ordinarily four to twelve years, subject to lesser-trafficking provisions where applicable. Article 6 of Decree-Law 92/92 separately permits Health Ministry licences for scientific or teaching cultivation. No recreational plant allowance was established. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The statute provides both fines and custody for personal consumption offences. A discretionary article 20 waiver requires minority, no repeat offence and a solemn undertaking before a magistrate, cumulatively. Article 22 already allowed conditional sentence suspension for a dependent offender voluntarily undertaking treatment; the vetoed 2020 compulsory-treatment proposal should not be mistaken for the first treatment provision. One reported eighteen-month lesser-trafficking sentence for 15 g is not a representative sentencing survey; the enforcement rating remains provisional. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Article 3 covers offering, distributing, transferring or providing controlled drugs to another person, ordinarily four to twelve years for Table I/II substances. It provides no general unpaid-gift exception. Article 6 permits a lesser-trafficking band where unlawfulness is considerably reduced, but does not legalise sharing. Article 12 separately addresses inciting or facilitating illicit use. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use itself is an article 20 offence, punishable by up to three months in prison or a fine of up to 30 days. The waiver is discretionary and restricted to a minor meeting all listed conditions, not every first offender. Article 21 protects anonymity and professional confidentiality for people who voluntarily seek health assistance. - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful recreational supply route or operating cannabis patient service was established. Decree-Law 92/92 provides scientific/teaching cultivation licences and a controlled medicines system; Table II substances require special prescriptions under article 22. ERIS identifies cannabis and resin as controlled under Table II-A. These statutory powers do not establish stocked cannabis medicines or permission for ordinary retail sales. - *Commercial production.* Decree-Law 92/92 article 6 expressly prohibits cannabis cultivation but permits Health Ministry licences for scientific or teaching purposes. Its authorisation and manufacturing provisions impose controls on licensed entities; they are not a recreational or general industrial-hemp exemption. Issued cannabis-growing licences and lawful output volumes were not established. - *Products.* ERIS’s 6 May 2024 circular reiterates a prohibition on cannabis-related preparations and CBD or other cannabinoid ingredients in cosmetics under the framework it describes. It warns that a blank CBD entry in an ingredient inventory is not permission. This cosmetics guidance should not be extrapolated into an unsourced rule for every food, medicine or seed product. - *Seeds and clones.* Personal-use cultivation remains criminal under article 20, while Decree-Law 92/92 reserves authorised cultivation to scientific or teaching purposes. Growing cuttings has no recreational exemption. The reviewed provisions do not expressly resolve isolated seed possession or seed commerce; grey records that uncertainty rather than a verified permission. - *Medical use.* The limited label reflects a statutory framework, not a verified patient programme. Decree-Law 92/92 permits scientific or teaching cultivation licences and provides controlled medicines authorisations, special prescriptions for Table II substances and pharmacist dispensing. ERIS places cannabis and resin in Table II-A. Current cannabis prescribing practice, issued product authorisations and availability remain unverified. - *Cannabis clubs.* The reviewed framework establishes no recreational collective-growing or distribution permission. Personal cultivation remains criminal and article 3 includes transfers to others. Article 13 separately penalises operators who allow premises to be used for illicit trafficking or consumption. No claim is made about the prevalence of informal associations. - *Visitors and foreigners.* No recreational visitor purchase route was established. Personal-use custody or fines remain possible under article 20, and foreign offenders can face discretionary expulsion under article 19. Decree-Law 92/92 article 30 contains a medical-document rule for travellers carrying Table II/III substances; it does not by itself validate a foreign cannabis recommendation or every cannabis product at the border. - *Other consequences.* Articles 16–17 provide forfeiture of controlled substances, relevant equipment and crime proceeds, subject to stated protections for good-faith third parties. Article 19 permits the court to expel a foreign national convicted under the law for no more than fifteen years; expulsion is discretionary, not an automatic outcome in every possession case. ### Cameroon Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 111 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cm/ Growing cannabis is banned. The main offences allow 10 to 20 years in prison, a fine, or both; a small amount possessed, bought or grown for personal use falls under a lighter tier, and a court can waive punishment after a promise not to reoffend. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 102 of Law 97/019 sets a lighter tier for holding, buying or growing a small amount meant for personal use: 2 months to 1 year, a fine of 25,000 to 1,250,000 CFA francs, or both for a high-risk plant or substance, including cannabis oil. A cannabis derivative other than oil carries 1 to 6 months, a fine of 25,000 to 500,000 CFA francs, or both. The court may waive the penalty if the person solemnly promises not to reoffend. Larger amounts fall under Article 93 (10 to 20 years). - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 8 bans growing the cannabis plant, and landowners must destroy plantations that appear on their land. Article 91 punishes cultivation of high-risk drugs with 10 to 20 years, a fine of 250,000 to 1,250,000 CFA francs, or both; Article 102 gives the lighter personal-use tier for a small amount. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The statute allows prison, a fine, or both for personal-use offences and the main cultivation and trafficking offences. Courts can waive personal-use punishment after a solemn promise not to reoffend. How often these options are used is not shown by the statute. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Article 95 punishes giving or offering a high-risk drug to a person for their own use with 2 to 5 years, a fine of 50,000 to 2,500,000 CFA francs, or both. General selling and distributing offences allow 10 to 20 years, a fine, or both (Article 93). - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 101 forbids using controlled drugs without a medical prescription and orders any drug found on a user seized. The penalty set for the user in the text is the possession tier of Article 102. - **Legal access 0/10.** Cannabis and its resin are placed in Table I, according to the justice ministry's 2017 presentation. Article 9 prohibits ordinary handling of Table I drugs, subject to Article 77, which allows ministerial authorisation for medical or scientific research, training and forensic work in strictly necessary quantities. The retained sources establish no operating cannabis treatment supply programme. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 8 of Law 97/019 bans growing the cannabis plant anywhere in the country and obliges landholders to destroy plantations that appear on their land. The law speaks of plants and substances and does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 6,861 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 6,639 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Article 103 of the drug law punishes driving under the influence of cannabis with the penalties the Penal Code sets for driving while drunk or intoxicated, given by the justice ministry as six months to ten years in prison and a fine of 20,000 to 1,000,000 CFA francs, or one of the two. Where someone is killed or injured the penalties for that offence are doubled. No measured limit is mentioned. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. For convictions under Articles 91–99 of the drug law, Article 111 allows courts to bar a foreigner from Cameroon for two to ten years or permanently. The personal-use offence in Article 102 is outside that stated list. - *Other consequences.* For offences listed in Articles 91–99, courts may impose a country ban on foreigners lasting two to ten years or permanently, and restrictions on civic rights, travel, driving or professional work; the professional ban can also be permanent. Article 113 permits treatment instead of or alongside punishment for convicted people with drug dependence in the specified cases. Evading treatment carries two to five years, a fine, or both. ### Central African Republic Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 112 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cf/ Cannabis is prohibited. The 2001 drug law distinguishes small personal possession and growing from ordinary production and trafficking, with a fine alone possible for small personal quantities. - **Possession 1/10.** Small quantities held or bought for personal consumption have a separate penalty under the 2001 law. High-risk plants or substances, including cannabis oil, carry two months to one year, a fine of 25,000–1.25 million CFA francs, or both. Cannabis derivatives other than oil carry one to six months, a fine of 25,000–500,000 francs, or both. No gram limit is given. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cannabis growing is prohibited, and landowners and occupiers must destroy cannabis plants growing on their land. Small personal cultivation falls under the shorter penalty tiers described for possession, with no fixed plant limit. Ordinary high-risk cultivation and production carry ten to twenty years, a fine of 250,000–125 million CFA francs, or both. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** British travel advice warns of severe penalties for drug use and possession, including prison. In November 2024, the anti-drug office destroyed cannabis and other products seized along the Oubangui river, in Boy-Rabe and at Combattant market in Bangui. The 2001 law allows courts to order care for a dependent person convicted of specified offences; evading it carries two to five years, a fine, or both. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or offering a high-risk drug directly for another person's consumption carries two to five years, a fine of 25,000–2.5 million CFA francs, or both. General high-risk supply and trafficking carry ten to twenty years, a fine of 250,000–125 million francs, or both. - **Consumption 1/10.** The drug law prohibits using controlled drugs outside a medical prescription. Drugs found with a person using them illicitly can be confiscated even without prosecution. The separate small-personal-quantity penalty expressly lists possession, purchase and growing. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply is prohibited. Licensed operations involving controlled drugs in the medical schedules are limited to medical purposes. The health minister can also authorise strictly necessary quantities for medical or scientific research, teaching and forensic work. - *Commercial production.* The law prohibits cannabis cultivation and requires destruction of plants found on occupied land. It allows specific health-minister authorisations for research, teaching and forensic work involving controlled plants and substances. - *Products.* The retained sources do not identify cannabis products available through a lawful patient supply programme. - *Medical use.* The law regulates licensed operations involving controlled medicines and permits specific research authorisations. The retained sources do not establish an operating medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Cannabis cultivation is prohibited, and giving drugs to another person is punishable even when intended for that person's own consumption. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 374 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 242 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no lawful recreational supply route. British travel advice warns of heavy fines and prison for drug use and possession. The drug law also permits exclusion of a convicted foreigner for the production, trafficking and supply offences listed in its additional-penalty clause. - *Other consequences.* For specified production, trafficking and supply offences, courts may add restrictions on residence, travel, civic rights, driving or professional activity. They may exclude a foreigner permanently or for two to ten years, with removal after the prison term. These additional penalties apply to Articles 95–103; small personal quantities are dealt with separately in Article 110. ### Chad Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 113 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/td/ Chad prohibits cannabis. Its 2000 pharmacy law provides prison and fine alternatives for narcotics offences and compulsory treatment powers. The full 1995 drug law and a current consolidated account of the overlapping rules remain unverified, as do the scores below. - **Possession 1/10.** The 2000 pharmacy law, Articles 134–135, provides one to six years in prison, a fine of 300,000 to three million CFA francs, or both for possessing narcotics without a legitimate reason. Its relationship with the separate 1995 drug law and subsequent changes has not been verified. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 136 of the 2000 pharmacy law doubles the ordinary narcotics penalties for illicit cultivation: two to twelve years in prison, a doubled fine, or both. Current consolidated penalties remain unverified; see possession. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Article 38 of the 2017 Penal Code allows up to two years of confinement in a special health institution for a person with drug dependence convicted of an offence punishable by at least two years in prison. Under Article 41 it begins after the principal prison sentence ends or is suspended. The court may shorten confinement after medical advice that release no longer threatens public order. Current drug-offence penalties remain unverified; see possession. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 2000 pharmacy law punishes helping someone else use narcotics, even free of charge, with one to six years in prison, a fine, or both. It also requires a five to twenty year residence restriction for facilitating use. Current consolidated penalties remain unverified; see possession. - **Consumption 1/10.** The 1966 decree expressly prohibited cannabis use. Article 134 of the 2000 pharmacy law sets one to six years in prison, a fine, or both for using narcotics together. Current consolidated penalties remain unverified; see possession. - **Legal access 0/10.** No operating cannabis supply programme was established by the retained sources. The 1966 decree allowed the health minister to grant exceptions for scientific research; the 2000 law regulated controlled medicines and adopted treaty drug lists. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* The retained sources establish no authorised cannabis clubs. The 2000 pharmacy law punishes using narcotics together and helping others use them, including providing premises. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 400 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 125 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says penalties for drug use and possession are severe and usually include a prison sentence, and that conditions in local prisons are harsh. - *Other consequences.* The 2000 pharmacy law requires a five to twenty year residence restriction for facilitating narcotics use and provides confiscation and professional bans in specified cases. Its present application alongside the 1995 drug law remains unverified. ### Congo Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 114 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cg/ The 2025 law allows a fine alone for small personal possession, purchase or growing; cannabis derivatives other than oil carry a one-to-six-month prison range. - **Possession 1/10.** For a small amount bought, held or grown for personal use, Article 53 sets two months to one year, a 100,000–500,000 CFA franc fine, or both for high-risk drugs including cannabis oil. Cannabis derivatives other than oil carry one to six months, a 50,000–250,000 franc fine, or both. No numerical small-quantity threshold is defined. Article 40 separately sets one to twelve months, a 1–2 million franc fine, or either alone for high-risk drugs held or used for personal consumption. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 7 bans growing plants classified as narcotics by the international conventions and requires landowners, operators and occupiers to destroy such plants. Ordinary high-risk cultivation carries five to ten years, a 5–20 million CFA franc fine, or both under Article 37. Small personal growing is covered by Article 53 and can result in a fine alone. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** In November 2024, the official news agency reported cannabis arrests and a house search in Owando, with suspects presented to the prosecutor. The report still cited the colonial 1916 poisonous-substances law. Outcomes of ordinary personal-use cases under the 2025 law remain unknown. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or offering a high-risk drug directly for another person’s consumption carries one to two years, a 500,000–1 million CFA franc fine, or either alone under Article 43. General high-risk supply under Article 39 carries two to ten years, a 5–20 million franc fine, or both. - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 52 prohibits drug use outside medical prescriptions and permits confiscation even without prosecution. Article 40 provides one to twelve months, a 1–2 million CFA franc fine, or either penalty alone for high-risk drugs held or used for personal consumption. - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful source for personal use. Authorisations under the law are for medical use only (Article 8). - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 7 of Law 30-2025 bans growing plants classed as narcotic by the international conventions anywhere in the country, and obliges whoever owns or occupies land to destroy them. The law does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* The drug law prohibits cultivation and supply and provides no recreational club exception. Facilitating high-risk use, including through premises, carries five to ten years, a fine, or both under Article 41. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational supply is prohibited for visitors. A small personal quantity can attract a fine alone under Article 53, while Article 61 allows courts to expel foreigners convicted of offences under Articles 40–54, including the personal-quantity offence. - *Other consequences.* For offences under Articles 40–54, courts can order a foreigner’s expulsion, residence restrictions, driving restrictions and professional bans under Article 61. For prison sentences of at least one year under Articles 40–54, Article 74 restricts specified release and sentence-adjustment measures before two-thirds of the term has been served. ### Djibouti Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 115 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/dj/ Illicit use carries up to one year and possession up to ten under the Penal Code; general sentencing rules let courts impose just one of the listed penalties. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 356 of the 1995 Penal Code sets ten years and a 500 million franc fine for illicit possession, acquisition, transport or supply. The code defines no personal-use quantity. Articles 70–73 let courts impose just one listed penalty and reduce prison terms or fines, so the listed term and fine are not invariably imposed together. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 355 sets twenty years and a 500 million franc fine for illicit production, manufacture, import or export. It does not separately define a personal-growing tier. The general sentencing rules in Articles 70–73 allow one listed penalty alone and reductions in sentence. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** In August 2026, the Einguella gendarmerie reported seizing 88 cannabis packages weighing 12 kg at a Balbala storage site. Several suspects were held in police custody pending presentation to justice authorities. This report does not establish the usual outcome of personal-use cases. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or offering narcotics directly for another person’s consumption carries five years and a 5 million franc fine under Article 358, rising to ten years where minors, education centres or government premises are involved. General supply under Article 356 carries ten years. Articles 70–73 allow courts to select one penalty alone and reduce sentences. - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 359 sets one year and a 200,000 franc fine for illicit use. The general sentencing rules allow a court to impose a fine alone or a shorter prison term. The maximum written in the offence is not a mandatory one-year sentence. - **Legal access 0/10.** The Penal Code criminalises illicit acquisition, possession, offering and supply. Free-zone rules also expressly exclude cannabis, hashish and cannabis resin from the goods admitted to those commercial zones. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* The Penal Code criminalises illicit production, possession and supply and provides no recreational cannabis-club exception. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 110 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 120 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Illicit possession and supply remain offences for visitors. Foreigners convicted of production, import, general possession or supply, or drug-money laundering under Articles 355–357 can also be excluded permanently or for up to ten years. The foreigner-exclusion clause does not list simple use or direct supply to a consumer. - *Other consequences.* For drug offences, courts can impose professional restrictions, suspend or cancel a driving licence and confiscate property. Article 366 permits permanent exclusion, or exclusion for up to ten years, of foreigners convicted under Articles 355–357; the clause does not list the separate simple-use offence in Article 359. ### DR Congo Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 116 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cd/ Recreational cannabis is prohibited. A 2022 ministerial order specifies licensing and controls for medical and scientific cannabis activities; an operating patient programme was not verified. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 2 of the 2022 order prohibits possession for purposes other than medical and scientific use. It does not set a small personal-use allowance. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 97 requires health-ministry authorisation for medical or scientific cultivation. Non-industrial cultivation requires a prior derogation under article 101; recreational growing remains prohibited. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Article 121 refers violations to the Penal Code and pharmacy and health legislation. Those cross-references do not by themselves establish a precise cannabis sentence or actual enforcement frequency. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Recreational commercialisation is prohibited by article 2. The licensed cannabis sector remains subject to authorisations and controls. No personal gifting exemption was established. - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 72 prohibits use outside a medical prescription; article 2 reserves authorised activities to medical and scientific purposes. - **Legal access 0/10.** There is no recreational route. Article 112 requires express authorisation for imports of finished medical cannabis products; an operating patient supply service was not established. - *Commercial production.* The 2022 order regulates licensed medical and scientific cannabis cultivation and production. Industrial plots require at least five hectares; smaller operations need prior derogation. - *Products.* Article 112 restricts imports of finished medical cannabis products to express authorisation. Article 113 permits exports of semi-finished and finished products under authorisation, while prohibiting raw cannabis exports. - *Medical use.* The order provides a regulated medical and scientific framework. Article 100 specifies at most 0.2% THC for medical cultivation and no THC ceiling for scientific cultivation. This does not verify patient availability. - *Cannabis clubs.* The reviewed order establishes medical and scientific licensing, not recreational social clubs. Article 97 excludes non-profit associations from its ordinary agricultural-operator provision. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,800 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,200 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Other consequences.* Article 119 permits withdrawal of a cannabis-sector licence for breaches, illicit trafficking, recreational diversion or refusal of inspection. Article 120 provides a corrective-measures process. ### Ethiopia Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 117 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/et/ Possession for personal use can bring up to seven years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of up to 50,000 Birr. Supply with the intent to traffic starts at five years. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 525(4) of the 2004 Criminal Code punishes planting, buying, receiving, making, possessing, selling or delivering a narcotic for private use by oneself or another, and unlawful use, with rigorous imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up to 50,000 Birr. Those figures are the statutory ceilings. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing for one's own use falls under the same ceiling of seven years. Growing with the intent to traffic is a different offence: rigorous imprisonment of not less than five years and a fine of up to 100,000 Birr. The aggravated trafficking cases start at ten years and a fine of up to 200,000 Birr. The article states those minimums and does not set a maximum term for them. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The personal-use offence is rigorous imprisonment of up to seven years. Trafficking-intent offences start at five years, and the aggravated cases at ten. No account of how often ordinary users are jailed was found. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Delivering or selling a narcotic for private use by another person is the personal-use offence, with up to seven years. Supply with the intent to traffic starts at five years, and the aggravated cases at ten. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence. This applies equally in Shashamane, the Rastafari settlement, despite its reputation. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. In March 2019 the health minister said growing cannabis for medical purposes had never been recognised or approved, and the Investment Commission said it would issue no permit to grow it, after a proposed farm in the Amhara region caused a public outcry. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* Article 75 of the 2024 Road Transport Traffic Control Regulation prohibits driving or attempting to drive under the influence of drugs or while taking them. It also covers medication or substances that may diminish physical or mental driving competence. The rule extends beyond a requirement to prove impaired control; it does not establish a numerical THC allowance. Drivers involved in a fatal crash may be required to take a drug test, with refusal treated as a positive result. Traffic controllers may hold a drug-influenced driver's vehicle for twelve hours unless another fit person drives it. Article 98 repealed Regulation 208/2011 as amended by 395/2017, while preserving compatible earlier directives. Article 95 refers penalties to Schedule B, but that schedule is absent from the Ministry of Justice PDF reviewed; no current fine or fixed licence-ban duration is asserted here from the repealed regulation. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession for personal use can bring rigorous imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up to 50,000 Birr. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Gabon Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 118 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ga/ Cannabis is prohibited. The 2020 Penal Code separates illicit use, carrying up to one year and a fine, from general possession and direct supply, which carry longer prison terms. - **Possession 1/10.** Outside separately specified trafficking offences, Article 208 of the 2020 code sets ten years in prison and a fine of up to 100 million CFA francs for illicit transport, possession, offering, transfer or acquisition of narcotics. Cannabis and its derivatives are expressly included. This differs from the separate, shorter offence of use. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** The 2020 code punishes organising illicit drug production or manufacture with twenty years and a fine of up to 50 million CFA francs, rising to thirty years for an organised group. Its drug clauses do not define a separate penalty tier for a small personal crop. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** In May 2026, Libreville prosecutors destroyed three truckloads of seized drugs, including cannabis, in the presence of the justice minister. The ministry said the aim was to prevent seized drugs returning to sale. Courts may order medical supervision or detoxification and withhold the use penalty; evading the order carries up to three years and a fine. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or offering narcotics directly for another person's consumption carries up to five years and a fine of up to 10 million CFA francs. Helping another person obtain or use drugs, whether free or for payment, has the same maximums. The general possession and supply clause and organised-trafficking offences carry longer terms. - **Consumption 1/10.** Illicit use carries up to one year and a fine of up to 1.5 million CFA francs. If the person needs medical treatment, a court can order supervision or detoxification in a public or private centre and withhold that punishment. Evading treatment carries up to three years and a fine of up to two million francs. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply is prohibited. The 2026 Health Code limits specially authorised controlled-drug activities to medical and scientific purposes and requires special prescriptions for authorised narcotics. - *Commercial production.* The Health Code requires renewable special authorisation for controlled-drug production and other specified activities, exclusively for medical and scientific purposes. Conditions are to be set by regulation. Organising illicit production remains a serious criminal offence. - *Products.* The retained sources do not identify cannabis products available through a lawful patient supply programme. - *Seeds and clones.* The code's drug provisions expressly cover cannabis and its derivatives and punish organising illicit production. They do not specify a personal plant allowance or separately settle possession and trade in ungerminated seeds. - *Medical use.* The 2026 Health Code provides for specially authorised medical and scientific activities involving controlled drugs and for special narcotic prescriptions. The retained sources do not establish an operating medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Supplying drugs to another person remains criminal, including direct gifts for that person's consumption. - *Black market.* Cannabis is the drug Gabon's police intercept most. The commander of the National Police Forces reported in January 2026 that seizures rose from 433 kg in 2024 to 975 kg in 2025, and that the anti-drug office OCLAD took part in operations accounting for nearly a tonne. He presented the increase as a sign of growing use and trafficking. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no lawful recreational supply route. The 2020 code expressly covers cannabis; possession and use have separate criminal penalties. - *Other consequences.* Courts must order confiscation and destruction of drugs seized under the relevant drug provisions. Additional penalties can include restrictions on civic rights, residence or professional activity, withdrawal of a passport and closure of premises used in an offence. ### Gambia Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 119 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gm/ First-time possession of 0.1–150 grams carries a 50,000–100,000-dalasi fine, one to two years in prison, or both. - **Possession 1/10.** The enacted 2014 amendment gives first-time cannabis possession its own scale. For 0.1–150 grams it allows a fine of 50,000–100,000 dalasi, one to two years in prison, or both; for 151–500 grams, 100,000–150,000 dalasi or two to five years, or both; from 501 grams, 150,000–250,000 dalasi or three to ten years, or both. The general possession rule remains separate, as do trafficking offences. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unauthorised cannabis growing is prohibited. The 2014 amendment expressly extends the cultivation provision to prohibited drugs and the First Schedule, where cannabis is listed; its penalty allows a fine of at least 50,000 dalasi, at least three years in prison, or both. The law separately provides for specifically authorised scientific cultivation. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Prison remains possible for first-time cannabis possession, alongside a fine alternative. The drug agency’s 2019–2023 strategy described burdensome fines, prison sentences and limited rehabilitation, and called for alternatives for young and first-time offenders. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 2011 amendment raised the minimum fine in the general trafficking clause to ten million dalasi, alongside at least ten years in prison. The quantity rule covers more than ten grams of cannabis resin or two kilograms of cannabis, unless the accused proves the possession was not for trafficking. Separate supply offences also apply. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is prosecuted through possession. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,924 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,954 kg in 2023, and 14 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 9.6 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Motor Traffic Act section 48(1) prohibits drug-impaired driving, attempting to drive, or being in charge of a motor vehicle on a road, parking place or other public place. It covers both inability to control the vehicle properly and impaired efficiency as a driver. Section 48(3) permits a uniformed police officer to arrest an offender without warrant. The security- legislation publication is marked Issue 1/2009: its main text describes twelve-month disqualification with a special-reasons exception, while section 100 and the penalty schedule give different sanction wording, including a five-year disqualification. Current fines and licence-ban terms are therefore left unresolved pending amendment/consolidation checks. Drug toxicology, specimen-refusal rules and a numeric THC cutoff were not established. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply. The 2014 first-offender scale for cannabis possession starts at 0.1–150 grams, with a fine of 50,000–100,000 dalasi, one to two years in prison, or both; the enacted scale provides longer prison ranges for larger quantities. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Drug Law Enforcement Agency reported 1,219 people arrested in 1,208 drug cases in 2024; 1,014 were Gambians and 205 foreigners. It seized 1.9 tonnes of cannabis sativa and 2.2 tonnes from plantations, and cannabis made up 54.7% of all seizures. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Guatemala Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 120 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gt/ Acquiring or possessing cannabis for personal consumption carries four months to two years in prison plus a fine. A reasonable amount for immediate use and the circumstances determine personal possession; the law gives no fixed gram allowance. Unauthorised growing and supply carry longer prison terms. - **Possession 1/10.** Acquiring or possessing drugs for personal consumption carries four months to two years in prison and a Q200–Q10,000 fine. Personal use requires a reasonable quantity for immediate consumption and circumstances supporting that purpose. The law gives no fixed cannabis gram allowance. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unauthorised sowing, growing or harvesting of drug-producing seeds, plants, flowers or plant parts carries five to twenty years in prison and a Q10,000–Q100,000 fine. In October 2026 the Interior Ministry reported destroying 34,563 cannabis plants during weekend operations in Totonicapán and Petén. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Police continue to eradicate cannabis crops: the Interior Ministry reported destroying 19,420 plants near Momostenango and 15,143 in Ixmucané, Las Cruces, after weekend operations in October 2026. Prosecutors supported the work. Personal possession also remains a criminal offence under the drug law. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The trafficking offence includes unauthorised distribution, supply and transfer on any basis, as well as selling, storing and transporting controlled drugs or drug-producing seeds and plants. It carries twelve to twenty years in prison and a Q50,000–Q1,000,000 fine. - **Consumption 1/10.** The law criminalises acquiring or possessing drugs for personal consumption, with four months to two years in prison plus a fine. It describes personal use through a reasonable amount for immediate consumption and the other circumstances of the case. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational cannabis supply falls within the drug-law offences against unauthorised distribution and sale. A 2016 bill proposing licensed adult supply received an adverse committee opinion, followed by opposition to a medical cannabis bill in 2017. - *Commercial production.* Unauthorised cultivation carries five to twenty years in prison plus a fine; unauthorised drug manufacture or extraction carries eight to twenty years plus a fine. The law separately allows strictly necessary quantities for authorised medical treatment, scientific research, analysis and medicine manufacture. - *Products.* The drug law covers substances and the seeds, flowers, plants or plant parts from which drugs can be extracted. It provides for authorised medical and scientific handling and requires prescriptions for sales to private customers under its lawful-use rule. - *Seeds and clones.* The drug law includes drug-producing seeds, flowers, plants and plant parts in its definition. Unauthorised sowing, growing or harvesting carries five to twenty years in prison plus a fine; unauthorised acquisition, transfer, storage, transport or supply of drug-producing seeds and plants falls within a trafficking offence carrying twelve to twenty years plus a fine. - *Medical use.* The general drug law permits strictly necessary quantities for medical treatment, scientific research, analysis and medicine manufacture by legally authorised people. A separate cannabis bill for medicinal, therapeutic and scientific production and supply received an adverse opinion from Congress’s Health Committee in 2017. - *Cannabis clubs.* Recreational collective growing and supply fall within the offences against unauthorised cultivation and distribution. The 2016 proposal for five home plants and licensed commercial supply received an adverse committee opinion. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,097 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 756 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational supply remains prohibited. Acquiring or possessing cannabis for personal consumption carries four months to two years in prison plus a Q200–Q10,000 fine; the law gives no fixed cannabis gram allowance. - *Other consequences.* Personal-possession convictions carry a prison sentence and a fine under the drug law. The distinction from trafficking depends on a reasonable quantity for immediate consumption and the circumstances; trafficking carries twelve to twenty years in prison plus a fine. ### Guinea Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 121 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gn/ Cannabis possession and use are offences. The 2016 Penal Code gives small personal possession, purchase and growing a separate one-to-three-year range, a value-based fine, or both. - **Possession 1/10.** Small personal buying or possession carries one to three years, a fine equal to three times the value seized, or either punishment alone under Article 832 of the 2016 Penal Code. The rule expressly includes cannabis oil and other cannabis derivatives. No gram limit is given. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 832 applies the same shorter tier to a small quantity grown for personal consumption, without a fixed plant limit. Ordinary high-risk cultivation and production carry ten to twenty years, a fine of three times the value seized, or either punishment alone under Article 819. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** In a 2019 Dixinn hearing, prosecutors requested prison terms for some cannabis defendants and acquittal for others; the report preceded judgment. Courts can compel convicted drug users to undergo treatment instead of or alongside punishment, with two to five years for refusing treatment under the 2016 code. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The 2016 code has overlapping supply clauses. Article 835 sets one to three years and a fine of 1–5 million Guinean francs, or either punishment alone, for giving narcotics directly for another person's use. Article 821 sets five to ten years and a fine of three times the value seized, or either alone, for directly supplying high-risk drugs. Ordinary high-risk trafficking carries ten to twenty years, a value-based fine, or either alone. - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 831 prohibits using controlled drugs outside a medical prescription and provides for confiscation independently of prosecution. The small-personal-quantity penalty in Article 832 expressly lists buying, possession and growing. Consumption was among the allegations in the 2019 Dixinn case. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational production and supply are criminal offences. The retained sources do not identify a lawful recreational source. - *Commercial production.* Ordinary high-risk drug cultivation and production are criminal offences. The retained sources do not identify licensed cannabis producers. - *Products.* The retained sources do not identify cannabis products available through a lawful patient supply programme. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2016 Penal Code punishes unlawful drug-plant cultivation. Article 832 sets one to three years, a fine equal to three times the value seized, or either punishment alone, for small personal cultivation. It gives no plant limit. The drug clauses do not settle seed sale or possession separately. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish an operating medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Growing and supplying cannabis remain criminal offences, including growing a small quantity for personal use. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no lawful recreational supply route. Small personal possession is a criminal offence, and the code permits permanent exclusion of convicted foreigners as an additional penalty for drug offences. - *Other consequences.* Courts can impose additional penalties for drug offences, including restrictions on travel, residence, civic rights and professional activity. They may permanently exclude a convicted foreigner from Guinea. Compulsory treatment can replace or accompany punishment, and refusal carries two to five years in prison. ### Guinea-Bissau Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 122 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/gw/ The 1993 decree-law criminalises use and small personal possession or cultivation, with different custody bands for high-risk plants, cannabis oil and other cannabis derivatives. Its youth waiver is conditional, not a general first-offender exemption. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 20 of Decree-Law 2-B/93 separates small quantities intended for personal consumption from ordinary trafficking. It sets two months to one year for high-risk plants or substances, expressly including cannabis oil, and one to six months for cannabis derivatives other than oil. It does not state a gram threshold or a fine alternative in that article. The earlier three-month-or-fine claim was unsupported; representative sentencing practice remains unverified, so the possession rating is provisional. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Small-quantity cultivation for personal consumption falls within article 20, with the same substance-dependent prison bands as personal possession. Other unauthorised cultivation of Table I/II plants falls under article 3, whose maximum is twelve years. The compilation prints an editorial two-year minimum but notes that the official gazette omitted that number. No legal home-growing allowance or fixed plant limit was established. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The law permits custody for personal use. A discretionary waiver under article 20(2) requires all three conditions: the person is below legal adulthood, has no repeat offence, and solemnly undertakes before a magistrate not to repeat it. Article 22 allows a dependent offender’s sentence to be suspended on treatment conditions, with revocation for culpable noncompliance. These are statutory routes, not evidence that adult users usually receive fines; the enforcement rating remains provisional pending actual outcomes. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Article 3 includes offering, distributing, transferring or providing high-risk drugs to another person, with no general exemption for an unpaid gift. Its maximum is twelve years; the printed two-year minimum is flagged by the editor as absent from the official gazette. Article 12 separately punishes inciting or facilitating illicit use. Passing cannabis to another adult is not a lawful sharing route. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use itself is an offence under article 20. The text distinguishes high-risk plants or substances including cannabis oil (two months to one year) from other cannabis derivatives (one to six months). It should not be reduced to a single one-to-six-month tariff for all cannabis. The waiver is restricted to qualifying minors, not all first offenders. Article 21 protects anonymity and medical confidentiality for people voluntarily seeking health assistance. - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful recreational supply route or operating cannabis patient service was established. Article 3 distinguishes authorised conduct from illicit supply, but does not itself show that cannabis licences or medicines are available. Voluntary addiction care under article 21 is not a permission to obtain cannabis. - *Commercial production.* Article 3 distinguishes unauthorised cultivation and manufacture from conduct under an authorisation; licence-holders acting outside their authorisation face separate penalties. This recognises an authorisation framework, but the reviewed text does not establish issued cannabis production licences, an industrial-hemp exemption or lawful production volumes. - *Products.* Table I expressly lists cannabis and cannabis resin. Article 20 distinguishes cannabis oil from other derivatives when setting personal-use penalties. These statutory categories do not establish any product currently available through legal retail or patient supply. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 20 covers small personal cultivation without legalising it, while article 3 covers other unauthorised cultivation. Table I lists cannabis and resin, but the reviewed text does not expressly settle isolated seed possession or seed trading. The grey seed label records that unresolved scope, not a verified permission. Growing cuttings has no recreational exemption. - *Medical use.* Articles 21–23 regulate care for people using drugs: voluntary attendance carries anonymity and professional secrecy, while treatment ordered within proceedings involves reports to the court, normally every three months. These addiction-treatment provisions do not establish a cannabis prescribing programme or patient supply service. - *Cannabis clubs.* The reviewed law establishes no recreational collective-growing or supply permission: personal cultivation remains an offence under article 20 and transferring cannabis to another person falls under article 3. This legal restriction does not establish whether informal associations exist. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 9,579 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2023, against 291 kg in 2022. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* No recreational visitor supply route was established. Article 20 permits custody for small personal possession or use, and its waiver requires minority, no repeat offence and a solemn undertaking. Foreign nationals convicted of trafficking may additionally face expulsion for at least ten years under article 19. - *Other consequences.* Articles 16–17 provide forfeiture of drug-related equipment, proceeds and associated assets. Under article 19, a court may expel a foreign national convicted of trafficking for at least ten years; this is not an automatic consequence of every small personal-possession conviction. Specified premises offences can also lead to closure for one to five years. ### Haiti Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 123 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ht/ Holding or growing a small amount for personal use carries up to six months and a fine under the 2001 drug law; trafficking carries up to thirty years. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 63 of the 2001 drug law (promulgated 24 September 2001) punishes illicitly growing, buying or holding a quantity small enough to be for personal consumption with up to 6 months in prison and a fine of 5,000 to 100,000 gourdes, or either. The court decides what counts as small and may order a detoxification cure or other care instead of, or besides, the penalty. Offering or giving drugs to someone for personal consumption carries 5 years (Article 50); offering, selling or holding for supply carries up to 30 years (Article 49). - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 10 bans growing the cannabis plant, and landowners must destroy plantations on their land. Growing a small amount for personal consumption falls under Article 63 (up to 6 months and a fine). - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The law lets courts replace or add to the penalty for personal use with treatment (Article 63). How it is applied is not shown by the text; the state's ability to enforce has been disrupted by the security crisis. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or offering drugs to a person for their own use carries 5 years and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 gourdes (Article 50); supplying in other ways carries up to 30 years (Article 49). - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 63 punishes growing, buying or holding for personal consumption; no separate offence for use itself was found. - **Legal access 0/10.** None for personal use. Licences are for medical or scientific purposes only. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 10 of the 2001 drug law bans growing the cannabis plant, apart from medical or scientific permits under Article 43, and obliges landholders to destroy such plantations. The law mentions seeds only for the opium poppy. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 503 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 131 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Article 63 of the 2001 drug law punishes growing, buying or holding a quantity small enough to be for personal consumption with up to six months in prison and a fine of 5,000 to 100,000 gourdes, or either. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Kiribati Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 124 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ki/ Cannabis possession, growing and gifts are offences; separate rules cover prescribed extracts and tinctures. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing cannabis is an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. In a 2021 one-plant case, the High Court described the maximum as ten years in prison or a A$2,000 fine and imposed a A$250 fine, with one month in prison for default. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is prohibited for private use or otherwise, with no personal plant-count exemption in the revised ordinance. A 2015 cultivation and import case brought concurrent nine-month prison terms, fines and yacht forfeiture. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The High Court imposed a fine in a 2018 cannabis-possession case and a A$250 fine for one plant in 2021. A 2015 cultivation and import case brought nine months in prison and confiscation of a yacht. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving cannabis to another person is expressly included in the same offence as possession and sale. The ordinance contains no exemption for an unpaid adult gift. - **Consumption 1/10.** Keeping cannabis for personal use is criminalised as possession. The High Court convicted a fisheries officer in 2018 after finding that he knowingly kept and used cannabis for about a month. - **Legal access 0/10.** Pharmacists may prepare cannabis extracts and tinctures and supply controlled preparations under the prescription rules. Ordinary cannabis possession, cultivation and gifts remain offences. - *Commercial production.* Registered pharmacists in business may manufacture cannabis extracts and tinctures at their shops in the ordinary course of retail business. The preparations must be kept in a locked receptacle. - *Products.* The ordinance controls cannabis plants and resin separately from the scheduled extracts and tinctures. The prescription regulations expressly cover pharmacist preparation of those extracts and tinctures. - *Seeds and clones.* Indian hemp includes cannabis plants and their parts; the ordinance separately prohibits importing or exporting cannabis seeds and criminalises cultivation. A man who kept a single small plant in his garden was convicted of possession and fined in 2021. - *Medical use.* Lawful prescription supply authorises possession of controlled preparations, and registered pharmacists may prepare cannabis extracts and tinctures. In 2016, a sailor’s prescribed marijuana remained a prohibited import; the court considered his health when choosing a fine. - *Cannabis clubs.* Cultivating cannabis for private use or otherwise, and giving it to another person, are prohibited. The reviewed ordinance provides no recreational club exemption. - *Driving.* The Traffic Act prohibits drug-influenced driving of any vehicle, including a bicycle, and deems influence established when a saliva test shows drugs in the driver’s system. A first drug-driving conviction carries ten to twenty penalty units and six to twelve months’ licence disqualification. A further offence within five years carries twenty to fifty units, one to two years in prison or both, plus one to two years’ disqualification. Behavioural evidence and assessments may be used when testing is unavailable. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The ordinance prohibits imports of Indian hemp. In 2016, a Portuguese sailor was fined A$1,600 on a marijuana charge even though the judge accepted it was prescribed treatment; his yacht was not confiscated. - *Other consequences.* Courts may confiscate articles involved in a drug offence: a 2015 sentence forfeited a yacht, engines and radios. The 1995 amendment separately targets property suspected to be drug-offence proceeds when the holder cannot give a satisfactory lawful account. ### Liberia Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 125 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/lr/ Cannabis use carries four months to one year on a first offence under the 2023 law. Possession and growing for personal use are separate felonies; trafficking is non-bailable. - **Possession 1/10.** Section 14.89 makes unlicensed possession or purchase an offence. For Schedule I cannabis it distinguishes first-degree felony possession for trafficking from second-degree felony possession otherwise. Second-degree cases require cash bail worth twice the bond. The penalty paragraph gives 10–20 years or the Penal Law’s sentencing rules; those rules ordinarily cap a second-degree felony at five years, leaving the interaction of the two clauses unresolved. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Section 14.90 distinguishes growing Schedule I cannabis for trafficking, a non-bailable first-degree felony, from growing otherwise, a second-degree felony with cash bail worth twice the bond. Its penalty clause gives 10–20 years or sentencing under Penal Law sections 50.5–50.6. No personal plant allowance is specified. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The enacted 2023 law requires cash bail for cannabis-use cases and denies bail for first-degree trafficking offences. First-time Schedule I use carries four months to one year; repeat use is a second-degree felony carrying one to five years or more under the stated sentencing references. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving cannabis away is covered by the supply offence and the definition of trafficking. Schedule I trafficking is a first-degree felony, non-bailable, carrying 10–20 years or sentencing under Penal Law sections 50.5–50.6. - **Consumption 1/10.** Section 14.91(a) makes unauthorised use of Schedule I drugs a first-degree misdemeanor with four months to one year, escalating on second apprehension to a second-degree felony with one to five years or more under the sentencing references. Cash bail is required. Cannabis, resin, extracts and tinctures are listed in Schedule I. The express rehabilitation alternative appears in the separate paragraph for Schedules II–IV. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* Section 14.82 expressly includes cannabis seeds and all parts of the plant in its definition of cannabis, covering viable seeds and cuttings. It excludes sterilised seeds that cannot germinate, mature stalks and fibre, and seed oil or cake. Unlicensed possession, supply and cultivation are offences under sections 14.85, 14.89 and 14.90. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 2,581 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 596 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The government-published Vehicle and Traffic Law section 10.90 prohibits operating a motor vehicle when alcohol or a narcotic drug impairs driving ability, and covers non-narcotic drugs causing dizziness or inability to drive safely. It also has a separate habitual-narcotic-user prohibition, so not every limb requires proof of impairment on that occasion. Lawful entitlement to use a drug is expressly no defence. The published statute lists a $1,000 fine ceiling or one year’s imprisonment; current currency treatment, amendments and tariffs were not certified. Section 2.61 requires licence revocation on a section 10.90 conviction; under section 2.69 a new application may be made after one year from surrender, subject to investigation and licensing conditions. The implied specimen-consent and refusal-hearing provisions concern alcohol and were not treated as cannabis-testing powers. Current drug-specific testing rules and a THC cutoff remain unverified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for visitors. Under section 14.100, a non-Liberian convicted of any crime in the drug-law subchapter must be deported immediately after serving the sentence or sanction, including convictions for use. - *Other consequences.* Section 14.100 requires immediate deportation of a non-Liberian convicted of an offence under the drug law after serving the sentence or sanction. Section 14.101 requires drug clearance for admission, enrolment or employment in public institutions and directs private institutions to introduce such measures; failure to comply can justify refusal. ### Macau Score 9/100 (Prohibition), Special administrative region, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mo/ Cannabis use, personal possession and home growing carry three months to a year in prison or a fine. Larger personal stocks can trigger production or trafficking penalties, including a lesser one-to-five-year tier. Medicines require official authorisation and controlled prescribing. - **Possession 1/10.** Personal acquisition or possession carries three months to one year in prison or a fine of 60–240 day-rates. Above five daily reference quantities, production or trafficking rules apply, including a lesser one-to-five-year tier. The herbal cannabis reference is 1 g per day; possession below five grams is still an offence. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing for personal use carries three months to one year in prison or a fine, with larger quantities subject to production rules. In 2022 the top court applied the lesser production tier to two first offenders growing one plant; their combined sentences were one year nine months and two years. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Personal use and possession are criminal offences with prison or a fine available. Ordinary production and trafficking carry five to fifteen years; lesser cases carry one to five years, assessed using the quantity and circumstances. In 2022 the top court reduced two growers’ sentences even though their plant exceeded the five-day reference quantity. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Giving, selling or handing cannabis to another person falls under the trafficking rules: ordinarily five to fifteen years, or one to five years in lesser cases. The top court has treated supplying cannabis to others as trafficking even when they shared its purchase cost. - **Consumption 0/10.** Illicit consumption itself carries three months to one year in prison or a fine of 60–240 day-rates. - **Legal access 0/10.** Adult-use supply is prohibited under the trafficking rules. Lawful medical supply depends on official authorisations, pharmacy or hospital dispensing and special prescriptions. - *Commercial production.* Unauthorised production ordinarily carries five to fifteen years, with a lesser one-to-five-year tier. Licensed chemical and pharmaceutical businesses can seek authorisation to manufacture controlled medicines; the lawful-drug rules separately prohibit cultivating scheduled plants. - *Products.* Cannabis leaves and flowering or fruiting tops, resin and oil are listed in Table I-C. The quantity table distinguishes herbal cannabis from resin and oil, with potency adjustments for the latter products. HHC was added to Table II-B in August 2026. - *Medical use.* There is a limited licensed-medicine route: the lawful-drug rules cover medical manufacture of scheduled substances, including the cannabis table, and supply through pharmacies or hospitals on special prescriptions. Cultivation of scheduled plants remains prohibited. - *Cannabis clubs.* Supplying other people with cannabis is punishable under the trafficking rules, including gifts. The top court has also treated cost-sharing supply as trafficking. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Unauthorised cannabis imports fall under the trafficking rules. The traveller exception for up to thirty days of certain controlled medicines omits Table I-C, which contains cannabis, resin and oil. - *Other consequences.* Since January 2017 larger personal stocks can be charged under production or trafficking rules. The five-day reference quantity does not exclude the lesser tier: in 2022 the top court reduced two growers’ combined sentences from five years nine months each to one year nine months and two years. ### Madagascar Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 126 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mg/ Small personal quantities of cannabis preparations other than oil can bring two to six months, a fine, or both; rongony is nonetheless grown on a large scale. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 141 of Law 97-039 sets two to six months in prison, a fine, or both for small personal quantities of cannabis derivatives other than oil. Cannabis oil falls under a three-month to one-year range, also with a fine alternative. The general trafficking provisions can apply to holdings outside the small-personal-quantity rule and allow forced labour or a fine. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation is prohibited and landholders must destroy cannabis crops. The general production offence allows forced labour, a fine, or both; Article 141 separately covers growing a small quantity for personal consumption. Rongony is grown on a large scale in the north and south. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Small-personal-quantity offences allow a fine instead of imprisonment. GI-TOC fieldwork describes a large domestic market and difficulties policing remote growing regions. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** General trafficking offences allow forced labour, a fine, or both. Offering or giving high-risk drugs directly for another person's consumption has a separate one-to-five-year prison range, a fine, or both under Article 99. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is punished alongside possession. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Cannabis, called rongony, is grown on a large scale for the home market and for neighbouring islands. A 2021 study estimated that the commune of Antsahabe alone produces at least 200 tonnes a year, and surveys in mid-2020 found a gram costing about three US cents, the lowest price in the Indian Ocean islands. A farmer was paid about 20,000 ariary for a kilogram, close to the price of cocoa, while a dealer selling to consumers earned 100,000 to 150,000. The gendarmerie seized close to 53 tonnes in 2020. Officers describe armed traffickers in the growing areas, and policing is thin: about one gendarme for 4,000 rural residents. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Small personal quantities of non-oil cannabis derivatives can bring two to six months in prison, a fine, or both; cannabis oil has a three-month to one-year range with the same alternatives. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Mali Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 127 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ml/ Cannabis is illegal. The 2001 law gives small personal supplies, including cultivation, a lighter penalty with a fine-only option. Ordinary high-risk drug cultivation carries five to ten years and a fine. A limited industrial-hemp authorisation was withdrawn in 2020. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 138 of the 2001 drug law covers small quantities possessed, bought or grown for personal use. A high-risk plant or substance, including cannabis oil, carries three months to one year, a fine of 25,000–100,000 CFA francs, or both. A cannabis derivative other than oil carries two to six months, a fine of 15,000–75,000 francs, or both. The law gives no numeric quantity threshold. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 9 prohibits cannabis cultivation and requires landholders to destroy plants growing on their land. Article 94 sets five to ten years and a fine of 200,000–2 million CFA francs for ordinary high-risk drug cultivation. Article 138 gives a lighter tier, including a fine-only option, for small personal quantities. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Small personal quantities can attract imprisonment, a fine alone, or both under Article 138. Ordinary high-risk drug cultivation and international trafficking require prison and a fine under Articles 94–95. The retained sources do not establish how consistently these rules are enforced across the country. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Article 98 sets six months to three years, a fine of 20,000–200,000 CFA francs, or both for giving or offering a high-risk drug directly for another person's consumption. General local trafficking carries five to ten years, a fine, or both under Article 96. - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 137 prohibits using controlled drugs outside a medical prescription and provides for seizure and confiscation. Article 138 sets the personal-possession penalties described above. - **Legal access 0/10.** The retained sources establish no operating cannabis supply programme for patients or recreational users. The authorities granted a limited industrial-hemp production authorisation in 2017 and withdrew it in February 2020. - *Commercial production.* African Seeds received permission in 2017 for a supervised industrial-hemp project intended for medical exports. In May 2020, the central drug office's director confirmed that the authorisation had been withdrawn on 25 February after the producers sought changes to the agreed terms. - *Products.* The reported industrial-hemp authorisation initially covered seed exports, with a 2018 amendment adding oil. The authorisation was withdrawn in 2020; the retained sources establish no current consumer product supply. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 9 of Law 01-078 bans growing the cannabis plant anywhere in the country and obliges whoever owns or occupies land to destroy any plants that come up. The law defines a narcotic by reference to the schedules of the 1961 convention. A limited authorisation for industrial-hemp seed production and export was granted in 2017 and withdrawn in 2020; the retained sources do not settle general seed sales. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* The retained sources establish no authorised cannabis clubs. The law prohibits cannabis cultivation and punishes giving or offering high-risk drugs for another person's consumption. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 32,000 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2023, against 22,217 kg in 2022, and 440 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2023, against 1,874 kg in 2022. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. Article 112 permits a ten-to-twenty-year territorial ban on foreigners convicted of the specified offences in Articles 94–102. - *Other consequences.* For the offences listed in Articles 94–102, Article 112 allows courts to ban a foreigner from the territory for ten to twenty years and restrict civic rights or driving for one to five years. A professional ban can last five to ten years or permanently. The personal-use offence in Article 138 is outside that stated list. ### Namibia Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 128 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/na/ Prohibited under a 1971 Act; over 115 g is presumed dealing. Court challenges by cannabis activists have failed so far. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis (dagga) is prohibited by the apartheid-era Abuse of Dependence-Producing Substances and Rehabilitation Centres Act of 1971. Possession is a crime; small amounts typically bring a fine or a short or suspended sentence. Holding more than 115 g creates a legal presumption of dealing, which the High Court upheld in 2026. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Section 1 includes cultivation within dealing; section 2(a) prohibits dealing in a prohibited dependence-producing drug or its plant. Cannabis is listed in Schedule Part I. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Cannabis accounts for most drug arrests. Ganja Users of Namibia and the Rastafari United Front have marched and sued to have the 1971 Act struck down, so far without success. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The Act’s definitions extend dealing to supply and sale to disposal without payment. Section 2(a) therefore reaches unpaid transfers; the 2006 bill is not used here as an enacted penalty tariff. - **Consumption 1/10.** Section 2(b) expressly criminalises use as well as possession of a prohibited dependence-producing drug or plant. - **Legal access 0/10.** No recreational supply route. Sections 4–5 preserve specified medicine-related provisions but do not establish an ordinary cannabis supply service. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The 1971 Act lists as a prohibited dependence-producing drug "Cannabis (Dagga) and the whole plant or any portion or product thereof", which takes in seed and cuttings alike. The 2008 medicines regulations exempt only processed products made from cannabis seed that contain almost no THC and no whole seeds. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* The published Road Traffic and Transport Act section 82(1) prohibits driving a vehicle on a public road while under the influence of a drug having a narcotic effect. It also covers occupying the driver’s seat of a motor vehicle with its engine running. This is a drug-influence offence; the separate blood-alcohol and breath-alcohol provisions do not establish a cannabis concentration limit. The available NamibLII edition is dated 9 December 2008, so it is a qualified statutory baseline rather than certification of all current amendments. A current cannabis fine, prison ceiling, licence-ban tariff and drug-specific sampling or refusal procedure were not established in this review. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession is a crime under the Abuse of Dependence-Producing Substances and Rehabilitation Centres Act of 1971; small amounts typically bring a fine or a short or suspended sentence. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Namibian Police's media statement for March 2025 counted 160 suspects arrested for drugs that month, 151 of them Namibian, and valued the cannabis seized at about 3.1 million Namibian dollars out of a total of over 3.5 million. The statement prints the cannabis weight as 312,560 kilogrammes, which on its own valuation would price cannabis at ten Namibian dollars a kilogram, so the unit is probably grams. - *Other consequences.* Section 8 provides forfeiture of drugs, plants and specified property connected with an offence, subject to the Act’s safeguards for other interests. ### Niger Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 129 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ne/ Cannabis is a high-risk drug under the 1999 ordinance. Small personal possession and growing have shorter prison ranges, a fine, or both; a fine alone is expressly possible. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis and cannabis resin appear in Table I, the high-risk category. Article 145 gives a separate tier for small quantities held, bought or grown for personal consumption: high-risk plants or substances, including cannabis oil, carry two months to one year, a fine of 500,000–1 million CFA francs, or both. Non-oil cannabis derivatives carry one to six months, a fine of 250,000–500,000 francs, or both. No gram limit is given. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 8 prohibits growing cannabis and requires landowners, operators and occupiers to destroy plants growing on their land. Article 145 expressly includes a small personal crop in the shorter penalty tiers described for possession, without a fixed plant limit. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The law allows prison or a fine alone for small personal quantities. Courts may invite a dependent person convicted of specified offences to undergo treatment instead of or alongside punishment; evading those measures carries one to five years, a fine, or both. The retained sources do not establish typical sentencing for cannabis users. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or offering a high-risk drug directly for another person's consumption carries one to five years, a fine of 100,000–500,000 CFA francs, or both. General high-risk trafficking under Article 96 carries ten to twenty years, a fine of 1–20 million francs, or both. - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 144 prohibits using controlled drugs outside a medical prescription and permits confiscation even without prosecution. The separate penalty in Article 145 expressly covers possession, purchase and growing for personal consumption. - **Legal access 0/10.** None found. Growing, selling and holding high-risk drugs are banned (Articles 8, 96). - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 8 prohibits growing cannabis and requires destruction of plants on occupied land. Small personal cultivation still carries criminal penalties under Article 145. The retained clauses do not settle ungerminated seed possession or trade separately. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 10,762 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2023, against 4,272 kg in 2022, and 77.5 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2023, against 10.5 kg in 2022. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no lawful recreational supply route. For specified production and trafficking offences, Article 113 permits permanent exclusion or exclusion for ten to twenty years of a convicted foreigner. That clause covers Articles 94–102; small personal quantities are addressed separately in Article 145. - *Other consequences.* For the production, trafficking and related offences listed in Articles 94–102, courts may add restrictions on residence, civic rights, travel, driving or professional activity. They may exclude a convicted foreigner permanently or for ten to twenty years. Small personal quantities are dealt with separately in Article 145. ### Samoa Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 130 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ws/ Possession carries up to 14 years; a 2017 recommendation to allow medicinal cannabis was not adopted. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is a Class B narcotic under the Narcotics Act 1967. Section 7 makes it an offence to knowingly possess it, and the maximum is 14 years in prison. The Law Reform Commission called that "highly disproportionate" beside New Zealand's three months, and noted that sentences imposed are lower than the maximum. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Section 6 of the Narcotics Act prohibits cultivating a prohibited plant or possessing any of its seed; the Law Reform Commission gives the maximum as 14 years in prison. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** One of the Pacific's stricter approaches, with prison used for small amounts. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Supplying or administering an illegal drug to another person is an offence under section 7 of the Narcotics Act, as is attempting to. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence under section 7 of the Narcotics Act, which covers procuring, consuming and smoking as well as possession. - **Legal access 0/10.** None: the Narcotics Act makes possessing, using, supplying and growing cannabis offences, apart from the exemptions the Act itself provides. - *Commercial production.* None; a proposal to allow cultivation was rejected by the prime minister. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The Narcotics Act 1967 makes it an offence both to cultivate a prohibited plant and to have in one's possession the seed of a prohibited plant, each with a maximum of 14 years in prison. Cannabis is among the prohibited plants, so seeds and living plants are equally banned. - *Medical use.* None. The Samoa Law Reform Commission recommended a regulated medicinal cannabis regime in its 2017 final report on the Narcotics Act; the government did not adopt it. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Ordinance's section 40(3) prohibits driving or attempting to drive when alcohol, one or more drugs, or their combination makes proper vehicle control impossible. A charge involving drugs must identify at least one relevant drug. The definition includes narcotics and any other substance that can impair driving, so it is not limited to illegal cannabis. The 2023 consolidation provides a fine up to 50 penalty units, up to five years' imprisonment, or both. Conviction normally brings twelve months' licence disqualification, subject to special reasons and the court's power to impose a longer period. The numerical limits in section 40(1)–(2) are for alcohol; no quantified THC allowance is given for the drug-impairment offence. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says possession of illegal drugs carries a possible 14-year prison sentence. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Law Reform Commission's 2017 review gives no national arrest total but reports police figures on which offences are charged. The most common drug offence is possession of marijuana, and police told the Commission that most of those cases involve small quantities. Possession of seeds comes second and cultivation third; methamphetamine possession is less common. Reported cases peaked in 2012, 2014 and 2015. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### São Tomé and Príncipe Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 131 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/st/ Cannabis use, possession and personal growing are crimes. The Penal Code allows a fine instead of prison for a small personal quantity, and courts may excuse an occasional consumer. Giving cannabis to another person falls under trafficking. - **Possession 1/10.** Under the Penal Code, acquiring or holding up to a three-day personal quantity carries up to three months in prison or a fine of up to 60 days. Above that amount, the maximum is one year or a 100-day fine. A CEJ judicial training manual favours applying these criminal penalties where the code overlaps with the separate 2012 drug law. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis for personal use falls under the same rule as personal possession: up to three months or a 60-day fine, rising to one year or a 100-day fine above a three-day personal quantity. Other unauthorised cultivation falls under trafficking, normally carrying two to twelve years. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The Penal Code allows prison or a fine for a small personal amount, and lets courts excuse an occasional consumer within the three-day threshold. Police arrested three men with cannabis and amphetamines in July 2025; judicial authorities imposed bail. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Offering, selling, distributing or giving cannabis to another person falls under trafficking, normally punishable by two to twelve years. A substantially less serious case carries one to five years; the code also has a separate rule for trafficking solely to obtain drugs for personal use. - **Consumption 0/10.** Using cannabis is itself a crime, carrying up to three months in prison or a fine of up to 60 days under the Penal Code. An occasional consumer within the basic personal-use rule may be excused from punishment. - **Legal access 0/10.** Buying or receiving cannabis for personal use remains an offence, and supplying it to another person falls under trafficking. The Penal Code makes authorisation the dividing line for lawful controlled-drug activities. - *Commercial production.* Unauthorised cultivation, production, manufacture, extraction or preparation of cannabis falls under trafficking, normally carrying two to twelve years. Diverting drugs into illicit trade in breach of an authorisation carries four to fifteen years. - *Products.* Table I-C lists cannabis leaves and flowering or fruiting tops, cannabis resin and cannabis oil. These products are covered by the code’s controlled-drug offences. - *Medical use.* Cannabis flower, resin and oil are listed controlled drugs. The Penal Code recognises authorised controlled-drug activities and penalises doctors and pharmacists who prescribe or provide drugs for non-therapeutic purposes. - *Cannabis clubs.* Supplying cannabis to another person falls under trafficking, and growing it for personal use is also an offence. The code separately punishes operators of clubs and other venues who allow illicit drug use or trafficking there. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors face the same personal-use and supply offences. A court may also order a convicted foreign national’s expulsion for up to ten years. British travel advice warns of severe penalties for drug offences and advises against carrying anything through customs for someone else. - *Other consequences.* Someone who voluntarily seeks help from a public or private health service for personal drug use is guaranteed anonymity. Treating health staff must keep professional secrecy and need not testify or give police information about the nature and progress of treatment. ### Senegal Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 132 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sn/ Personal possession carries two months to one year in prison; trafficking ten to twenty years since 2007. - **Possession 1/10.** The 1997 Drug Code classifies cannabis (yamba) as a narcotic. Possession of a small quantity for personal consumption carries two months to one year in prison and a fine of three times the drug's value. Courts may order treatment instead. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Cultivation was upgraded from a misdemeanour to a serious crime by the 2007 'Latif Guèye' law. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Short prison terms for users and very long ones for traffickers; use remains widespread despite decades of repression. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Trafficking carries ten to twenty years since 2007. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence under the Drug Code. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 8 of the 1997 Drug Code bans growing the cannabis plant anywhere in the country, and landholders must destroy such plantations or report them. The articles read do not mention seeds. The copy read stops at Article 108 and predates the 2007 amendments. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 23,024 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 12,738 kg in 2023, and 38.8 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 23.1 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the 1997 Drug Code, possession of a small quantity for personal consumption carries two months to one year in prison and a fine of three times the drug's value; courts may order treatment instead. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Figures presented in Dakar in February 2026 put seizures of cannabis in 2025 at 5,238 kg, with 1,302 people arrested in anti-drug operations, most of them tied to distribution networks in the informal sector. The gendarmerie's spokesman said in October 2025 that cannabis was the largest drug seized by weight that year. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Sri Lanka Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 133 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/lk/ Illegal, but licensed Ayurvedic practitioners may legally dispense cannabis preparations. - **Possession 1/10.** The Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance prohibits possessing, consuming or using any part or preparation of the hemp plant. Cannabis (ganja) accounts for the majority of drug arrests in Sri Lanka; small-quantity cases are usually dealt with in magistrates' courts by a fine, with prison possible. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Section 27 of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance forbids anyone, without a licence from the Minister, to sow, plant, cultivate, obtain or possess the hemp plant, or to collect or hold its seeds, leaves, flowers or any other part. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** High arrest numbers and mostly fines for small amounts; repeated amendments in 2023–2026 have focused on tougher enforcement against trafficking. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Sale and distribution are offences with heavier penalties. - **Consumption 1/10.** Section 29 of the Ordinance forbids anyone without the Minister's licence to consume or use the resin of the hemp plant or its preparations known as bhang, hashish or ganja. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source. The Ordinance bans importing the plant and requires the Minister's licence to possess or use its preparations; it saves only galenical preparations of hemp (extract and tincture) under its dangerous-drugs chapter, and hemp rope and fibre. - *Commercial production.* The state supplies cannabis to the Ayurvedic sector. In August 2025 seven foreign investors received six-month licences to grow cannabis on Board of Investment land, on condition that the whole crop is exported. - *Products.* Traditional Ayurvedic preparations containing cannabis. - *Seeds and clones.* Section 27 of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance forbids anyone, without a licence from the Minister, to sow, plant, grow or hold a hemp plant, or to collect or hold its seeds, leaves, flowers or any other part. Section 28 bans bringing the plant or its seeds into or out of the country. The copy read is an older consolidated text. - *Medical use.* Available only within the Ayurvedic system, through licensed practitioners and the state Ayurvedic drugs corporation. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 8,360 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 10,220 kg in 2023, and 292 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 274 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Motor Traffic Act section 151 prohibits driving on a road after consuming alcohol or any drug. Suspected drug use can lead to examination by a Government medical officer; the officer's report or refusal of the examination creates a rebuttable evidential rule about consumption. The Act permits regulations on drug concentrations, but no operative THC cutoff was established in this review. Under the 2019 amendment, the ordinary section 151(1) offence carries LKR25,000–30,000 or up to three months' imprisonment or both, plus licence suspension up to twelve months. Driving an omnibus or other vehicle carrying passengers for payment after consumption carries the same fine range or up to six months or both, plus licence cancellation. Sri Lanka Police launched a mobile laboratory programme for bus drivers and conductors in January 2026. Consumption, positive screening and demonstrated impairment must not be treated as interchangeable evidential standards. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance prohibits possessing, consuming or using any part or preparation of the hemp plant; small-quantity cases are usually dealt with in magistrates' courts by a fine. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Cannabis accounts for the largest share of drug arrests. The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board counted 74,444 people arrested for drug offences in the first half of 2023, of whom 32,908, or 44 per cent, were arrested for cannabis and 30,804 for heroin. The police narcotics bureau reported seizing 8,359 kg of cannabis in 2024 and 17,189 kg in 2025. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Suriname Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 134 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sr/ Up to thirteen years for possession, with no Dutch-style tolerance; industrial hemp was legalised in 2022. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is on List II of the 1998 Narcotics Act, and Article 4 forbids possessing, holding or using anything on that list. Article 11 sets up to thirteen years in prison and a fine for doing so intentionally, and up to seven years otherwise. The Act names no tolerated or decriminalised amount. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 2 of the 1998 Narcotics Act forbids growing Cannabis sativa. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The Narcotics Act sets the same maximum, up to thirteen years in prison, for possessing cannabis as for selling or supplying it, with no tolerated amount. No figures on how small cases are dealt with were found. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Cannabis is on List II of the narcotics law. Selling, delivering, supplying or transporting it carries up to thirteen years in prison, and importing or exporting it life or up to twenty years, with heavy fines (Article 11). - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 4 of the Narcotics Act forbids using a List II substance as well as possessing it, with the same penalties under Article 11. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. The Narcotics Act lifts its bans only for pharmacists, dispensing doctors and vets acting for a medical purpose, for people who can show a medical need for what they hold, and for those with the Minister's written permission. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 2 of the 1998 Narcotics Act bans growing Cannabis sativa. Its schedule defines hemp as any part of the plant of the genus Cannabis from which the resin has not been extracted, without the express exception for seeds found in the Dutch law it resembles. The text read is the version as amended in 2002. - *Medical use.* None. A push under the previous government to legalise medical use and home growing was dropped after the 2020 election. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The Narcotics Act punishes importing or exporting cannabis with up to twenty years or life in prison and heavy fines, and possession with up to thirteen. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Timor-Leste Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 135 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tl/ Cannabis use, possession and growing solely for personal consumption are criminal offences, punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine, with a higher ceiling above the statutory quantity threshold. Courts may waive punishment for an occasional user in the lower band. Trafficking carries five to fifteen years, while the law provides confidentiality and treatment options for people who use drugs. - **Possession 1/10.** Illicit possession or acquisition solely for personal use carries up to one year in prison or a fine assessed over up to 120 days. Above five daily reference quantities the ceiling rises to two years or a 240-day fine; the annex sets daily references of 1 g of herbal cannabis, 0.5 g of resin and 0.25 g of oil. An occasional user in the lower band may have punishment waived. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing solely for personal consumption falls under the personal-use offence: up to one year in prison or a 120-day fine, rising to two years or a 240-day fine above the quantity threshold. Unauthorised cultivation outside the personal-use offence falls under trafficking, with five to fifteen years in prison. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Prison is used in cannabis cases: Lusa reported a three-and-a-half-year sentence for Australian resident Tony Crean in October 2017, followed by a planned defence appeal. In a different 2022 drug case, nine suspects were placed under identity-and-residence declarations and periodic reporting. The law allows fines, waiver for occasional users in the lower band and suspension of prison for a person with drug dependence who voluntarily accepts treatment. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Offering, selling, distributing or giving controlled cannabis to another person without authorisation falls under trafficking, normally five to fifteen years. A considerably less serious case carries one to five years, while dealing exclusively to obtain drugs for the dealer’s own use carries up to two years or a fine. - **Consumption 1/10.** Illicit consumption is a separate offence carrying up to one year in prison or a 120-day fine in the lower band; courts may waive punishment for an occasional user in that band. People seeking help from a doctor or health institution have confidentiality protections, and medical staff are not required to report their identity or treatment to the criminal authorities. - **Legal access 0/10.** The drug law provides no recreational retail exception. It requires Health Ministry licensing, authorisations and supervision for handling substances in its controlled-drug tables, under rules to be set in a separate instrument. The 2025 pharmaceutical law continues to define narcotics and psychotropic substances by reference to those tables. - *Commercial production.* Cultivation, manufacture, trade and imports of controlled cannabis require the relevant authorisation; unauthorised production and supply outside the personal-use offence attract trafficking penalties. In June 2022, police reported seizing a suspected marijuana parcel sent from Ireland and referring its recipient for an initial court hearing. - *Products.* Table I-C controls cannabis leaves and flowering or fruiting tops, resin, oil and cannabis seeds not intended for sowing. The 2025 pharmaceutical rules define narcotics and psychotropic substances through the 2017 drug law’s schedules. - *Seeds and clones.* The final law expressly schedules cannabis seeds not intended for sowing, alongside leaves, flowering tops, resin and oil. It also punishes growing solely for personal consumption with up to one year in prison or a fine in the lower band. Unauthorised cultivation outside that offence falls under trafficking; personal growing remains a criminal offence. - *Medical use.* The law places controlled-drug handling under Health Ministry licensing and supervision and provides for separate implementing rules. In his November 2022 independence-anniversary address, President José Ramos-Horta advocated legalising medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* The drug law provides no cannabis-club exception to its unauthorised growing and supply offences. A club or venue operator who permits illicit use or trafficking, or knowingly fails to stop it, may face two to eight years in prison. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Personal-use possession remains a criminal offence, carrying up to one year in prison or a fine in the lower band. Unauthorised imports outside the personal-use offence fall under trafficking, and a foreigner convicted under the drug law may also be expelled for up to twenty years. - *Other consequences.* A hotel, café, club or venue operator who permits illicit drug use, production or trafficking, or knowingly fails to prevent it, faces two to eight years in prison. A foreigner convicted under the law may also be expelled for up to twenty years. ### Togo Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 136 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tg/ Cannabis remains illegal. The 2015 code sets one to three years for small personal-use amounts, a fine, or both; judges can substitute treatment for a person with drug dependence. - **Possession 1/10.** The 2015 criminal code sets one to three years in prison and a fine of 500,000–3 million CFA francs, or either penalty alone, for a small amount held, bought or grown for personal consumption. It gives no numerical quantity in that clause. Judges can waive qualifying sentences and replace punishment with treatment for a person with drug dependence. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** The 1998 drug law bans cannabis cultivation nationwide and requires landholders to destroy plants growing on their land. The 2015 code expressly includes small amounts grown for personal consumption in its one-to-three-year or fine-only rule. General high-risk drug cultivation carries twenty to thirty years and a fine of 50 million–100 million CFA francs, or either penalty alone. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The code permits a fine alone for small personal-use amounts and treatment instead of the penalty for a person with drug dependence. Authorities also report large cannabis seizures: a September 2020 bus operation recovered 1,541.60 kg and led to three arrests; more than 5,291 kg seized in 2024 was destroyed in January 2026. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or offering a high-risk drug for another person’s own consumption carries five to ten years and a fine of 500,000–25 million CFA francs, or either penalty alone. General high-risk drug supply carries twenty to thirty years and a fine of 50 million–100 million francs, or either penalty alone. Aggravated offences can have their maximum doubled, capped at fifty years. - **Consumption 1/10.** The 2015 code prohibits using controlled substances outside a medical prescription and requires their seizure and judicial confiscation even when the person is not prosecuted. Small amounts for personal consumption fall under its separate one-to-three-year, fine, or combined penalty. - **Legal access 0/10.** Adult-use cannabis supply is prohibited. The code punishes giving or offering high-risk drugs for personal consumption as well as sale and other forms of supply. - *Commercial production.* Cannabis cultivation is prohibited nationwide; landholders must destroy plants growing on their land. - *Products.* Preparations containing controlled substances follow the same controls as those substances. A mixture containing substances under different controls follows the strictest applicable rules. - *Medical use.* Controlled medicines are subject to health-ministry licensing under the 1998 law, while the 2015 code prohibits use outside a medical prescription. Cannabis cultivation remains expressly banned by the drug law. - *Cannabis clubs.* The cultivation ban and penalties for supplying another person also restrict collective growing and sharing through a club. - *Black market.* Cannabis is the main drug the authorities seize. Of 5,729 kg of drugs seized across Togo in 2024 and burned in Lomé in January 2026, more than 5,291 kg was cannabis, beside 51.77 kg of cocaine and 8.5 kg of methamphetamine. The authorities put seizures in 2025 at more than 50 tonnes, mainly cannabis. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors face the same cannabis cultivation, possession and supply offences. For the production and trafficking offences listed in the code, courts may also exclude a foreign national from Togo permanently or for five to ten years. - *Other consequences.* Courts must confiscate substances and plants involved in small personal-use offences, together with equipment used for the offence, and may order their destruction. Treatment ordered in place of punishment can itself lead to one to five years, a fine, or both if the person evades it. ### Zimbabwe Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 137 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/zw/ Recreational cannabis remains criminalised. The criminal code provides a fine, up to five years in prison, or both for unlawful possession, use or personal cultivation. Medical production and industrial hemp have separate licensing routes. - **Possession 1/10.** Section 157 of the criminal code punishes unlawful acquisition or possession with a fine up to level ten, up to five years in prison, or both. Where addiction is established, a court may order treatment in addition to or instead of another sentence. In July 2026 prosecutors reported an effective four-year term for possession of 19.49 kg. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlawful growing for personal consumption falls under section 157, with a fine up to level ten, up to five years in prison, or both. Growing for dealing falls under section 156, whose ordinary maximum is fifteen years, with a fine alone or alongside imprisonment also available. Medicinal production and industrial hemp have separate licence and permit routes. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** A National Prosecuting Authority bulletin dated 17 July 2026 reported that Clever Makwarimba received an effective four-year sentence for unlawful possession of 19.49 kg of cannabis after a roadside bag search. It is a dated example of custody under the cannabis prohibition. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Unlawful supply, delivery or distribution falls under the criminal code’s dealing offence, with a fine, up to fifteen years in prison, or both. The special aggravated-dealing tier expressly excludes cannabis plant, prepared cannabis and cannabis resin. - **Consumption 1/10.** Section 157 expressly criminalises unlawfully ingesting, smoking or otherwise consuming a dangerous drug, including cannabis. It provides a fine up to level ten, up to five years in prison, or both, with a possible treatment order where addiction is established. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational retail supply is prohibited. Medicinal and scientific production is licensed separately; the medicines regulator also opened applications for hemp-based CBD complementary medicines in 2022. - *Commercial production.* The 2018 regulations introduced five-year medicinal and scientific production licences. The regulator’s 2022 review recorded fifty-nine licences issued and cannabis growing witnessed at five inspected sites, alongside eighteen visited sites with no development. Industrial hemp has a separate authorisation and permit system under the 2019 and 2020 rules. - *Products.* The 2023 criminal-code amendment defines industrial hemp at no more than 1% delta-9 THC by dry weight, including seeds and derivatives, and excludes it from the cannabis-plant branch of the dangerous-drug definition. The original 2020 hemp permit rules use 0.3%. Hemp-based CBD medicines enter a separate product-registration route opened by the medicines regulator in 2022. - *Seeds and clones.* The criminal code excludes seeds processed so that they cannot germinate from its cannabis-plant definition; viable cannabis seed is otherwise covered. The medicinal-production regulations provide for licensed seed and plant supply with specified labels. Industrial-hemp seeds and propagation are separately subject to the hemp definitions and permit rules. - *Medical use.* Production for medicinal and scientific purposes is licensed. In its 2022 report, the medicines regulator described production as export-oriented, with local use limited to research and development, and separately recorded acceptance of hemp-based CBD complementary-medicine applications. - *Cannabis clubs.* Unlawful recreational cultivation and supply are criminal offences under the code. Medical-production licences and industrial-hemp permits authorise specified activities. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 627 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 55(2) prohibits driving or attempting to drive on a road when drugs, alcohol or their combination prevent proper vehicle control. The Ministry's published text provides a fine up to level twelve or up to ten years' imprisonment or both for ordinary vehicles. For a commuter omnibus or heavy vehicle it specifies two to fifteen years, subject to section 88A's exception to mandatory penalties. The published disqualification provisions normally require at least six months for an ordinary first conviction, twelve months for a second similar conviction within the stated ten-year period, and a lifetime ban for a third or later conviction. Commuter-omnibus and heavy-vehicle convictions carry additional lifetime restrictions on those vehicle classes. Courts can decline the ban for recorded special circumstances surrounding the offence; personal circumstances of the offender do not qualify. Licence cancellation follows for the affected vehicle classes. No monetary conversion of the fine level, current roadside tariff or numerical THC limit is asserted here. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational supply is prohibited. The criminal code makes unlawful possession and consumption punishable by a fine up to level ten, up to five years in prison, or both. - *Other consequences.* Unlawful possession, use and personal cultivation can bring a fine, imprisonment or both. Where addiction is established, the court may impose treatment in addition to or instead of another sentence. Prosecutors reported a four-year custodial sentence in a 19.49 kg possession case in July 2026. ### Mauritius Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 138 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mu/ Strict prohibition, but since 2022 medical cannabis can be approved by specialist committees in public hospitals. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis ('gandia') is prohibited by the Dangerous Drugs Act 2000; simple possession or use carries a fine of up to 50,000 rupees and up to two years in prison under section 34. Amendments in November 2022 allow people caught with small amounts to be referred to rehabilitation instead of being prosecuted. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation is a serious offence with long prison terms; seeds are also banned. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Still strict: prisons hold many drug offenders, which is why a 2025 proposal to depenalise cannabis was framed as a way to relieve overcrowding. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Dealing carries heavy sentences, up to decades for trafficking. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence, with the rehabilitation route available since 2022. - **Legal access 1/10.** No adult-use source. Authorised patients can receive medical cannabis through public hospitals. - *Commercial production.* No domestic production; medical products are imported with health-ministry authorisation. - *Products.* Medical cannabis is narrowly defined: capsules, oil solutions or mouth sprays with no more than 30 mg of THC per millilitre. No flower. - *Seeds and clones.* The Dangerous Drugs Act defines gandia as "all the parts of the plant" Cannabis sativa or indica, with no exception for seed, and section 5 says no person shall cultivate the cannabis plant. Police may uproot any plant found growing. - *Medical use.* Legal since the 2022 amendment, but only with individual authorisation from the Ministry of Health, for a short list of conditions. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Act's drug schedule lists delta-9-THC (cannabis) among drugs with zero tolerance, separately from medicines with specified blood limits. Section 123E covers driving, attempting to drive, being in charge and supervising a learner while under the influence of a listed drug. Section 123G distinguishes a saliva or urine preliminary drug test from laboratory blood or urine testing; refusal without reasonable excuse after the required warning can be prima facie evidence, rather than an automatically confirmed THC result. The 2022 amendment corrected the drug list to the Thirteenth Schedule and the field assessment to the Fourteenth. The government's 2024–25 performance report confirms that its forensic laboratory began reporting drug-driving cases in July 2022. The 2026 Act changes interim licence orders and creates vehicle seizure provisions, but different sections require proclamation on different dates. The complete current penalty and licence regime, commencement of the seizure provisions and a medical-prescription defence remain unverified here; the older ministry reprint must not be used as a complete current consolidation. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under section 34 of the Dangerous Drugs Act, using or possessing any dangerous drug carries a fine of up to 50,000 rupees and up to two years in prison, although the court may order treatment instead of prison for a person who undertakes to be cured of addiction. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record affecting employment; a certificate of character is required for many jobs. ### Serbia Score 9/100 (Prohibition), rank 139 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/rs/ A small amount for personal use carries a fine or up to three years, with possible waiver or deferred prosecution. Cannabis growing carries two to eight years; a large stock carries three to ten years even when held for personal use. - **Possession 1/10.** Possessing a small amount for personal use carries a fine or up to three years in prison, with possible waiver of punishment. A large quantity carries three to ten years even when intended for personal use. The Supreme Court upheld three years for about 372 g in January 2024 and said judges assess quantity case by case. Prosecutors may defer eligible small-possession cases subject to accepted obligations. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Unauthorised growing of psychoactive cannabis carries two to eight years in prison, raised from six months to five years in December 2019. Drug production and supply have a separate three-to-twelve-year range. A 2019 judgment treated drying and packaging cannabis for sale as production. Licensed low-THC hemp crops have separate agricultural rules. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Small personal possession can receive a fine, waiver of punishment or deferred prosecution; the latter may require a payment for public purposes, community work or treatment. Growing cannabis carries a two-to-eight-year statutory range. Large possession can bring prison despite personal use, as in the three-year sentence upheld for about 372 g in 2024. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving another person drugs to consume, or providing a place for their use, carries six months to five years under the facilitating-consumption offence. Unauthorised sale and other supply carry three to twelve years, with aggravated offences for minors, specified locations and abuse of professional roles. - **Consumption 1/10.** The controlled-substances law prohibits unauthorised use. The Criminal Code punishes possession for personal use and separately punishes giving drugs to another person to consume or providing premises for use. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply remains prohibited. Goran Čabradi’s medical-cannabis bill failed to secure a place on parliament’s agenda in March 2018. - *Commercial production.* Licensed hemp cultivation is allowed for fibre, animal-feed seed, propagation and specified seed activities. The agriculture permit rules require registered varieties below 0.3% THC and a permit for one production year. Unauthorised psychoactive cannabis cultivation and drug production carry separate prison ranges. - *Products.* Hemp cultivation rules cover licensed crops and specified fibre-and-seed purposes. Cannabis and resin remain on controlled-drug lists 1 and 2. The government’s 2018 consultation report rejected proposals to legalise medical cannabis oil. - *Seeds and clones.* Cannabis varieties capable of containing more than 0.3% THC are prohibited. Licensed hemp growers must use registered varieties below 0.3%, with properly documented seed and an agriculture permit covering one production year. Seed production for further propagation also requires registration as a seed producer. - *Medical use.* The current schedules place cannabis and resin on both lists 1 and 2. The law permits list-2 substances for research and exceptionally for therapy under its controls. It also allows the minister to authorise imports of unregistered controlled medicines for a named patient or group through a licensed wholesaler. Patient campaigners and lawmakers have sought a wider medical cannabis route. - *Cannabis clubs.* Collective recreational growing and supply fall under the offences against unauthorised cultivation, production and distribution. Giving drugs to another person for use or providing premises for use is separately punishable by six months to five years. - *Black market.* Marijuana is by far the largest drug seized. The interior ministry reported more than 6.1 tonnes of drugs seized in 2025, of which 5.43 tonnes were marijuana, and 130 growing and production sites found: 37 indoor, 92 outdoor and one synthetic drug laboratory. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Safety Law forbids driving under the effect of psychoactive substances, and defines that state as the presence of such substances in the body, established by a test. For alcohol the same article sets a level of 0.20 mg/ml; for drugs it sets none. Police exclude such a driver from traffic on the spot. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational supply remains prohibited. Small personal possession carries a fine or up to three years in prison, with possible waiver of punishment. Large possession carries three to ten years; the Supreme Court has upheld that offence even when cannabis was held for personal use. - *Other consequences.* Small personal possession remains a criminal offence, though the court may waive punishment. For eligible cases prosecutors can defer prosecution for up to one year while agreed obligations are fulfilled, then dismiss the complaint. Those obligations can include a public-purpose payment, community work or drug treatment. ### Bhutan Score 8/100 (Prohibition), rank 140 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bt/ Cannabis grows wild across the country but possession is a criminal offence. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is controlled under the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse Act 2015. An amendment gives cannabis special treatment: a person holding up to twice the scheduled quantity, who tests positive and has no trafficking record, is charged with 'substance abuse' — leading to treatment and counselling — instead of trafficking. Larger amounts are treated as intent to supply, with prison of several years. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation is illegal, although cannabis grows prolifically across Bhutan and was traditionally used to fatten pigs and, less often, for textile fibre. The national broadcaster reports that growing is allowed only for medical and scientific research, not for medical use. Local leaders in Samdrup Jongkhar, where it grows wild, asked Parliament in 2023 to allow sale for medicinal purposes. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Treatment-first for small-scale cannabis users, prison for anything that looks like dealing; youth drug arrests are a prominent public concern. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Trafficking carries heavy sentences, scaled to quantity. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is the 'substance abuse' offence, handled through compulsory treatment and rehabilitation, with penalties for repeat cases. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 13.2 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, and 1.3 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 1.1 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Safety and Transport Act section 34 prohibits driving when an addictive drug makes proper vehicle control impossible. It specifies 25 penalty units; section 37 requires licence/certificate cancellation after conviction and disqualification for a period stated as at least six months or as determined by the court. These statutory conviction consequences are distinct from the regulations' administrative schedule. The authority's 2021 Regulations provide standard drug-testing kits and require its operating procedure under sections 454–455. Schedule X item 13 specifies at least six months' suspension and referral to BNCA for an ordinary licence; the professional/commercial column specifies six months, one demerit point and referral. Section 478 permits stopping drug-impaired driving. The authority confirms regulation commencement on 1 July 2022, although its linked PDF leaves the commencement field blank. No THC cutoff, kit positivity presumption or complete operational confirmation/refusal protocol was established. The alcohol schedule is not a cannabis fine table. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says there are strict penalties for possession, use and trafficking: a prison sentence and a heavy fine, with sentences from a minimum of 3 years up to life depending on the type and quantity of drug. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Royal Bhutan Police arrested 3,319 people for drug offences in 2024, down from 3,667 in 2023. Of those, 343 were under 18 and 1,406 were aged 18 to 24; 2,578 were referred for treatment and 229 were convicted. The police named cannabis products, both hashish and leaves, among the three substances most often seized, with SP Plus and solvents, and gave no separate count for cannabis. - *Other consequences.* Compulsory treatment is recorded; a trafficking conviction is a serious criminal record. ### Bulgaria Score 8/100 (Prohibition), rank 141 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bg/ A 'high-risk' drug: one to six years for possession, with a fine of up to 1,000 leva for minor cases that still counts as a conviction. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is a class A 'high-risk' drug, grouped with heroin and cocaine. Possession carries one to six years in prison and a fine of up to 10,000 leva under Article 354a of the Penal Code. For 'minor cases' a separate provision allows a fine of up to 1,000 leva instead — still a criminal conviction, not an administrative penalty. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation is a crime with prison terms; the penal code has a separate offence for growing hemp-type plants. In 2014 a multiple sclerosis patient with two plants was fined 1,000 leva on appeal after a first acquittal. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Most small cases end in the minor-case fine, but prison sentences for possession do occur, and reform is described as a political taboo. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Distribution carries two to eight years or more. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is not separately punished, but possession is. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. Production, import and sale are prohibited, and nothing containing THC is legally sold. - *Commercial production.* A registered farmer who declares no conviction for a customs offence under articles 242 to 242a, or a drug offence under articles 354a to 354c, of the Penal Code may grow hemp under a free three-year permit from the agriculture minister. The permit is for plants below 0.3% THC in the leaves and the flowering and fruiting tops, grown for fibre, for seed for feed or food, or for sowing seed. The grower declares that those leaves and tops will not be taken, used or processed, and a crop over 0.3% is destroyed. Article 29(1) of the narcotics act, in the consolidation that was read, still says below 0.2%. That conflict is not treated here as a ruling on criminal liability for a crop between the two figures. Parliament rejected a bill to allow hemp processing in April 2024. No other production. - *Products.* CBD is not regulated as a drug: it cannot be produced in Bulgaria but may be imported and sold, and in May 2019 the food authorities certified one firm's CBD supplements for open sale. The risk lies in THC, for which the law sets no permitted trace amount, so a product containing any counts as a controlled preparation. Nothing with THC is legally sold. - *Seeds and clones.* Cannabis plants may be grown only by a registered farmer, for fibre, for seed for feed or food, or for sowing, under a permit from the agriculture minister. The ministry's permit is for plants below 0.3% THC in the leaves and flowering tops. Article 29 of the narcotics act, in the consolidation that was read, still says below 0.2%. Seed not intended for sowing may be imported only by a licensed importer. It may not be released for free circulation if more than 10% of it can germinate. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme — unlike neighbouring Greece and Romania, there is not even a law on paper. A doctor who prescribes cannabis faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 3,000 leva. In October 2015 the national drugs council declared that Bulgaria had no need for medical marijuana, and since June 2016 licences for cannabis may be issued only for medical research. - *Cannabis clubs.* No clubs are known. A Europe-wide survey of cannabis social clubs carried out in 2018 and 2019 found, after online searches and contact with people in the field, that there did not seem to be any active club in Bulgaria. The model is prohibited throughout the European Union. Nothing more recent was found. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 10,759 kg of herbal cannabis and 5.4 kg of cannabis resin seized in Bulgaria in 2024, against 9,721 kg and 19 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 3,332 occasions and resin on 56. Plant seizures came to 34,558 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Driving after using drugs is an offence in itself, with no level set: police use a roadside test for seven drugs, marijuana among them, and a positive result opens criminal proceedings. Since July 2023 the fine is 1,000 to 5,000 leva, 2,000 to 10,000 for a repeat, and refusing a test after an accident brings up to a year in prison. The car is confiscated if the driver owns it, a rule the Constitutional Court upheld in July 2025. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession carries one to six years in prison and a fine of up to 10,000 leva under Article 354a of the Penal Code, with a fine alone possible in minor cases. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The only yearly series found ends in 2006. Convictions for drug crimes of all kinds rose from 232 people in 2000 to 525 in 2003, 921 in 2005 and 1,587 in 2006, the year the penal code was amended. In 2006 prosecutors monitored 4,223 proceedings for acquiring or keeping drugs against 204 for dealing, and the sentence most often imposed by the courts was prison of up to three years. Figures by drug were not published, but cannabis was the most widely used. No recent national figures were found. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Mongolia Score 8/100 (Prohibition), rank 142 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mn/ Unauthorised acquisition or storage without a selling purpose can bring one to five years of travel restriction or imprisonment. Sale-related conduct carries two to eight years; organised criminal groups face a separate, higher range. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 20.7(1), as amended in 2020, punishes unlawful preparation, storage, giving to another person or acquisition of prohibited narcotic drugs without a selling purpose with one to five years of travel restriction or imprisonment. It supplies no small-quantity exemption. A separate administrative penalty for consumption alone was not verified. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Article 20.10 punishes unauthorised growing of plants supplying narcotic raw materials with one to five years of travel restriction or imprisonment; five to twelve years for an organised criminal group. The provision establishes no personal home-growing allowance. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** The Criminal Code permits travel restriction instead of imprisonment for Article 20.7(1) conduct without a selling purpose. The statute alone does not establish how often courts choose that alternative. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Giving drugs to another person without a selling purpose falls within Article 20.7(1), carrying one to five years of travel restriction or imprisonment. Article 20.7(2) provides two to eight years for sale-related conduct; persistent or cross-border conduct carries five to twelve years, and an organised criminal group twelve to twenty years or life imprisonment. Article 20.8 separately punishes providing premises for drug use with a fine, one to five years of travel restriction, or imprisonment in the ordinary case. - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 8 of the narcotics control law prohibits use outside authorised purposes. Criminal Code Article 20.7 lists acts including preparation, storage, giving and acquisition; its title alone does not establish that consumption itself carries the possession sentence. The separate administrative treatment of use was not verified. - **Legal access 0/10.** None found. Narcotic drugs are restricted by the narcotics control law and Criminal Code. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2002 narcotics control law counts planting, collecting and harvesting plants with narcotic effect as manufacture, which needs a licence from the pharmaceuticals authority and is otherwise prohibited. It defines narcotic drugs by reference to the 1961 convention and does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 117 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 122 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* No lawful recreational supply route was established. Article 20.7(1) criminalises unauthorised preparation, storage, giving or acquisition of prohibited narcotic drugs without a selling purpose. - *Other consequences.* A criminal case brings a record and social stigma. ### Palestine Score 8/100 (Prohibition), rank 143 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ps/ In the West Bank, holding a drug for personal use can bring six months to two years, or a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 Jordanian dinars. Gaza's penalties are a separate system. - **Possession 1/10.** In the West Bank, holding a drug for personal use is article 17(1) of Decree-Law 18 of 2015, as amended in 2018: six months to two years, or a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 Jordanian dinars, or both. Article 16 is a separate offence, for possession that is neither for sale nor for personal use: four months to one year, or 1,000 to 3,000 dinars, or both. Gaza applies its own rules. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** In the West Bank, growing for one's own use is article 17(1): six months to two years, or a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 Jordanian dinars, or both. Growing in order to sell is article 21: life imprisonment of at least fifteen years and a fine of at least 15,000 dinars. Gaza's penalty was not read. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** In the West Bank a person who uses a drug can be sentenced to prison or a fine under article 17. In Gaza a court issued a death sentence in 2022 for possession with intent to traffic, which rights groups said the law does not provide for. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** In the West Bank, dealing in order to traffic is article 21: life imprisonment of at least fifteen years and a fine of at least 15,000 dinars. Supplying a drug for payment can bring at least ten years under article 23; without payment, at least three years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is article 17(1): six months to two years, or a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 dinars, or both. A person who comes forward for treatment, and a first-time user whom the prosecutor sends to a treatment centre, is not prosecuted while they follow the programme. A court may suspend the sentence so the person can be treated. A repeat offence, or driving under the influence, raises the minimum to two years or a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 dinars. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None; the law has no hemp or medical exemption. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 2 of Decree-Law 18 of 2015 bans importing, growing, owning, holding, buying or selling plants that yield drugs, or their seeds, at any stage of growth. The law defines cultivation as sowing or planting for germination and any care of the plants or their seeds. Under Article 3 the minister may license growing or seed imports for medical and scientific purposes. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 32.3 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2023, against 29.3 kg in 2021, and 51.8 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2023, against 25.6 kg in 2021. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. In the West Bank, holding a drug for personal use can bring six months to two years or a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 Jordanian dinars. Gaza's penalty was not read. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Tanzania Score 8/100 (Prohibition), rank 144 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tz/ Mainland Tanzania provides at least thirty years for unlawful cannabis cultivation. A separate small-personal-use tier allows a fine, prison or both; trafficking penalties can reach life imprisonment. - **Possession 1/10.** The Act provides a separate penalty tier for small quantities proved to be for personal consumption, with the burden on the holder. For the residual drug group, it allows a fine of at least 500,000 shillings, a three-year prison term, or both. A 2022 appeal concerned a thirty-year cannabis-possession sentence, which was reversed because the evidence's chain of custody was not established. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Unlawful cultivation of prohibited plants carries at least thirty years in prison on the mainland. In March 2022 the Court of Appeal upheld that sentence for a man linked to a field of 535 cannabis plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Long sentences have been imposed for cannabis: the Court of Appeal upheld thirty years for cultivation in one 2022 case. In another it overturned a thirty-year possession sentence because the prosecution had not established the chain of custody of the cannabis evidence. The small-personal-use tier in the Act allows a fine, prison or both. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Trafficking is defined to include giving, supplying, storing, possessing and distributing controlled drugs. The revised Act sets at least thirty years for trafficking not more than 100 kg of cannabis, with larger amounts in the life-imprisonment tier. These trafficking quantities are separate from the small-personal-use tier. - **Consumption 1/10.** The Act's small-quantity and consumption rule allows a fine of at least 500,000 shillings, three years in prison, or both for drugs outside its specially listed group. It also contains a separate offence concerning smoking, inhaling and other drug use. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. An MP's call to legalise bhang for export has not been taken up, though amendments to the drug law were proposed in 2026. - *Products.* None; CBD is treated as cannabis. - *Seeds and clones.* The Drug Control and Enforcement Act defines cannabis as any part of the plant "excluding the seeds", so seed on its own is not a narcotic drug. Cultivating is defined to include planting and scattering the seed, and growing the plant is an offence. A bill presented to Parliament on 1 September 2026 would make holding or distributing seeds of prohibited plants an offence whatever their intended use; it had not been reported as passed. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 2,303,200 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 1,757,560 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* On the mainland, the Road Traffic Act's 2023 revised edition section 53 prohibits driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road or public place while drugs make proper control impossible. Section 75(2)(b) provides TSh15,000–50,000 or two–five years in prison; section 33(1)(a) requires licence cancellation and disqualification for at least three years on a first section 53 conviction. These are the published 2023 provisions, not a verified 2026 ticket tariff. Zanzibar has a separate Road Transport Act: section 123(1)(a) also uses impaired control, and its published 2003 text provides a first-offence minimum fine equivalent to US$75 in shillings or at least six months in prison, or both. Repeat convictions normally entail at least fifteen months' disqualification, subject to the court's special-reasons exception. Later Zanzibar amendments, current testing procedures and a numeric THC cutoff were not verified; alcohol thresholds must not be applied to cannabis. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Mainland law provides no recreational retail permission for visitors. Cannabis possession and supply fall within the drug-control offences, and the separate personal-use tier requires proof of personal consumption rather than sale or distribution. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Hong Kong Score 7/100 (Prohibition), Special administrative region, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/hk/ Possession and use carry up to seven years in prison; very small first-offence personal-use cases may receive a fine, probation or community service. Growing cannabis carries up to fifteen years. CBD has also been controlled since February 2023. - **Possession 1/10.** Possession carries up to seven years and HK$1 million on indictment, or three years and HK$100,000 on summary conviction. For very small quantities clearly for personal use, courts often consider fines, probation or community service, especially for first offenders. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing any cannabis plant carries up to fifteen years and HK$100,000. The 2023 court guidelines use estimated annual yield, with the grower’s role, scale of operation and other circumstances affecting sentence; under 5 kg falls below two years, while above 150 kg falls above ten years. - **Punishment & enforcement 2/10.** Courts generally consider a treatment-suitability report before custody; for very small personal-use amounts, first offenders may receive non-custodial sentences, while repeat offenders may be sent to a Drug Addiction Treatment Centre. In 2000, an appeal reduced a repeat offender’s sentence for 1.18 g of cannabis from six months to two. Drug arrests across all substances reached 4,108 in 2025; the reported conviction rate for drug prosecutions was 86%. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Trafficking includes giving away any amount and carries up to life imprisonment and HK$5 million. Since January 2023, herbal cannabis and resin follow the same trafficking sentencing scale, beginning with a band of up to sixteen months for under 2 kg, with individual circumstances affecting the result. - **Consumption 0/10.** Smoking, inhaling, ingesting or injecting a dangerous drug is an offence carrying up to seven years and HK$1 million. CBD came under those controls on 1 February 2023. - **Legal access 0/10.** Possession and use must comply with the ordinance or a licence granted by the Director of Health. Cannabis and cannabis resin are excluded from the ordinary professional and pharmacy authorities in sections 22 and 24. - *Commercial production.* Manufacturing a dangerous drug carries up to life imprisonment and HK$5 million. Cultivating a cannabis plant is a separate offence carrying up to fifteen years and HK$100,000. - *Products.* CBD products, including skincare, edible oils and supplements, became subject to dangerous-drug controls in February 2023. In July, a traveller was jailed for two months overall on CBD-possession, ketamine-possession and injection-equipment counts; two personal-care bottles contained about 5 g of CBD. - *Medical use.* Cannabis and cannabis resin are excluded from the ordinary professional and pharmacy authorities in the ordinance. CBD pharmaceutical products have been subject to prescription-only controls since December 2019; the government reported no registered CBD medicine in October 2022. - *Cannabis clubs.* Giving away cannabis falls within trafficking, which carries up to life imprisonment and HK$5 million. Growing cannabis is also prohibited. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Travellers must not bring CBD or CBD products into Hong Kong. A woman arriving from the United States in March 2023 was later jailed on CBD and ketamine possession and injection-equipment counts. - *Other consequences.* Among people under 21 reported to the Central Registry of Drug Abuse in 2025, cannabis was the second most commonly reported drug after etomidate. The registry recorded 5,077 people across all ages and drugs. ### Papua New Guinea Score 7/100 (Prohibition), rank 145 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/pg/ Cannabis is a strictly prohibited Schedule I substance. Ten grams or less can bring two years in prison; more than two kilograms falls in a 16-years-to-life tier, and courts do jail users and transporters under the law. - **Possession 0/10.** Cannabis, cannabis resin and cannabis oil are Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substance Act 2021. Schedule VII sets up to two years in prison or a K15,000 fine for 10 g or less, up to 15 years or K25,000 for more than 10 g but less than 2 kg, and 16 years to life or K26,000–2 million for more than 2 kg. Courts apply the Act to small possession: one man received 18 months for nine packets in 2023. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Section 34 expressly prohibits cultivating a Schedule I plant. Schedule VII grades fewer than five plants at up to two years or K15,000, more than five at up to 15 years or K25,000, and more than 20 at 16 years to life or K26,000–2 million. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Prison is used at both ends of the scale: a court imposed 18 months for nine packets in 2023, while two men with 14–20 kg received 25 years in 2025. In August 2026, a court ordered a man caught with 4.7 kg to pay K30,000 or serve 20 years. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Facilitating another person's use, whether free or for consideration, carries up to 12 months or K50,000. Selling or distributing for financial or material benefit is trafficking and is punished under the quantity-based Schedule VII tiers. - **Consumption 1/10.** The Act does not set out a separate simple own-use offence, but consuming cannabis ordinarily requires illegal possession. Possessing and selling consumption implements, facilitating another person's use and inciting use are separate offences. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. Schedule I cannabis has no adult-use or patient-access channel. - *Commercial production.* None. The 2023–2027 development plan calls for an industrial-hemp policy framework, but that policy intention did not legalise cultivation. A 2024 National Research Institute study said Papua New Guinea was not yet ready to legalise hemp production. - *Products.* Cannabis flower, resin, oil and Cannabis sativa plants are all in Schedule I. Cannabis fibre is excluded from the Act's definition of cannabis, but the plant needed to produce it remains prohibited; there is no general CBD or low-THC exemption. - *Seeds and clones.* The Controlled Substance Act 2021 defines cannabis as a cannabis plant, living or dead, including the flowering or fruiting top, leaf, seed, stalk or any other part. A controlled plant is a growing cannabis plant or a cutting of one, and the penalty scale counts plants, seedlings, cuttings and saplings together: five or more is an indictable offence. - *Medical use.* No medical-cannabis programme. Schedule I is described as having no medical value, and the Act's prescribed-medication defence applies only to Schedules II–IV. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 42 criminalises driving on a public street under the influence of alcohol or a drug, including occupying the driving seat and trying to put the vehicle in motion. A first offence carries up to K5,000 or six months' imprisonment or both; repetition raises these maxima to K10,000 and three years. If that driving causes bodily or fatal injury to another person, section 42(2) provides up to K60,000 or ten years or both. Section 44 requires disqualification of at least six months for the ordinary offence and twelve months for the injury offence. Police must facilitate a requested medical examination after arrest. Section 43 permits officers, on reasonable grounds, to forbid driving, take keys and immobilise or remove a vehicle for the necessary period. The 2017 Road User Rules separately describe impaired mental or motor skills and an officer-administered impairment test; their numerical alcohol rules are not THC limits. No quantified THC allowance or general prescribed-cannabis defence was verified. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the Controlled Substance Act 2021, 10 g or less of cannabis carries up to two years in prison or a fine of K15,000, and more than 10 g up to fifteen years. - *Other consequences.* A conviction produces a criminal record and may bring a fine, imprisonment or both. Courts sometimes make a long default prison term the alternative to a fine, as in the 2026 order of K30,000 or 20 years for 4.7 kg. ### Iran Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 146 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ir/ Possession is punished with fines and lashes; large-scale trafficking can carry the death penalty. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 5 of the Anti-Narcotics Law grades buying, keeping, hiding or carrying bhang, hashish and the other drugs of its lighter list by weight. Up to 50 g brings a fine and up to 50 lashes, with no prison; 50 to 500 g a larger fine and 10 to 74 lashes; prison begins above 500 g, with two to five years for 500 g to 5 kg and five to ten years for 5 to 20 kg. The tiers are those of the text as amended in the early 1990s; the fine amounts have since been raised and are not given here. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** The law punishes growing cannabis only when it is done to produce narcotics, with fines and flogging that escalate on repeat offences; growing the plant as such is not an offence. A 2021 study found cannabis grown across the countryside, mostly on a small scale for local demand, and websites selling seeds and growing equipment openly. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Corporal punishment for small amounts and the death penalty for large ones. A 2017 amendment raised the capital threshold for hashish and opium from 5 kg to 50 kg and limited it mainly to armed or organised trafficking, though drug executions have since risen again. Practice towards users is far milder than the text: fieldwork published in 2021 found few police interventions over cannabis use, with arrests concentrated on heroin, methamphetamine and alcohol, and described the laxity as deliberate policy. The score follows the law, which still provides for flogging. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supply is trafficking under Article 4 of the Anti-Narcotics Law, which covers importing, producing, distributing and selling: up to 50 g brings a fine and up to 50 lashes, 50 to 500 g a fine, 20 to 74 lashes and up to three years in prison where the court sees fit, and 500 g to 5 kg three to fifteen years; at the top end the penalty is execution. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence, but dependent users who enter treatment are exempt from punishment. Hashish use is common and, in private, often overlooked. A 2021 study calls toleration of cannabis use the norm, including in a few places known for it, such as the village of Qalat near Shiraz, where it is smoked in cafes. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. The Anti-Narcotics Law authorises prohibited substances only exceptionally, for medical and industrial purposes with the permission of the Ministry of Health. - *Death penalty.* The death penalty applies to large quantities. A 2017 amendment raised the capital threshold for hashish and opium from 5 kg to 50 kg and limited it mainly to armed or organised trafficking, though drug executions have since risen again. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The Anti-Narcotics Law punishes growing cannabis only when it is done "for the purpose of producing narcotic drugs" (Article 2). Article 3 punishes storing or carrying the seeds of the poppy and the flowering or fruiting tops of cannabis, and for cannabis requires proof of intent to produce narcotics; cannabis seed is not named. This is the text as amended in 1997; the 2010 and 2017 amendments were not read. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* The whole market is illegal and, by a 2021 study based on fieldwork, easy to reach: officials said the time needed to obtain hashish or cannabis anywhere in Tehran had fallen from fifteen minutes to seven. Hashish is mass-produced in Afghanistan and Pakistan and comes in along the opiate routes. Herbal cannabis is widely grown in Iran, mostly on a small scale, and sold as gol ("flower"), a high-THC product that took over the market from about 2000. Dealers advertise through Instagram stories and deliver to the door. Dealers and users in Tehran put gol at about 50,000 tuman a gram, roughly 0.80 US dollars, with imported hashish cheaper. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the Anti-Narcotics Law, possessing a small quantity of cannabis or hashish, roughly under 50 g, is punished with a fine and up to 50 lashes rather than prison; penalties climb steeply with quantity, to long imprisonment. - *Other consequences.* A drug conviction is a criminal record, and flogging sentences are carried out. ### Algeria Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 147 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/dz/ Personal cannabis growing carries two to five years in prison and a fine. Use and personal possession can bring prison, a fine or either alone, with treatment routes for qualifying users. Specified aggravated drug offences can carry death sentences. - **Possession 0/10.** Illicit use, buying or possession for personal consumption carries two months to two years in prison and a DZD20,000–50,000 fine, or either penalty alone. Qualifying users who undergo detoxification or medical supervision can avoid prosecution under the treatment provisions. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis for personal consumption carries two to five years in prison and a DZD200,000–500,000 fine. The general offence of knowingly growing cannabis unlawfully carries life imprisonment; the personal-use penalty is a separate exception added in 2023. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The law provides treatment-linked non-prosecution and permits courts to withhold the ordinary use penalty when the treatment conditions are met. Since 2025, the maximum legal penalty must be imposed when the prescribed examinations establish that an offender was under drug influence during the offence. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Giving or offering drugs to another person for their personal consumption is an offence carrying two to ten years in prison, with higher penalties in specified cases. Wider production and supply offences carry ten to twenty years, twenty to thirty years for specified professional or official offenders, and life when committed by an organised criminal group. - **Consumption 1/10.** Illicit use is a crime carrying two months to two years in prison and a DZD20,000–50,000 fine, or either penalty alone. Treatment or medical supervision can lead to non-prosecution under the law’s conditions. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply is prohibited. Medical and scientific controlled-drug work requires health-ministry authorisation, with an application and supervision procedure set out in the 2007 regulations. - *Death penalty.* The 2025 law permits death sentences for specified aggravated supply offences, including transnational organised crime and use or threatened use of a firearm. It also provides capital punishment for specified recruitment offences near educational establishments and for repetition of an offence already carrying life imprisonment. These provisions apply to listed drug offences and include serious cannabis cases. - *Commercial production.* Controlled-drug production, handling, import, export and cannabis cultivation require authorisation from the health minister for medical or scientific purposes. Applicants must identify the operation, product, quantity and use; permits are subject to checks, stock records and secure storage requirements. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 04-18 defines cannabis as the flowering or fruiting tops of the plant, "excluding the seeds and the leaves that are not accompanied by the tops", so seed on its own is not a controlled drug. The cannabis plant is defined as any plant of the genus, and growing it is one of the acts the law controls. - *Medical use.* The statutory medical and scientific exception is implemented through health-ministry authorisation. The 2007 procedure requires details of the proposed work, a criminal-record extract and an official inquiry into the applicant; import and export permits last three months per operation. - *Cannabis clubs.* The law criminalises growing and supplying cannabis, including giving or offering it to another person for personal consumption. It provides no authorised recreational club supply route. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 6.2 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 25.9 kg in 2023, and 37,781 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 44,536 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Code 26-09, promulgated on 12 May 2026 and published on 17 May, replaces Law 01-14. Article 137 provides one–two years in prison and DZD100,000–200,000 for driving, or accompanying a learner, under the influence of narcotics or psychotropic substances. Article 143 applies the relevant intoxication penalties to refusal of the prescribed breath, medical, clinical or biological examinations. Under article 160 a court may additionally withdraw or suspend the licence for up to five years; this is discretionary, not an automatic five-year ban. Suspected drug influence also permits vehicle immobilisation under article 173. Article 80 separately requires professional transport recruits to provide medical analyses showing no drug consumption, with periodic and unannounced examinations during employment. No numerical THC cutoff or full operational testing regulations were verified. Article 188 retains earlier implementing texts until replacement regulations; older offence numbers and penalties should not be substituted for the new code. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no authorised recreational supply. Personal use, buying or possession can bring two months to two years in prison, a DZD20,000–50,000 fine, or either alone. Drug-law convictions can also bring exclusion from Algeria, with permanent exclusion required for the specified crimes. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The national police directorate (DGSN) reported handling at least 175,920 drug cases in 2025, in which 192,252 people were implicated. Its seizures that year included just over 7 tonnes of cannabis, more than 665 kg of cocaine and over 20 million psychotropic pills. The figures are those of the national police and are not split by drug. - *Other consequences.* The 2025 amendment allows removal of acquired Algerian nationality for crimes under the drug law, following the nationality code’s procedures. Foreigners convicted of drug-law offences can face exclusion from Algeria; permanent exclusion is mandatory for the crimes specified by the law. The law also requires negative drug-screening results in recruitment files for the listed public and private-sector bodies, with implementing details set by regulation where needed. ### Burkina Faso Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 148 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bf/ Cannabis use is criminalised and drug users face jail. The 2018 Penal Code set shorter prison ranges for small personal possession and growing, alongside fines. Parliament adopted a further replacement code on 20 October 2026. - **Possession 0/10.** The 2018 Penal Code sets a separate penalty for small quantities bought or held for personal consumption. High-risk plants or substances, including cannabis oil, carry one month to one year and a fine of 250,000–600,000 CFA francs; cannabis derivatives other than oil carry one to six months and the same fine. It gives no gram limit. General personal possession of high-risk drugs carries two to five years and a fine of 1–5 million francs. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Small personal cultivation falls under the same shorter penalty tiers as small personal possession in the 2018 code. There is no fixed plant limit. Ordinary high-risk cultivation and production carry eleven to twenty-one years and a fine of 5–25 million CFA francs. The 1999 drug code already distinguished small personal growing from ordinary production. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Mainline's 2025 country sheet reports severe repression by police and courts and imprisonment of drug users. Courts can order treatment in place of or alongside punishment, but the report describes missing protocols, facilities and clear responsibilities that leave this alternative rarely implemented. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** Giving or offering a high-risk drug directly for another person's consumption carries two to five years and a fine of 500,000–2 million CFA francs in the 2018 code. General local trafficking carries eleven to twenty-one years and a fine of 5–25 million francs. - **Consumption 0/10.** The 2018 code prohibits using controlled drugs outside a medical prescription. Its general offence of personal use of high-risk drugs carries two to five years and a fine of 1–5 million CFA francs. The small-quantity rule expressly covers buying, possession and growing; it does not expressly list use itself. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply is prohibited. The 1999 code restricts controlled-drug commerce to authorised purposes and licensed operators; the 2018 code sets criminal penalties for unauthorised production and supply. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Growing cannabis and supplying it to another person remain prohibited; the small-personal-quantity tier still sets criminal penalties. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 11,734 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 18,985 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Visitors have no lawful recreational supply route. For specified production and supply offences, the 2018 code allows courts to exclude a convicted foreigner permanently or for ten years or more. Its additional-penalty clause covers Articles 381-1–384-5, while small personal quantities have a separate rule in Article 385-2. - *Other consequences.* For specified production, supply and related offences, the 2018 code allows additional penalties such as loss of civic rights, professional bans and restrictions on travel or residence. Courts may order treatment in place of or alongside punishment for a dependent person convicted of the offences listed in its treatment rule, including small personal quantities and drug-impaired driving. Parliament adopted a further replacement Penal Code on 20 October 2026. ### Cyprus Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 149 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cy/ Cannabis possession and home growing remain crimes. Young first offenders have a two-year prison cap for personal-use offences; medical oil has a restricted approval-and-prescription route, alongside licensed hemp and medical-production laws. - **Possession 1/10.** Cannabis is a Class B drug. Unauthorised personal possession carries up to eight years in prison, a fine, or both. The prison sentence for use, possession or transport for personal use cannot exceed two years if the offender was under twenty-five at the time and has no previous conviction under the drug law or regulations. Thirty grams or more creates a rebuttable presumption of supply intent. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Unauthorised growing or planting is a separate offence carrying up to life imprisonment, a fine, or both. Three or more plants create a rebuttable presumption of supply intent; fewer plants remain subject to the cultivation offence. Licensed industrial hemp and medical production have separate rules. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The statute allows prison or a fine for personal possession and requires courts to consider age, exclusive personal use, dependence, cooperation and willingness to undergo treatment when sentencing. Young first offenders have a two-year prison cap for personal-use offences. Cultivation and supply carry much higher statutory maxima. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supplying, offering, distributing or handing over cannabis on any terms is an offence; the law gives no general adult gifting allowance. The Class B supply offence carries up to life imprisonment, a fine, or both. - **Consumption 0/10.** Smoking, taking or using cannabis is an offence, with life imprisonment, a fine, or both in the general penalty table. The two-year prison ceiling applies to qualifying young first offenders convicted of personal-use offences. Authorised medical use falls under separate rules. - **Legal access 1/10.** There is no legal recreational supply. The 2019 regulations establish licensed medical production and prescription pharmacy preparations, with separate approval for minors. Panaxia announced a government purchase and delivery of imported medical oils in 2021. - *Commercial production.* The 2019 medical regulations provide an initial three-producer licensing process, with controls over premises, staff, testing, records and trade. They protect that initial group against additional licences for up to fifteen years. Industrial hemp has separate producer/supplier licences and registered premises; its agricultural definition now refers to the EU’s 0.3% standard. - *Products.* Medical products include the two cannabis-oil concentrations selected in the government’s 2021 Panaxia agreement. The medical regulations also cover pharmacy-prepared cannabis medicines. The industrial-hemp law expressly leaves derivatives such as seed oil, flour, foods and drinks outside its scope, so its crop definition does not itself authorise every finished product. - *Seeds and clones.* Supplying cannabis seeds while knowing the recipient plans to grow illegally is an offence; the seed-import restriction was added in 2019. Licensed industrial-hemp production and seed supply have an express statutory exception. The hemp-production definition refers to the EU’s 0.3% threshold, while the narcotics law’s reproduced hemp definition still states 0.2%. Ordinary cannabis planting remains prohibited. - *Medical use.* The 2017 official explanation required individual ministerial approval and a doctor’s prescription for cannabis oil. The 2019 regulations provide for doctors to prescribe cannabis pharmacy preparations to adults where appropriate, with separate justified applications for patients under eighteen; smoking is excluded as a prescribed route. Imported oil supply was documented in March 2021. - *Cannabis clubs.* Collective recreational growing and supply fall under the prohibitions on cannabis cultivation and supply. Volt’s 2025 policy proposes club licences as part of a wider regulated market. - *Black market.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 617 kg of herbal cannabis and 2.4 kg of cannabis resin seized in Cyprus in 2024, against 554 kg and 16 kg in 2023. Herbal cannabis was seized on 814 occasions and resin on 31. Plant seizures came to 14 plants. Countries record seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The traffic law requires impairment and sets no THC limit, but in practice drivers are usually prosecuted under the narcotics law, since using and possessing drugs is a crime in itself and no effect on driving has to be shown. Police may stop and test at random with an oral-fluid test, and a second roadside sample is sent as evidence. Suspension and fine are left to the court, and prison of up to one year is possible. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply. Personal possession is a criminal offence carrying up to eight years, a fine, or both, with the statutory two-year ceiling for qualifying young first offenders. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The EU drugs agency's statistical bulletin records 770 cannabis-related drug law offences in Cyprus in 2024, against 846 in 2023. Of the 2024 total, 602 were for use or possession for use. Countries count these differently (offences or offenders, criminal or administrative), so the figure is not comparable across borders. - *Other consequences.* Possession, growing, supply and use remain criminal offences. Courts may consider youth, exclusive personal use, dependence, remorse and willingness to undergo treatment when sentencing. The drug law also gives a convicting court power to disqualify a person from holding or obtaining a driving licence. ### Dominican Republic Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 150 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/do/ Any amount means prison: at least six months for up to 20 g, three to ten years above that. - **Possession 0/10.** Law 50-88 sorts people into three fixed categories by weight. Up to 20 g of marijuana is 'simple possession': six months to two years in prison and a fine of 1,500 to 2,500 pesos (5 g for hashish). Between 20 g and one pound you are a 'distributor', with three to ten years. Over a pound you are a 'trafficker', with five to twenty. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing marihuana without authorisation is treated as trafficking. Up to 20 plants brings two to five years in prison and a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 pesos; more than 20 and up to 100 plants three to ten years; larger plantations the trafficker's five to twenty years. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Mandatory prison for any amount, applied to tourists as well. Dominican commentators describe the 1988 law as obsolete. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Quantity alone makes you a distributor or trafficker, so sharing more than 20 g carries at least three years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is prosecuted through possession: Law 50-88 has no separate offence for use, and up to 20 g of marijuana is 'simple possession', with six months to two years in prison. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. Law 50-88 punishes even simple possession of up to 20 g with prison and treats growing without authorisation as trafficking. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None; foreign medical cannabis cards are not recognised. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 50-88 defines marijuana as all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa, growing or not, and "its seeds"; only mature stalks, their fibre and oil or paste made from the seeds are left out. Production is defined to include sowing, planting and growing plants that contain controlled substances. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 6,422 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 6,900 kg in 2023, and 1.7 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 20.5 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Law 63-17 article 257 prohibits driving under the effects of drugs or controlled substances. It specifies a fine of five to ten minimum salaries for the centralised public sector and licence-point deductions determined by regulation, without excluding suspension or cancellation provisions. The salary unit must not be replaced with a private-sector minimum wage or a fixed peso tariff. Article 260 provides for accredited disposable saliva drug detectors, and article 261 covers testing for substances diminishing driving aptitude. Preventive testing under article 262 concerns people intending to drive whose behaviour and evident symptoms suggest diminished capacity; its title must not be read as unrestricted random drug testing. Organic or invasive tests require consent under article 261. Refusal is recorded and referred to the traffic court or local justice court. A numerical THC cutoff, exact drug-specific point deduction and fixed ban duration were not established in the reviewed provisions. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Law 50-88 punishes possession of any amount: up to 20 g of marihuana brings six months to two years in prison and a fine, and anything above that is treated as distribution, with three to ten years. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The National Directorate for Drug Control (DNCD) reported that 49,073 people were arrested for drug-related crimes in 2024, nine in ten of them Dominican. The authorities seized 44,348 kg of drugs that year, a record: 37,714 kg of cocaine and 6,377 kg of marijuana. The directorate did not say how many of the arrests were for possession or for cannabis. - *Other consequences.* Long pre-trial detention is common; foreigners are deported after sentence. ### Jordan Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 151 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/jo/ Cannabis remains criminal: personal plant possession can bring one to six months, a JOD200–500 fine, or both; resin carries one to three years plus a fine. First offences leave no criminal precedent or security record. Separate rules cover prescription CBD products and hemp seed foods. - **Possession 0/10.** Under the current schedules, cannabis plant material is in table 3: possession for personal use carries one to six months in prison, a JOD200–500 fine, or both. Cannabis resin is in table 1: personal possession carries one to three years and a JOD1,000–3,000 fine. A first offence creates no criminal precedent or security record. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Growing cannabis for personal use is a separate, lesser offence from growing for trafficking. The current table-3 plant classification gives personal-use growing the same one-to-six-month prison term, JOD200–500 fine, or both as personal plant possession. Growing for trade carries at least fifteen years of temporary hard labour plus a fine. The law separately allows plant and seed handling under licences governed by regulation. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Personal-use offences can lead to prison. Courts may substitute inpatient or outpatient treatment, and a first offence leaves no criminal precedent or security record. People who seek treatment themselves or through family before being caught are protected from prosecution. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The law defines drug distribution to include giving drugs without payment. The distribution offence carries at least five years of temporary hard labour and at least a JOD5,000 fine, with higher minimums where minors are involved. Trafficking carries at least fifteen years plus a fine; specified international-gang cases carry mandatory death. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use and acts intended for personal use are criminal offences, with the punishment depending on the substance’s schedule. Courts may order treatment instead of punishment. A person who seeks treatment before being caught, directly or through family, is protected from prosecution. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply remains prohibited. Separate 2023 rules provide for approval of CBD natural medicines and preparations containing no more than 0.3% THC, dispensed on a valid medical prescription, with regulatory controls on imports and exports. - *Death penalty.* Article 20 requires death for specified aggravated trafficking offences involving international drug gangs or links to other international crimes. Ordinary personal use is dealt with separately under article 9. The international-gang death clause also appeared in the law replaced in 2016. - *Commercial production.* Medical, scientific and industrial drug manufacture requires authorisation. Controlled plants and seeds are prohibited except through the licensing authority provided by the amended law. The 2023 CBD rules set manufacturing and raw-material requirements for medicines, external-use cosmetics and medical devices. - *Products.* The regulator’s schedules exclude CBD-dominant oils, extracts and preparations containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC from the controlled-drug tables. The 2023 instructions separately require product approval and prescriptions for CBD natural medicines and preparations. They also regulate external-use cosmetics and devices and permit specified hemp seed foods with THC and CBD limits. - *Seeds and clones.* The amended narcotics law prohibits controlled plants and their seeds throughout growth, with an exception for licensed handling under regulation. Personal-use cultivation has a separate penalty from cultivation for trade. The 2023 food rules concern hulled, nonviable hemp seeds and specified seed products. - *Medical use.* The 2023 instructions provide approval and prescription rules for CBD natural medicines and preparations containing no more than 0.3% THC. Imports and exports of these medical products require a stamped invoice from the regulator’s controlled-substances section. Product classification, manufacturer approval and quality testing form part of the route. - *Cannabis clubs.* Collective recreational supply falls under offences against unauthorised distribution, including gifts. Cultivation for trade carries at least fifteen years of temporary hard labour and a fine; the personal-use growing offence is separate. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 263 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 70.5 kg in 2023, and 6,243 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2023, against 7,313 kg in 2022. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The amended Traffic Law No. 18 of 2023, in force from 12 September 2023, punishes driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs with one to three months in prison, a fine of 250 to 500 dinars, or both, as the judge decides; the judge may also confiscate the licence for two months. The law gives public security officers the power to test a detained driver for alcohol and drugs. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational supply remains prohibited. Personal cannabis plant possession carries one to six months, a JOD200–500 fine, or both; cannabis resin carries one to three years plus a JOD1,000–3,000 fine. A first offence leaves no criminal precedent or security record. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The annual report of the National Centre for Human Rights counted 25,776 drug cases of all kinds in 2025, down from 38,782 in 2024. Cases of possession and use fell by about 39% and trafficking offences by about 22%. The figures are not broken down by drug. - *Other consequences.* A first personal-use offence leaves no criminal precedent or security record, while prosecution and a sentence remain possible. Courts may substitute treatment; the law protects the identity and treatment information of people receiving it and penalises disclosure. ### Kenya Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 152 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ke/ Cannabis held solely for personal use carries up to five years or a fine of up to 100,000 shillings. Where that is not shown, 1 to 100 grams carries a fine of at least 30 million shillings, thirty years in prison, or both. - **Possession 1/10.** Section 3 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, as amended in March 2022, gives cannabis (bhang) its own tier: a person who satisfies the court that the cannabis was solely for their own consumption faces up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 100,000 shillings, and the court may add a treatment or rehabilitation programme of at least six months. Where that is not shown the trafficking section applies, which also covers possession: a fine of at least 30 million shillings or thirty years for 1 to 100 g, and at least 50 million shillings or fifty years above 100 g. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Section 6 punishes cultivating a prohibited plant, or letting premises be used for it, with a fine of 250,000 shillings or three times the market value of the plants, whichever is greater, up to twenty years in prison, or both. Under Section 7 the court must also order the land forfeited to the government. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** One of Africa's harshest laws on paper since 2022. Courts in practice impose much shorter terms and fines for small amounts, but arrests are frequent. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Section 4 punishes trafficking, and possession it treats as trafficking, with a fine of at least 30 million shillings or thirty years in prison for 1 to 100 g, and at least 50 million shillings or three times the market value, or fifty years, above 100 g. - **Consumption 1/10.** Smoking, inhaling, sniffing or otherwise using a narcotic drug, or being found without excuse in a place people use for it, is an offence under Section 5 with a fine of not less than 250,000 shillings, at least five years in prison, or both. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. The national drug agency has repeatedly insisted cannabis remains prohibited despite legalisation petitions. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act defines cannabis as the flowering or fruiting tops, excluding the seeds and leaves when not accompanied by the tops. Cultivating any cannabis plant counts as illicit traffic, so cuttings fall under the ban; the Act does not say whether seeds may be sold. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis; a bill has been proposed in the Senate. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 28,153 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 25,840 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Traffic Act makes it an offence to drive, attempt to drive or be in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of an alcoholic drink or a drug 'beyond the prescribed limits'. The penalty is a fine of up to 100,000 shillings, up to two years in prison, or both, with disqualification for twelve months. The section itself gives no figure for cannabis, and none was found in the sources read for this profile. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Cannabis held solely for one's own consumption carries up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 100,000 shillings; using it carries a fine of not less than 250,000 shillings or at least five years; and possession treated as trafficking carries, from one gram up to 100 grams, a fine of at least 30 million shillings, thirty years in prison, or both. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Cannabis accounts for most drug arrests. Police statistics for 2016 show 776 people arrested in relation to cannabis, against 92 for heroin and 11 for cocaine. Sentences can be heavy for very little: in one case reported in a 2021 study a man received two years in prison for a single "stick" worth twenty shillings. No more recent national breakdown was found. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Tuvalu Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 153 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tv/ A 2025 amendment sets minimum prison terms for small cannabis offences and permits medical or scientific licences; ordinary recreational supply remains prohibited. - **Possession 0/10.** The 2025 penalty table gives smoking or possessing no more than 5 g of cannabis two to five years in prison. It separately lists no more than 10 g at three to seven years, and more than 50 g at five to twenty years. The bands overlap, and the table gives no separate entry for amounts over 10 g through 50 g. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Unlicensed cannabis cultivation is prohibited. The 2025 table gives up to one plant one to five years in prison, up to three plants two to seven years, and more than five plants four to ten years. It gives no separate band for four or five plants. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The 2025 Act prescribes minimum imprisonment, including two years for the smallest smoking or possession band. The older general penalty clause provided a fine and imprisonment where no specific penalty applied. - **Sharing & gifting 1/10.** The amended possession, selling and trafficking offence is subject to the 2025 penalty table. Selling or trafficking no more than 5 g carries two to five years in prison; no more than 20 g is listed at five to twelve years. - **Consumption 0/10.** The 2025 Act prohibits unlicensed use and expressly includes smoking cannabis in its penalty table. The smallest smoking or possession band carries a minimum of two years in prison. - **Legal access 0/10.** The minister may license import, export, manufacture, cultivation, sale or use of dangerous drugs for medical and scientific purposes. The Act provides an application form and permits conditions covering records, security and reporting. - *Commercial production.* The 2025 licensing power covers medical and scientific cultivation and manufacture. Applications must describe the drugs involved, the purpose and the proposed period of the licence. - *Products.* The Act defines Indian hemp as Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica, or any portion of either plant. Cannabis extracts and tinctures also appear in the schedule of controlled drugs. The 2025 medical and scientific licensing power covers dangerous drugs across import, production, sale and use. - *Seeds and clones.* The Act’s definition of cannabis includes any portion of the plant. The 2025 Act replaces the former seed-import section with a licensing rule covering import, cultivation, sale and use for medical and scientific purposes. - *Medical use.* The minister can issue medical and scientific licences under the 2025 Act, subject to conditions on records, security and reporting. The application form asks applicants to explain their purpose and why permission should be granted. - *Cannabis clubs.* The 2025 licensing power is confined to medical and scientific purposes, while unlicensed cultivation, sale and use remain offences. - *Driving.* Driving, attempting to drive or being in charge of a vehicle while a drug impairs driving efficiency carries a $200 fine and one year’s imprisonment. Police can arrest without warrant on reasonable suspicion, and a court may disqualify the driver or impose licence restrictions. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The 2025 Act provides licences for medical and scientific purposes and prohibits unlicensed import, cultivation, sale and use. Its application form asks for nationality, country and principal residence or place of business. - *Other consequences.* Unlawfully imported or exported cannabis can be seized and forfeited, and the Act permits seizure and destruction of cannabis plants. Its general penalty clause also provides forfeiture of articles involved in an offence. ### Uganda Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 154 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ug/ Possession carries up to twenty years with no lesser tier for personal use; a handful of licences exist for medical cultivation for export. - **Possession 0/10.** Section 4 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 2024 makes possession of a narcotic drug an offence with a fine of up to 50,000 currency points, a billion shillings, or three times the drug's market value if that is more, up to twenty years in prison, or both. No lesser tier is set for a small amount or for personal use. The Act was re-enacted after the Constitutional Court annulled the 2016 law for lack of a quorum. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Section 11 forbids knowingly cultivating or gathering a prohibited plant without a licence from the health minister. The penalty is a fine of up to 120 currency points, 2.4 million shillings, or three times the market value of the plants if that is more, up to five years in prison, or both; a second or later offence brings imprisonment for life. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** One of East Africa's stricter laws, combining long sentences, large fines and asset forfeiture. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Trafficking carries a fine of up to 50,000 currency points or three times the drug's market value, imprisonment for life, or both (Section 5). The Act's definition of trafficking includes giving and supplying, so passing cannabis to another person unpaid is treated the same way. - **Consumption 1/10.** Section 6 makes it an offence to smoke, inhale, sniff, chew or otherwise use a narcotic drug, to be found without excuse in a place people use for it, or to possess a pipe or other utensil for it: a fine of up to 50,000 currency points, up to ten years in prison, or both. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Commercial production.* The 2024 Act allows licensed cultivation strictly for medical use, with all licences issued by the health ministry. A few export-oriented projects have operated. - *Products.* No legal consumer products. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2024 narcotics act defines cannabis as the flowering or fruiting tops of the plant, "excluding the seeds", so loose seed is not itself a narcotic drug. Cultivating is defined to include "sowing or scattering the seed", and growing the plant without a licence is an offence. - *Medical use.* Medical use is permitted in principle under licence; there is no accessible patient programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* Section 112 of the Traffic and Road Safety Act prohibits driving or attempting to drive under drug influence. It expressly includes pharmaceutical and prescribed drugs, with no numerical THC allowance stated. Conviction carries up to 300 currency points (UGX6 million), up to three years' imprisonment, or both. Section 113 permits blood or urine testing on reasonable suspicion; refusal of a required blood specimen carries up to 100 currency points and is prima facie evidence of drug influence or excess alcohol. The 2023 Regulations allow police to escort a suspected drug-influenced driver for a medical test and impound the vehicle. A fixed cannabis-specific licence-ban duration was not established: the consolidated Act's section 46 contains an alcohol condition alongside a cross-reference to section 112, which must not be presented as an unconditional drug-driving ban. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The 2024 Act sets up to twenty years in prison for possession, up to ten for using a drug or being found where it is used, and life for trafficking. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record; property can be forfeited. ### Uzbekistan Score 6/100 (Prohibition), rank 155 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/uz/ Possession without intent to sell is a criminal offence under article 276, with a fine or up to three years in prison. Intent to sell is a separate offence under article 273, with longer sentences. - **Possession 1/10.** Holding a drug without intent to sell is a criminal offence under article 276. The basic offence can bring a fine of up to fifty basic calculation units, community service, corrective work, restriction of liberty for one to three years, or imprisonment for up to three years. A large quantity, or a repeat offence, can bring restriction of liberty or imprisonment for three to five years. A person who turns themself in and hands over the drugs is released from punishment for the basic offence. Five to seven years, and ten to twenty years, are sentences under article 273, which requires intent to sell or an actual sale. The official quantity table was not read, so no gram bands are stated. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation is a crime with prison. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Article 276 allows a fine for possession without intent to sell, and it also allows up to three years in prison. Article 273, which requires intent to sell, carries the longer prison terms. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Article 273 punishes handling drugs with intent to sell, and selling them. Above a small quantity the sentence is five to seven years. A large quantity can bring fifteen to twenty years, and aggravating circumstances sit between those bands. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence and leads to registration and compulsory treatment. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* Under the 1999 narcotics law, cultivating narcotic-containing plants is a state monopoly. Article 21 allows it only for state institutions for scientific purposes and, since a 2020 amendment, for companies holding a licence for industrial purposes. The law does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 664 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 661 kg in 2023, and 579 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 623 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Code of Administrative Responsibility punishes driving in a state of alcoholic intoxication or under the influence of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or other substances that affect a person's mental and volitional activity. The penalty is a fine of forty base calculation units and loss of the licence for three years; a driver with no licence is fined fifty units or held for 15 days. The article sets no THC level. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession without intent to sell is a criminal offence under article 276 and can bring a fine or up to three years in prison. Intent to sell is article 273, with longer sentences. No current gram table was read for this entry. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Supreme Court's press service reported that courts convicted 2,889 people of drug offences in the first eleven months of 2025. Almost all, 2,875, were convicted under article 273 of the Criminal Code, which covers making, acquiring, keeping and selling drugs, and 2,650 of them were sent to prison; 225 received fines, corrective labour or other alternatives. Only 14 people were convicted under article 271, the lesser offence of illegal acquisition or possession, 13 of whom were imprisoned. In 2024 the courts convicted 3,020 people under article 273. The figures are not split by drug. - *Other consequences.* Registered users face restrictions on employment and driving. ### Belarus Score 5/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 156 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-22. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/by/ Personal possession can bring short custody, restriction of liberty or two to five years in prison. A 2025 reform widened sentencing options; growing for drugs and recreational supply remain crimes. - **Possession 0/10.** Acquiring or possessing drugs without intent to supply can bring short custody, restriction of liberty for up to five years, or two to five years in prison. The short-custody option was added in March 2025; the code defines that sentence as one to three months in strict isolation. The offence gives no small-personal-amount exemption. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Sowing or growing drug-containing plants for sale or to obtain drugs is a separate offence. The basic penalty is a fine, short custody, restriction of liberty for up to three years or prison for up to three years. Repeat and group cases carry heavier penalties. There is no personal home-growing allowance. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The 2025 reform added short custody for personal offences and restriction of liberty for basic supply. In June 2026 prosecutors reported restriction of liberty made up 48% of drug sentences in the previous year, most often in personal-use cases. This means supervised obligations and can involve an open correctional institution or supervision outside one. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Unlawful supply is criminalised. The basic supply offence now carries restriction of liberty for three to five years or prison for three to eight years, with an optional fine on the prison sentence. Aggravated supply carries longer terms. - **Consumption 0/10.** Public drug use and specified drug-related public or workplace intoxication can lead to criminal punishment when repeated within a year after an administrative penalty for the same conduct: a fine, short custody or restriction of liberty for up to two years. Possession is a separate criminal offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational acquisition and supply remain criminal offences. The Health Ministry’s list places marijuana, hashish and cannabis oil among dangerous narcotic drugs not used for medical purposes. - *Commercial production.* Unauthorised drug manufacture and processing are criminalised, with heavier penalties where supply is intended. Growing drug-containing plants has a separate criminal offence; the environmental list also names Cannabis sativa among plants barred from introduction and establishment. - *Products.* Marijuana, hashish and cannabis oil appear in list 5 of the Health Ministry’s controlled-drug list, headed dangerous narcotic drugs not used for medical purposes. The marijuana definition covers THC-containing cannabis plant parts, with specific exclusions for whole seeds unaccompanied by other plant parts and for root systems. - *Seeds and clones.* The narcotics law prohibits sowing or growing drug-containing plants, subject to exceptions in legislation. Growing to obtain drugs is punishable under a separate cultivation offence. The marijuana definition excludes whole seeds when unaccompanied by other plant parts; that exclusion gives no permission to germinate them. - *Medical use.* Marijuana, hashish and cannabis oil are classified as dangerous narcotic drugs not used for medical purposes in the reviewed Health Ministry list, consolidated through February 2025. - *Cannabis clubs.* Collective drug cultivation and recreational supply fall under the criminal prohibitions on growing drug-containing plants and supplying drugs. The basic supply offence includes restriction of liberty or prison. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 69.3 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 88.1 kg in 2023, and 485 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 671 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply. Personal possession is criminalised and can bring short custody or two to five years in prison. The criminal code excludes foreign citizens and stateless people without permanent residence from the restriction-of-liberty sentence available to eligible residents. - *Other consequences.* Personal possession remains a criminal offence even when the court chooses short custody or restriction of liberty. Restriction of liberty imposes supervised obligations and can be served in an open correctional institution or without placement there. The May 2025 amnesty widened eligibility for people with no previous convictions, subject to individual conditions. ### Sudan Score 5/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 157 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sd/ Personal use and possession for use carry up to five years under the published narcotics statute. Unpaid supply carries at least ten years; aggravated trafficking can carry death. Current wartime enforcement remains insufficiently documented. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 20(1) of the published 1994 Act text punishes use, acquisition, import, production or possession for personal consumption with up to five years and a court-set fine. Article 20(2) bars prosecution of a dependent user who voluntarily seeks treatment or requests it before trial. Trafficking intent brings the separate, much harsher article 15 regime. The available text includes later references; a complete amendment chronology was not established. - **Personal cultivation 1/10.** Article 20(1) expressly includes cultivation to extract drugs for personal consumption in the up-to-five-year offence, with a fine. Cultivation with trafficking intent falls under article 15: life imprisonment and a fine, with death in specified aggravated cases. Personal cultivation therefore has a distinct lesser penalty, although it remains imprisonable. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** A National Supreme Court ruling, finalised on 16 November 2018 and published in its 2019 collection, upheld life imprisonment for possession of 657.3 grams of hashish with trafficking intent; it reduced the fine to 10,000 pounds. The court inferred intent from quantity in that case, without stating a universal threshold. This does not establish how small personal-use cases are handled, especially during the current conflict. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Article 16 covers providing narcotics or facilitating access whether paid or unpaid: at least ten years and a court-set fine outside authorised cases. Specified aggravations, including repeat offences and supply to minors or at schools, allow death or life imprisonment. A gift is not exempt. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use itself is prohibited by article 12(2) and punishable under article 20(1) by up to five years and a fine. Article 20(2) provides a treatment-related bar to prosecution for dependent users who seek help voluntarily or before trial; it is not general decriminalisation of consumption. - **Legal access 0/10.** Articles 12 and 14 allow ministerially licensed medical or scientific activities, including research institutions holding controlled plants or seeds. A cannabis patient programme, dispensing service or recreational supply route was not established by the reviewed material, so the general licensing power is not counted as observed access. - *Death penalty.* The published 1994 Act text distinguishes ordinary and aggravated offences. Article 15 starts trafficking at life imprisonment plus a fine, with death in specified aggravated cases. Article 16 permits death or life for aggravated supply; article 17 prescribes death for specified international organised-crime connections. These are distinct from the personal-use offence in article 20. - *Commercial production.* No lawful production was found. The illicit crop is large: Sudanese police rank the El Radoom district of South Darfur first in Africa for cannabis, called bango, much of it made into hashish. Campaigns there destroyed 6,500 acres of farms in 2016 and about 500 farms in 2017. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 13 prohibits importing or dealing in controlled plants and seeds, including cultivation, ownership, sale, transfer and transport, at any stage of growth. Article 14 allows licensed scientific possession by recognised research institutions. That exception is not a general home-growing or seed-import permission. - *Medical use.* Article 12 permits medical and scientific activities under ministerial licence, and article 14 allows recognised universities and research institutions to hold controlled drugs, plants and seeds for scientific purposes. These powers do not prove that a cannabis treatment programme or accessible cannabis medicines operate. - *Cannabis clubs.* Article 16(1)(c) criminalises preparing or managing a home or other place for drug use or dealing outside authorised cases, within the minimum-ten-year supply provision. The reviewed statute provides no recreational social-club exemption; this does not establish whether informal associations exist. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no visitor exemption from the reviewed personal-use or supply offences. Article 22(2) makes deportation compulsory for foreign nationals convicted under articles 15 or 16 and discretionary for article 20(1) personal-use offences. No lawful recreational supply route for visitors was established. - *Other consequences.* Article 22(2) requires deportation of a foreign national for article 15 or 16 offences and permits it for personal-use offences under article 20(1), in addition to the sentence. Article 21 provides confiscation and destruction rules for drugs, plants, seeds and property involved in specified supply offences. ### Vietnam Score 5/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 158 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/vn/ A first detection of use brings a fine and a year of police management; using again in that time is a crime. Illegal sale is three to seven years. Life or death applies from 30 kg of cannabis resin or 150 kg of the listed plant parts. - **Possession 1/10.** Article 249 of the Criminal Code, as amended from 1 July 2025, punishes illegal possession that is not for sale, transport or production. The first bracket is three to five years for 1 g to under 500 g of cannabis resin, or 1 kg to under 10 kg of the listed plant parts (leaves, roots, stem, branches, flowers and fruit). A prior administrative penalty or conviction that has not been cleared can make a smaller amount criminal. Five kilograms or more of resin, or 75 kg or more of those plant parts, is fifteen to twenty years or life. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing cannabis plants is prohibited: an administrative fine for small numbers, criminal liability for larger plots or repeat offences. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Small-scale users get fines; the real threats are compulsory rehabilitation for locals and extremely harsh trafficking penalties. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Illegal sale under Article 251, as amended from 1 July 2025, is three to seven years. From 5 kg to under 30 kg of cannabis resin, or 75 kg to under 150 kg of the listed plant parts, the sentence is twenty years or life. From 30 kg of resin, or 150 kg of those plant parts, it is life or death. The article is the sale offence. - **Consumption 0/10.** Illegal use brings a warning or a fine of 1–2 million dong, and people classed as addicted can be sent to compulsory rehabilitation. Since 1 July 2025, Article 256a of the Criminal Code makes using again a crime with two to three years in prison for people in or recently out of rehabilitation, and for those caught using during the one-year management period that follows a first detection. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. The 2025 drug law counts the cannabis plant as a narcotic plant, prohibits growing it and excludes cultivation even from licensed research and production. - *Death penalty.* From 1 July 2025, illegal sale of 5 kg to under 30 kg of cannabis resin, or 75 kg to under 150 kg of the listed plant parts, is twenty years or life. Life or death applies from 30 kg of resin or 150 kg of those plant parts. Death is an alternative sentence in that bracket, not a required one. The same law removed the death penalty for illegal transport. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2025 drug law, in force since 1 July 2026, names the cannabis plant as a narcotic plant and bans growing it or teaching others to grow it. Its list of activities that can be licensed leaves cultivation out. The law does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 2,580 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 727 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Driving with narcotic drugs or other legally prohibited stimulants in the body is an offence, without a quantified THC allowance in the cited provisions. Under Decree 168/2024, effective 1 January 2025, car drivers face VND30–40 million and motorcycle or moped drivers VND8–10 million, plus suspension of the right to use a driving licence for 22–24 months. Refusing the official drug test carries the same fine and suspension for each vehicle category. These are administrative penalties; accidents or other offences can bring additional liability. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Illegal possession that is not for sale, transport or production is three to five years from 1 g of cannabis resin or 1 kg of the listed plant parts. A prior penalty can make a smaller amount criminal. - *Other consequences.* Users are registered and monitored by local police; foreigners are deported. ### Myanmar Score 4/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 159 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mm/ Drug use itself carries no prison term. A user who does not enter the required treatment bond, or who breaks it, is sent to a rehabilitation centre for three months. Possession still carries multi-year minimum sentences, and more than 100 grams is deemed to be for sale. - **Possession 0/10.** Possession remains a serious crime under the 1993 narcotics law: a person caught with even a small quantity for personal use risks five to ten years in prison under Section 16. In 2018 parliament rejected a clause that would have spared small amounts, and softened only the treatment of use. The 2025 amendment deems possession of more than 100 grams of marijuana, marijuana extract, or both to be possession for sale. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation carries a minimum of five years. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** A public-health reform on paper, undermined because users are usually caught in possession. Since the 2021 coup, enforcement has become more arbitrary. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Production, sale, import or export carries fifteen years to life imprisonment, or death. The 2025 amendment defines life imprisonment as incarceration until death. - **Consumption 2/10.** Drug use itself carries no prison term. A court must send a user to a rehabilitation centre for three months when the user does not enter the required bond or breaches its conditions. A user sent there who flagrantly breaks the centre's rules must do unpaid manual work, such as cleaning, repairing roads and bridges or planting trees, for 45 to 90 hours a week. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Death penalty.* Production, sale, import or export carries fifteen years to life imprisonment, or death. The 2025 amendment defines life imprisonment as incarceration until death. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The 1993 narcotics law counts the cannabis plant itself as a narcotic drug and punishes cultivating it with five to ten years in prison. The law does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Cannabis is a small part of the drugs the authorities seize. Among the drugs seized between June 2024 and May 2025 and burned in June 2025 were over 597 kg of marijuana, against 1,744 kg of heroin, over 1,334 kg of opium, over 8,573 kg of ketamine and 281 million methamphetamine tablets. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Holding even a small quantity for personal use carries five to ten years in prison under Section 16 of the 1993 narcotics law. More than 100 grams of marijuana, marijuana extract, or both is deemed possession for sale. - *Other consequences.* A user who does not enter the required bond, or who breaches it, is sent to a rehabilitation centre for three months. A flagrant breach of that centre's rules brings unpaid manual work of 45 to 90 hours a week. ### Bangladesh Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 160 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bd/ Herbal cannabis carries six months to five years for up to 5 kg and up to ten years above 15 kg. A separate digital offence in the amendment dated 16 July 2026 can be punished with any term of imprisonment or death. - **Possession 0/10.** The Narcotics Control Act 2018 classes raw cannabis (ganja) as a Class B narcotic and hashish as Class A. As reported when parliament passed it, for herbal cannabis (ganja or bhang) the act sets six months to five years in prison for up to 5 kg, five to seven years for 5 to 15 kg and seven to ten years above 15 kg, with a fine in each case. Hashish, as a Class A drug, falls under heavier tiers, which for that class can reach life imprisonment or death above set quantities. An earlier version of this profile said death was possible for more than two kilograms of cannabis; no source read supports that for herbal cannabis. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing cannabis is a crime under the Narcotics Control Act 2018: one to five years in prison for up to 50 plants, five to seven years for up to 500, and seven to ten years above that. Bangladesh had a legal, state-licensed ganja trade until 1989. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Heavily and visibly policed. A 2018 anti-drug drive was accompanied by hundreds of alleged extrajudicial killings. On 16 August 2026 the narcotics department filed its first case under section 36A, over THC and CBD products it said had been sold on Daraz. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The quantity offences for herbal cannabis are the prison terms in the possession section. Section 36A, inserted by the amendment dated 16 July 2026, is a separate offence: using a website, social media, an app, another digital medium, or a digital payment, e-wallet, virtual asset or cryptocurrency to buy, sell, supply, offer, advertise, broker or communicate about a narcotic. Recovery of the drug is not required. The sentence is any term of imprisonment or death, and a fine of up to 2 million taka. An international or organised case under the next subsection is any term of imprisonment, a fine of up to 5 million taka, or both, and that subsection does not itself state the death penalty. - **Consumption 1/10.** Consumption carries three months to two years; the law does not say what quantity establishes the charge. - **Legal access 0/10.** None: the Narcotics Control Act 2018 makes growing cannabis a crime whatever the number of plants. A legal, state-licensed ganja trade existed until 1989. - *Death penalty.* The 2018 act provides for death or life imprisonment for the largest quantities of Class A drugs: 25 g or more of heroin or cocaine, and 200 g or more of yaba when produced or transported. Herbal cannabis is Class B and its top tier is seven to ten years. Hashish is classed with the Class A drugs in the sources previously read, so a death sentence for a cannabis product is possible in law, but no quantity for it was found. The First Schedule was not re-read for this update. Separately, section 36A of the amendment dated 16 July 2026 punishes specified digital buying, selling, supply and advertising of a narcotic with any term of imprisonment or death, and a fine of up to 2 million taka. It states no cannabis quantity and no class limit. It is not the penalty for ordinary possession. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The Narcotics Control Act 2018 defines cultivation as sowing seed, planting or raising seedlings, or grafting any plant that can be a source of a drug, and section 9 bans it along with sale and possession. Its penalty schedule names germinable opium poppy seed but, for cannabis, only the plant and drugs made from its branches, leaves and flowers. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Bangladesh's narcotics department says the country does not produce drugs but lies on a trafficking route, and that cannabis is smuggled in mostly from India, across the western and northern borders. A July 2026 report counted at least 105 border points in 18 districts used for narcotics of all kinds. Authorities seized 96,358 kg of cannabis in 2025, down from 114,345 kg in 2024. The department also reports shortages of staff, equipment and vehicles, and drug cases that stay pending for years. - *Driving.* Road Transport Act section 49(1), first part (a), prohibits a driver from driving after drinking alcohol or consuming intoxicants. This is a consumption-based rule; the provision does not establish a numerical THC allowance or a laboratory detectable-THC standard. Section 92(1) provides up to three months' imprisonment, up to Tk10,000, or both, plus deduction of one driver point for violating that first part. The separate Tk25,000 ceiling in section 89 concerns vehicle/environmental requirements and is not the intoxication penalty. Section 12 gives the licensing authority powers to suspend, withdraw or cancel licences on specified grounds, including habitual drunkenness and contravening the law or licence conditions; no fixed cannabis-specific ban duration or medical-use exception was established in the provisions reviewed. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the Narcotics Control Act 2018 for herbal cannabis (ganja or bhang) the act sets six months to five years in prison for up to 5 kg, five to seven years for 5 to 15 kg and seven to ten years above 15 kg; consuming a drug carries three months to two years. Using a website, app or digital payment to buy or sell a narcotic is a separate offence that can be punished with any term of imprisonment or death. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Cuba Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 161 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-14. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/cu/ Simple cannabis possession can bring six months to two years, a fine or both. Cultivation carries four to ten years; aggravated drug offences can carry life imprisonment or death. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 236(b) of the 2022 Penal Code punishes simple possession of cannabis or its derivatives without the required authorisation or prescription with six months to two years in prison, a fine of 200–500 quotas, or both. This is separate from the higher trafficking ranges. The provision establishes no lawful personal-use quantity. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Article 235(1)(d) punishes unauthorised cannabis cultivation and knowing possession of its seeds or plant parts with four to ten years. Land can be confiscated or usufruct and occupancy rights withdrawn. Aggravating circumstances can bring a higher range. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Officials describe a policy of zero tolerance and severe punishment. In November 2023 the Supreme Court reported 689 people sanctioned for offences linked to drug trafficking that year to date, 92% with prison sentences. Those figures cover drugs generally and do not establish a cannabis-only imprisonment rate. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Article 235(1)(a) includes providing illicit drugs to another person, without requiring payment in every case, within the four-to-ten-year range. Article 235(2) provides ten to thirty years, life imprisonment or death for specified aggravated circumstances, including international trafficking. - **Consumption 1/10.** The government describes its drug policy as zero tolerance. Cannabis possession can bring prison under article 236; that provision punishes possession rather than defining a separate act of consumption. Article 235 also punishes operating premises intended for gatherings to consume illicit drugs. Officials report free detoxification treatment. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Death penalty.* Law 87 of 1999 provided fifteen to thirty years or death for specified aggravated drug offences. The replacement 2022 Code's article 235(2) provides ten to thirty years, life imprisonment or death and lists broader aggravating circumstances. Simple possession has a separate lower range in article 236. No execution for a cannabis offence was found in the sources read. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 235(1)(d) of the 2022 Penal Code punishes unauthorised cultivation of Cannabis, known as marihuana, and knowing possession of its seeds or plant parts with four to ten years. This is distinct from article 236's simple-possession provision. No lawful personal cultivation or seed-supply route was established. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No lawful cannabis-club route was established. Article 235 prohibits unauthorised cultivation and supply and also punishes operating premises intended for people to gather and consume illicit drugs. - *Visitors and foreigners.* No lawful recreational supply for visitors was established. Article 236 applies a separate simple-cannabis-possession range of six months to two years, a fine or both; introduction and supply fall under article 235's higher ranges. The code does not establish a visitor exemption. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Official figures released in November 2023 counted 689 people sanctioned for drug- trafficking offences that year to date, 92 per cent of them with prison, and 1,213 Cubans and 13 foreigners prosecuted between January and September. The interior ministry reported 2,290 kg of drugs seized in those nine months and 77 cases of marijuana growing, concentrated in the eastern provinces; its anti-drug chief called marijuana the most consumed drug. In three weeks of October and November 193 people were detained for trafficking and possession. The totals cover drugs generally, except for the separately identified cannabis-growing cases; they are not national counts of cannabis arrests or convictions alone. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record with lasting effects on work and travel. ### Egypt Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 162 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/eg/ Hashish and bango are widely used, but the law is harsh: prison for possession, and large-scale trafficking can carry the death penalty. - **Possession 0/10.** Anti-Narcotics Law 182 of 1960, as amended, covers cannabis in every form — hashish, the local herbal 'bango', and extracts. Possession for personal use carries a minimum of one year in prison plus a fine. Courts may send dependent users to treatment instead. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation is punished with life imprisonment, or death where trafficking intent is established. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Severe law, uneven enforcement: widespread use is tolerated in some settings while others are jailed, and high-profile arrests at the airport over small amounts are common. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supply is trafficking. Under the narcotics law as amended in 1989, holding, buying or selling a drug with intent to trade carries death or life at hard labour and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 pounds (Article 34), and importing carries death (Article 33). Even offering a drug to another person without payment brings life at hard labour and a fine of 50,000 to 200,000 pounds (Article 35). - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is a crime, punished through possession for personal use. An Egyptian newspaper's summary of Law 182 of 1960 gives one to three years in prison and a fine for a person caught with narcotics for their own use, with the exact sentence left to the judge. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Death penalty.* Cultivation is punished with life imprisonment, or death where an intent to traffic is established. Importing for supply carries life imprisonment or the death penalty. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 182 of 1960 bans growing the plants on its Table V and says no one may import, possess, buy, sell or hand over those plants at any stage of growth "or their seeds", apart from plant parts exempted in a separate table. The copy read did not reproduce the tables, so the entry assumes cannabis is on Table V, as the rest of this profile describes. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 39,411 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 239,528 kg in 2023, and 124,382 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 191,046 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Amendments to the traffic law published in November 2014 made driving under the influence punishable by at least one year in prison. If the driver injures someone the minimum is two years and a fine of 10,000 pounds; if someone is killed or permanently disabled, three to seven years and 20,000 pounds, with the licence revoked. The report of the amendments does not distinguish drugs from alcohol. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the narcotics law a person caught with a drug for their own use faces one to three years in prison and a fine. Bringing narcotics into or out of the country falls under Article 33, which allows the death sentence and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 pounds, and dealing inside the country under Article 34, with life imprisonment or death. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### El Salvador Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 163 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sv/ Article 34 sets prison for under 2 g, but since 2012 possession for one's own use is outside criminal punishment. Weight alone does not decide. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 34 sets one to three years and a fine for possessing less than 2 g, and three to six years and a fine for 2 g or more. On 16 November 2012 the Constitutional Chamber held that possession for one's own use is outside criminal punishment, and that those two bands must be read that way. The weight is one factor among others, not a rule by itself. Prison remains when the court finds the drugs were meant for trafficking, cultivation, processing or promoting use. Holding less than 2 g is still a crime when that purpose is proved. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Sowing or growing without authorisation carries five to fifteen years. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The written prison bands are not applied to genuine own-use possession. When a trafficking or promotion purpose is proved, less than 2 g is still one to three years. No source read here describes how often courts jail users. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Carrying or selling brings multi-year sentences — six years in one reported case of a man transporting marijuana on a motorbike. - **Consumption 1/10.** The Constitutional Chamber held that an adult's decision to affect their own health by using drugs is not a penally relevant fact, and that possession for that use is outside criminal punishment. Supply and cultivation remain crimes. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The drug law counts as drugs "the seeds, flowers, plants or parts of them" used as raw material for drugs. Sowing or growing them without authorisation carries five to fifteen years in prison (Article 31), and buying, selling, storing or transporting seeds or plants ten to fifteen years. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Marijuana is a small part of what the authorities seize. Of 25,011 kg of drugs seized in 2025, according to the security cabinet, 24,612 kg was cocaine and 394.52 kg marijuana, valued at about 1.39 million US dollars. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession for one's own use is outside criminal punishment under the 2012 ruling. Weight alone does not decide, and a proved trafficking purpose still brings prison. - *Other consequences.* Pre-trial detention is routine in drug cases. ### Mauritania Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 164 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mr/ The 1993 law allows death for repeat or aggravated high-risk drug offences; simple use can mean up to two years, a fine alone, or both. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 5 of the 1993 law includes possession and purchase of high-risk drugs among offences carrying 15–30 years and a fine, with death for a repeat offence. The separate simple-use offence carries up to two years, a fine alone, or both; its wording does not extend that penalty to personal possession. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing or producing high-risk drugs carries 15–30 years and a fine under Article 3 of the 1993 law, with death for a repeat offence. Article 13 also permits capital punishment in specified aggravated cases, including organised crime and violence or weapons. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Reliable figures on arrests or imprisonment of cannabis users remain unknown. Khalid Tinasti's 2017 analysis described scarce Mauritanian drug-use data and a public debate focused on trafficking. ECPM's 2024 assessment reported a moratorium on executions, with the last military-court execution in 1987. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Giving a high-risk drug to another person, including without payment, falls under Article 5's 15–30 years and a fine. Repeat offences carry death; Article 13 also permits capital punishment for specified aggravated offences. - **Consumption 1/10.** Illicit use carries up to two years, a fine alone, or both under Article 39. Completing prescribed treatment or successful detoxification or medical supervision can prevent prosecution under Articles 44 and 51. Voluntary treatment seekers can request anonymity. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply is prohibited. The 2008 parliamentary debate concerned controlled medicines, with doctors prescribing and pharmacists dispensing under strict supervision. - *Death penalty.* The 1993 law prescribes death for repeat high-risk production, cultivation, import, export and trafficking offences under Articles 3–5. Article 13 also permits capital punishment where specified offences involve organised crime, violence or weapons, or drugs that caused a death. ECPM's 2024 assessment still listed these clauses and reported the last execution in 1987, following a military-court conviction. - *Commercial production.* Tinasti's 2017 analysis cited limited earlier evidence of small cannabis production near the Senegal River in the south. Current production levels remain unknown. - *Products.* Legal recreational products are prohibited by the drug law. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 93-37 punishes growing a high-risk drug with 15–30 years and a fine, and death for a repeat offence (Article 3). Ministerial orders determine the domestic schedules. The law speaks of substances and plants and does not mention seeds. - *Medical use.* No operating medical cannabis programme is established by the retained sources. The 2008 debate addressed the controlled supply of narcotic medicines under prescription. - *Cannabis clubs.* The 1993 law prohibits growing and supplying high-risk drugs, including gifts, and provides no recreational club exception. Facilitating another person's use, including by providing premises, carries two to ten years and a fine. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no recreational supply exception for visitors. Simple illicit use can bring up to two years, a fine alone, or both. Article 17 requires permanent exclusion for foreigners convicted of listed drug offences, including use; the use chapter also contains a separate exclusion clause with inconsistent cross-references. - *Other consequences.* Article 17 of the 1993 law requires permanent territorial exclusion for foreigners convicted of listed offences, including illicit use. Courts can also impose travel restrictions, withdraw passports and suspend driving licences. The separate use chapter contains an additional exclusion clause with inconsistent cross-references. ### Nigeria Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 165 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ng/ Cannabis possession carries long mandatory prison terms. Cultivation carries life under the NDLEA Act; the older Indian Hemp Act prescribes at least 21 years after its amendments. An October 2026 replacement bill remains before the Senate. - **Possession 0/10.** Under the NDLEA Act, possession of cannabis ('Indian hemp') without lawful authority carries a prison term of not less than fifteen and not more than twenty-five years. In practice many small cases end in much shorter sentences through plea deals or lesser charges — but the statutory minimum is among the highest anywhere. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** The NDLEA Act punishes production, planting or growing with life imprisonment. Under the older Indian Hemp Act, the 1975 amendment removed the cultivation death sentence and the 1984 amendment set imprisonment of at least 21 years. A bill sent to the Senate in October 2026 proposes to replace both Acts and remains pending. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The drug agency runs constant raids, farm destructions and arrests. Nigeria has one of the largest populations of cannabis users in the world, so the law touches very large numbers of people. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Selling, buying, offering for sale or otherwise dealing carries life imprisonment under the NDLEA Act. In July 2025 the Federal High Court in Ibadan gave a man 16 years for dealing in 407 grams of cannabis, noting he was not a first offender. - **Consumption 1/10.** Under the NDLEA Act, possession and use carry fifteen to twenty-five years. The 1984 Indian Hemp amendment separately sets at least four years without a fine option for smoking cannabis or knowingly possessing it. - **Legal access 0/10.** None: the NDLEA Act punishes possession, growing and dealing alike, with no lawful channel for adults. - *Death penalty.* The Indian Hemp Act’s death penalty for cultivation was removed on 24 October 1975. The 1984 amendment replaced the prison term with at least 21 years. The online 2004 compilation still prints the older death alternative, but the gazetted amendments replace it; repeal of an amending law does not by itself revive the earlier penalty. The October 2026 bill to replace the Indian Hemp Act and NDLEA Act remains a proposal before the Senate. - *Commercial production.* None. Bills to license medical and industrial cannabis have been introduced in the National Assembly without passing; the drug agency opposes them. When the governor of Ondo State, where much cannabis is grown, was reported to have urged the federal government to take medical cultivation seriously after a visit to Thailand with the agency's head, the agency denied it and said the trip had been about moving farmers away from drug crops. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The Indian Hemp Act defines Indian hemp as "any plant or part of a plant of the genus cannabis", with no exception for seed, and makes it an offence knowingly to plant or cultivate any cannabis plant, as well as to import, sell or possess Indian hemp. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* The whole market is illegal and largely home-grown. A 2019 UN survey documented 8,900 hectares of cannabis across six southern states; cultivation is concentrated in Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo and Osun in the South-West and Delta and Edo in the South-South, while use is rising among young people in northern states such as Kano, Kaduna and Borno. The drug agency NDLEA destroyed 847 hectares of plantations in 2013 and more than 4,500 in 2014, and has destroyed many farms since 2021, yet growing continues. In 2023 the agency set up an alternative development unit to move cannabis farmers to food crops and livestock. - *Driving.* Section 22 of the Federal Road Safety Commission Act prohibits driving on a highway under the influence of intoxicating drugs, including inability to maintain proper control of the vehicle. It provides a fine of 5,000 naira, up to two years in prison, or both on conviction. The separate 0.5 g/l value in the section concerns alcohol, not THC. FRSC's published notice-of-offence schedule lists drug/alcohol driving as five points and a 5,000-naira payment; that payment schedule does not replace the court's imprisonment power. A THC concentration limit and a fixed licence-ban duration were not established in the sources reviewed. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. The penalties are fifteen to twenty-five years for possession or use under the drug agency's Act, and at least four years with no option of a fine for smoking or possessing Indian hemp under the older Act. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The drug agency NDLEA reports its figures for all drugs together. Its chairman said that between January 2021 and March 2025 it arrested 62,595 suspects, 68 of them described as drug barons, secured 11,628 convictions and seized about 10.3 million kg of drugs. In the first ten months of 2025 it reported more than 16,304 arrests, about 3,000 convictions and 4.5 million kg seized. Cannabis is counted separately only by land: 1,331 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed in the four-year period and 612 hectares from January to October 2025. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record; the agency also pushes drug testing for students, politicians and couples before marriage. ### North Korea Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 166 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-10. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/kp/ Legal status is opaque. Officially a controlled substance; hemp is widely grown. Scored with low confidence. - **Possession 0/10.** 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 0/10.** 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 1/10.** Unknown. Drug offences in general can bring labour-camp sentences, and executions for drug trafficking have been reported. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Distribution is prohibited by the narcotics law. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is prohibited. Reports of people openly smoking 'weed' probably refer to ipdambae, a rough blend of herbs and tobacco leaf. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. A Western diplomat based in Pyongyang said there should be no doubt that drugs, including marijuana, are illegal. - *Death penalty.* Drug offences can bring labour-camp sentences, and executions for drug trafficking have been reported. - *Commercial production.* Hemp only. - *Products.* Hemp-based consumer goods. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Other consequences.* Unknown. ### Northern Cyprus Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), disputed territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-10. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/xn/ Possession of a few grams is tried in the criminal courts and regularly ends in prison. Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug among Turkish Cypriots, and there have been small protests calling for legalisation. - **Possession 0/10.** Possession is a criminal offence tried in the Heavy Criminal Court. In one reported case a young first offender caught with 14 g and later 12 g of cannabis, plus half a gram of cocaine, was sentenced to a year in prison, with the judge treating the small amount and the fact that cannabis is among the lightest drugs as mitigation. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing is a criminal offence. No tolerated number of plants is known. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Prison sentences for small amounts are routine, and local courts report them regularly. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supply is prosecuted as dealing, with longer prison terms than for possession. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is illegal. A first 420 gathering was held in north Nicosia in 2015, and in April 2017 protesters outside parliament called for regulated sale and use. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source: possession, growing and supply are all prosecuted as criminal offences. - *Commercial production.* None. In 2020 a governing-party deputy said that producing medical cannabis might be discussed in parliament; no law followed that could be confirmed. - *Products.* No legal cannabis products are known. - *Medical use.* No medical programme could be confirmed. The medical cannabis laws passed in 2017 and 2019 were those of the Republic of Cyprus, in the south. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Other consequences.* Surveys between 2003 and 2015 found that 4.5% to 7.7% of adults had tried cannabis, the most widely used illegal drug among Turkish Cypriots. ### Somalia Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 167 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/so/ Cannabis remains prohibited; surviving drug laws prescribe prison, while enforcement depends on territorial control. Later amendments and nationwide sentencing practice remain incompletely verified. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 5 of Law 46 of 1970 prescribes two to seven years and a fine of 2,000–20,000 Somali shillings for unauthorised acquisition or possession of listed narcotics. Decree 227 lists cannabis and hashish. These are verified historical statutory provisions; a complete later consolidation and present sentencing practice across all administrations have not been established. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Article 4 of the 1970 law requires special Health Ministry authorisation to cultivate, harvest or process plants yielding controlled substances; breach carries six months to two years plus a fine. The 1984 decree separately prescribes ten years for unlawful manufacture or production, without expressly resolving its relationship to cultivation under article 4. No lawful home-growing route was established. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Depends entirely on who controls the territory: state courts, regional administrations, or Al-Shabaab, which imposes corporal punishment for intoxicants. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Article 14 of the 1970 law restricts transfers even when free to authorised recipients. Article 1 of Decree-Law 5 of 1984 prescribes ten years and a 50,000-shilling fine for unlawful manufacture, production, import, dealing or supplying another person. This is a statutory baseline, not a verified nationwide sentencing tariff today. - **Consumption 1/10.** Article 2 of the 1984 decree punishes allowing a public or private place to be used for drug consumption with five years and a 25,000-shilling fine; entering such a place to consume carries three years and a 20,000-shilling fine. This is a consumption-premises offence, not evidence of an identical sentence for every act of private use. EUAA documents separate intoxicant prohibitions in Al-Shabaab-controlled areas. - **Legal access 0/10.** No functioning cannabis-specific patient or recreational supply route was established. The 1970 law does provide a general narcotics medicines framework: authorised institutions and pharmacies, prescriptions, medicinal doses and record keeping. Those provisions alone do not demonstrate that cannabis medicines are available. - *Commercial production.* The 1970 law puts narcotic production under Health Ministry control and sets annual laboratory quotas. Its cannabis schedule and the 1984 production offence establish controls, but these texts do not establish the present scale of lawful or illicit cannabis cultivation. - *Products.* The historical control list expressly includes Cannabis, with Hashish as a synonym, and Indian Hemp. The medicines provisions concern pharmaceutical preparations in medicinal doses; they do not establish that flower, oils or other cannabis products are currently supplied to patients. - *Medical use.* Articles 6 and 15–17 of the 1970 law regulate institutional narcotics use, dispensing on prescription and inappropriate prescribing. This is a general medicines framework; a working cannabis programme and cannabis-specific prescribing permission were not verified. - *Cannabis clubs.* The texts reviewed do not provide a recreational club exemption: the 1970 law restricts gratuitous transfers, and the 1984 decree punishes organising public or private drug-consumption premises. This establishes the statutory restriction, not a census of associations operating informally. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The reviewed drug laws contain no recreational visitor exemption. The historical possession and supply restrictions apply generally; no verified lawful recreational purchase route for visitors was established. The general prescription provisions should not be treated as permission to carry cannabis across the border. - *Other consequences.* The 1984 decree assigned drug cases to the National Security Court and its regional branches, with transitional rules for pending cases and earlier offences. These historical procedural provisions should not be read as proof that those institutions operate today. ### Somaliland Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), disputed territory, not ranked. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/xs/ Cannabis is controlled through inherited Somali drug laws, with prison terms for unauthorised possession, cultivation and supply. Those laws contain medical licensing provisions. Somaliland police reported a cultivation arrest in Hargeisa in 2023. - **Possession 0/10.** The inherited 1970 drug law sets two to seven years in prison and a fine for unauthorised acquisition or possession of listed narcotics. The accompanying schedule expressly lists cannabis, hashish and Indian hemp. Somaliland’s constitution keeps compatible earlier laws in force until replacement. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** The 1970 law requires health-ministry authorisation to cultivate, harvest or process plants yielding controlled drugs, with six months to two years in prison and a fine for a breach. Cannabis appears in the controlled list. Police reported a Hargeisa home-cultivation arrest in October 2023. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Police reported arresting a man accused of growing cannabis in the yard of a house he owned in Hargeisa’s Ga’an Libaah district in October 2023. The published account describes traffic police working with the district station. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The 1970 law restricts transfers even without payment to authorised recipients. The later 1984 decree sets ten years in prison and a fine for unlawful manufacture, production, import, dealing or supplying drugs to another person. - **Consumption 1/10.** The 1984 decree punishes allowing a public or private place to be used for drug consumption with five years in prison and a fine. Entering such a place to consume carries three years and a fine. - **Legal access 0/10.** The inherited drug law provides for authorised medical institutions and pharmacies, with prescription dispensing in medicinal doses and records of supply. Recreational acquisition, possession and supply fall under its criminal offences. Cannabis is included in the controlled list. - *Commercial production.* The 1970 law places narcotic production under health-ministry control, with licences, annual production limits for authorised laboratories and records of quantities handled. The 1984 decree separately punishes unlawful drug manufacture and production with ten years in prison and a fine. - *Products.* The 1970 schedule lists cannabis, hashish and Indian hemp. The law’s pharmacy route concerns drugs supplied as pharmaceutical preparations in medicinal doses on prescription. - *Medical use.* The inherited 1970 law provides a general medical route for controlled drugs through authorised institutions and prescription dispensing. It requires patient identification, prescribing details and pharmacy records, and punishes prescribing to encourage drug abuse. - *Cannabis clubs.* Recreational growing and supply fall under the drug law’s authorisation requirements and criminal offences, without a club exemption. Even unpaid transfers must go to authorised recipients. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The inherited penal code applies to citizens and foreigners in the territory, subject to exceptions in national or international law. Cannabis possession and supply are covered by the separate drug law and controlled-substance list. - *Arrests and prisoners.* A published police account in October 2023 described one arrest for alleged cannabis cultivation at a Hargeisa house. It named the Eastern Division and Ga’an Libaah station commanders as the officers reporting the arrest. - *Other consequences.* The constitution requires crimes and punishments to be laid down by law and presumes accused people innocent until convicted. A person arrested on suspicion of an offence has a right to appear before a court within 48 hours, to legal representation and to appeal a conviction. ### South Korea Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 168 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/kr/ Up to five years for use, enforced even for use abroad by citizens. A few cannabinoid medicines can be imported through a state agency. - **Possession 0/10.** Under the Narcotics Control Act, possessing, acquiring, transporting or storing cannabis carries up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. This includes edibles, vapes and gummies brought or mailed from abroad. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation falls under the same up-to-five-year provision, with heavier penalties when for sale. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Strict and actively enforced, with customs screening, hair testing and prosecutions of celebrities making regular headlines. First offenders often receive suspended sentences. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supplying or selling is punished more severely, with a minimum of one year. - **Consumption 0/10.** Smoking or ingesting cannabis is itself an offence with up to five years. Korean criminal law follows citizens abroad: the government has repeatedly warned that Koreans who use cannabis in Canada, Thailand or US states where it is legal can be prosecuted on return, and hair tests can detect use months later. - **Legal access 1/10.** A patient may apply through the state orphan-drug centre to import a small number of foreign-approved cannabis medicines for self-treatment. The route requires medical records, a doctor's opinion and approval for each import. - *Commercial production.* Hemp is grown under permit for fibre and seed in designated areas. Since July 2020 two districts of Andong form a regulation-free zone where hemp with less than 0.3% THC may be grown and CBD extracted as a pharmaceutical raw material. No other production. - *Products.* No consumer products, CBD included, unless approved as a medicine. - *Seeds and clones.* The Narcotics Control Act's definition of marijuana expressly excludes "the seeds and roots of the hemp plant", its mature stalks and products made from them. The hemp plant itself is marijuana, and only a licensed cultivator may grow it, for the purpose of collecting fibre or seed. - *Medical use.* In November 2018 South Korea became the first East Asian country to allow cannabis-based medicines, but only a handful of approved pharmaceuticals for conditions such as severe epilepsy, imported patient by patient through a state orphan-drug centre. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 99 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 114 kg in 2023, and 5.1 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 3.2 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Act punishes driving when normal driving is difficult because of drugs, which include narcotics, psychotropics and cannabis. Under amendments in force from April 2026 the maximum penalty rose from three years in prison or a 10 million won fine to five years or 20 million won, and refusing a drug test became an offence punished at the same level. Police said a prescribed medicine does not by itself lead to punishment: the test is whether attention and motor skills are actually impaired. Officers may use saliva tests, behavioural checks and urine or blood tests. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the Narcotics Control Act, possessing, acquiring, transporting or storing cannabis carries up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won, and this includes edibles, vapes and gummies brought or mailed from abroad. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The prosecution service recorded 27,611 people caught for drug offences of all kinds in 2023, against 18,395 in 2022, the first time the figure passed 20,000; 1,477 were teenagers and 3,151 foreigners. The published report did not give a figure for cannabis. An older count put cannabis at about 1% of the 11,916 drug arrests of 2015. - *Other consequences.* A drug conviction carries heavy social stigma, ends careers, and leads to deportation for foreigners. ### Syria Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 169 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sy/ Up to three years for personal possession, with a treatment route for dependent users; death penalty for growers and traffickers. - **Possession 0/10.** Hashish is controlled under the 1993 narcotics law. Possession for personal consumption is a crime, with prison terms reported at up to three years. People deemed addicts who complete state rehabilitation, and have no prior record, face no further penalty. Article 43 of the law, in the copy read, sets a term of detention and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 pounds for having, buying or carrying drugs for personal use; the court may suspend the sentence and send an addict to a clinic for three months to a year, though not a third time. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation can bring life imprisonment or death; the 1993 law explicitly extended the death penalty to growers. Growing for personal use is not treated separately: Article 39 covers all unlicensed growing, and a court may reduce death to life or to at least twenty years. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The 1993 narcotics law grades its penalties steeply: detention and a fine for having drugs for personal use, which a court may suspend to send an addict for treatment; at least ten years for giving drugs to another person; life imprisonment for selling; and death or life for growing. No account of how the authorities that took power in December 2024 apply the law to users was found. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Trafficking carries long terms, life or death for large quantities. Under the 1993 law selling, or possessing for sale, brings life imprisonment and a fine of one to five million pounds; giving drugs to another person without payment brings at least ten years. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is an offence, with the treatment route for dependent users. No case is brought against a user who goes to the authorities for treatment of their own accord, or whose spouse or close relative asks for it, unless they were caught in the act; treatment is confidential. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Death penalty.* Trafficking in large quantities can bring life imprisonment or death, and a 1993 law explicitly extended the death penalty to growers. Article 39 names smuggling, making drugs and growing the listed plants. Mitigation is excluded for a repeat offender, an official charged with fighting drugs, someone who used a minor, or a member of an international smuggling gang. A judicial source in 2014 put the range for trafficking at ten years to death. - *Commercial production.* None. Hashish production boomed during the civil war in areas outside state control: in the Kurdish enclaves from 2012 and in the hills of Idlib, where it paid for weapons. The Islamic State burned fields it found. After the fall of the Assad government the security forces destroyed about 15 tonnes of hashish in a few weeks. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 30 of Law 2 of 1993 bans growing, importing, owning, holding or buying the listed plants at any stage of growth, as well as their seeds; plant parts named in a separate schedule are exempt. Only state institutions and recognised research centres can be licensed to grow them or import seeds. Article 39 sets the death penalty for unlicensed growing. The text read is a copy on a law firm's site. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Hashish circulates beside the far larger Captagon trade. The interior minister said in June 2025 that in the weeks after the fall of the Assad government the security forces had destroyed about 15 tonnes of hashish and about 100 million Captagon pills. In the north-east, the Autonomous Administration's security forces reported 1,700 kg of hashish and 2,637 kg of hashish paste seized, and 1,875 people arrested, in a campaign from September 2020 to June 2021. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the 1993 narcotics law, having or carrying drugs for personal use brings detention and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 pounds, selling brings life imprisonment, and unlicensed growing death or life. - *Arrests and prisoners.* No national figures for cannabis were found. A judicial source counted 620 drug cases before the courts in four months of 2014, against fewer than 500 in all of 2013. In the north-east, outside the state's control, the Autonomous Administration's security forces reported 1,875 arrests in a campaign from September 2020 to June 2021, 1,165 of them users, and 1,700 kilograms of hashish seized. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Tajikistan Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 170 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tj/ Personal possession and unauthorised growing remain criminal. The code’s lowest quantity bands allow a fine or up to two years in prison, with longer terms for larger amounts and aggravated cases. - **Possession 0/10.** In the code’s lowest quantity band, unlawful possession without intent to supply carries a fine of 100–500 calculation units or up to two years in prison. The next band carries two to five years; aggravated or larger cases carry five to eight or eight to twelve years. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Unauthorised cultivation in the lowest plant-count band carries a fine of 200–500 calculation units or up to two years in prison. The next band carries two to five years; aggravated or larger grows carry five to eight or eight to twelve years. The code refers to a separate plant-count list. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The Criminal Code permits prison for personal possession even in its lowest quantity band. A 2010 review involving officials and civil society criticised enforcement driven by arrest and conviction targets and called for greater focus on dealers and larger supply networks. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The drug law defines supply to another person to include gifts, exchanges, debt payments and loans as well as sales. The Criminal Code’s supply tiers run from up to five years in the lowest quantity band to five–eight, eight–twelve and twelve–twenty years in larger or aggravated cases. - **Consumption 1/10.** The drug law prohibits use without a doctor’s prescription and provides for medical examination where there are sufficient grounds to suspect unlawful use. It requires registration of people diagnosed with dependence and people found to have used drugs unlawfully. Voluntary treatment and compulsory treatment are governed separately. - **Legal access 0/10.** Unlawful buying and holding for personal use are criminal offences, and supply is punished separately. Lawful controlled-drug activities are licensed; scientific cultivation is reserved for licensed research institutions. - *Commercial production.* Scientific cultivation of drug-containing plants is reserved for licensed research institutions. Manufacture and production of controlled drugs are subject to licensing and state quotas. Unauthorised production is covered by the Criminal Code’s personal-use or supply offences, depending on intent. - *Products.* The Criminal Code separates personal possession from possession intended for supply and refers to a quantity annex for the different controlled substances. Its cultivation offence refers to a separate plant-count list. The drug law governs licensed controlled-drug production and distribution. - *Seeds and clones.* The drug law defines cultivation as sowing and growing controlled plants and reserves scientific cultivation for licensed research institutions. The Criminal Code penalises unauthorised growing in plant-count bands, including a fine or up to two years in prison in the lowest band. - *Medical use.* The drug law provides licensed medical handling of controlled drugs and reserves scientific growing for licensed research institutions. It also prohibits non-prescribed use and regulates prescribing through the health ministry. - *Cannabis clubs.* Giving drugs to another person falls within the drug law’s definition of supply. Organising or maintaining premises for drug consumption carries three to five years in prison, rising to five to ten in aggravated cases. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 63.7 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 90.3 kg in 2023, and 3,947 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 4,294 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Unlawful acquisition and possession for personal use can bring a fine or prison, and supply carries separate prison penalties. Lawful controlled-drug trade is licensed; the February 2026 amendment requires authorising documents for imports and exports. - *Other consequences.* The drug law requires registration after a finding of unlawful drug use and provides follow-up observation after treatment for dependence. A 2010 review criticised discrimination in employment and family rights and weaknesses in patient confidentiality, recommending reforms to protect people who use drugs. ### Tunisia Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 171 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tn/ 'Law 52' imposed a mandatory one-year sentence for use. Since 2017 judges have discretion, but thousands are still jailed. - **Possession 0/10.** Law 52 of 1992 imposed a mandatory minimum of one year in prison and a fine for possessing or using cannabis (zatla), with no room for mitigating circumstances. An April 2017 amendment gave judges discretion to go below that for first-time users. Prison remains the standard outcome for others. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing any narcotic plant is banned outright by Article 2 of Law 92-52. Growing for trafficking carries six to ten years in prison and a fine of 5,000 to 10,000 dinars under Article 5. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Drug cases, mostly cannabis use, have accounted for a large share of Tunisia's prison population, and the 2017 reform has not changed that. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supply carries long sentences. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is a crime, typically proved by a urine test taken in custody. In 2021 a court in El Kef sentenced three young men to 30 years for smoking cannabis in a public stadium, triggering protests. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 92-52 covers the listed narcotic plants at any stage of their growth and bans growing, holding, buying or handing them over. The articles do not mention seeds. Landholders must destroy narcotic plants that come up on their own, or pay 50 dinars per plant. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,815 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 1,003 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Law 52 of 1992 sets a minimum of one year in prison and a fine for possessing or using cannabis; since 2017 judges may go below that for first-time users. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The interior ministry told a parliamentary committee in June 2026 that about 15,253 drug cases of all kinds were recorded in 2025, involving about 27,338 people, nearly 89% of them aged 19 to 40. The figures are not broken down by drug. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record that blocks public-sector jobs and travel. ### Zambia Score 3/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 172 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/zm/ The Cannabis Act of 2021 would license medicinal growing, but it has not come into force. Industrial hemp has been under licence since 3 January 2025. Possession without lawful authority remains a serious offence. - **Possession 0/10.** The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, in force since 20 May 2021, makes possession of a drug without lawful authority an offence of up to fifteen years. For cannabis, that Act provides an admission-of-guilt fine of up to 1,200 penalty units. Since 16 January 2026 the Controlled Substances Act also makes possession of a listed controlled substance, without authorisation under that Act or another written law, an offence of up to fifteen years, and it lists cannabis and cannabis resin. The Cannabis Act, which would license medicinal activity, has not come into force. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing a plant that can be used as a drug, without lawful authority, is an offence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act: a fine of up to one million penalty units, up to ten years, or both. The Cannabis Act would require a licence to grow cannabis for medicine or research, but that Act has not come into force. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Possession and unauthorised cultivation are criminal offences. No source consulted gives reliable detail on how often courts jail users. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Trading in a drug without lawful authority can bring up to twenty-five years under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Producing, importing, selling or distributing a drug for cultivation or manufacture, without lawful authority, can bring one to fifteen years. The Cannabis Act's distribution licence is not in force. - **Consumption 1/10.** Using a drug without lawful authority is an offence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act: a fine of up to 200,000 penalty units, or up to two years. - **Legal access 0/10.** There is no public retail. The Cannabis Act's medicinal licences are not in force. Industrial hemp may be grown, processed and sold under a licence. - *Commercial production.* The Cannabis Act was published on 20 May 2021. It comes into operation only on a date the Minister appoints, and ZambiaLII records that it has not come into force. It would let the medicines regulator license cultivation, manufacture, production, storage, distribution, import and export for medicinal, scientific or research purposes. The Industrial Hemp Act, published the same day, has been in force since 3 January 2025. It licenses growing, processing, distribution, buying, export and research on hemp of not more than 0.3% THC. - *Products.* Industrial hemp is licensed under the Act in force since 3 January 2025. Cannabis and cannabis resin are listed as narcotic drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, in force since 16 January 2026, which licenses manufacture, import, export and dealing in controlled substances. The Cannabis Act's own medicinal-production licences are not in force. - *Seeds and clones.* The Industrial Hemp Act has been in force since 3 January 2025. It defines industrial hemp to include viable seed with no more than 0.3% THC, and a person must not grow, process, distribute, buy, export or research it without a licence. Import and export of hemp seed must follow this Act and the seed and plant-pest laws. The Minister may prescribe the varieties that may be grown. - *Medical use.* The Cannabis Act's licensing system for medicinal cannabis has not come into force. The Controlled Substances Act, in force since 16 January 2026, licences controlled substances used as medicine and lists cannabis. No commenced Cannabis Act programme for patients was read. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known. Growing a plant for use as a drug, and trading in a drug, are both offences without lawful authority. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 15,606 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 16,577 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 157 prohibits driving or attempting to drive on a road when intoxicating liquor or narcotic drugs make proper vehicle control impossible. It provides a fine up to 20,000 penalty units, up to five years' imprisonment, or both; penalty units are not a kwacha amount. Section 156 separately covers being in charge while not driving and has different penalties. The Third Schedule requires licence suspension and endorsement for section 157, with cancellation also available; no universal suspension length is specified in that table. The 2022 amendment requires a medical examination or breathalyser test after arrest under either section, with the medical examination conducted by a medical practitioner. This is an impairment rule, not a specified THC concentration limit. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply. Possession of cannabis without lawful authority is a crime under the narcotics law. The Cannabis Act's medicinal licences are not in force. - *Other consequences.* A conviction under the narcotics law is a criminal conviction. ### Iraq Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 173 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/iq/ Long prison sentences for possession; trafficking can carry life imprisonment or death. - **Possession 0/10.** The 2017 law sets one to three years in prison and a fine of 5–10 million dinars for drug possession and other activities intended for personal use. Courts can order treatment under a rule corrected in 2018, and people who voluntarily enter a specialist hospital for treatment have conditional protection from prosecution. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing drug-producing plants for trade carries death or life imprisonment. Growing for personal use falls under the separate one-to-three-year offence and its fine. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The law sets prison terms for personal-use offences and severe penalties for trafficking. A judicial review recorded three Badra cases where general mitigation led to fines alone, but challenged the amounts as below the statutory minimum. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Importing, exporting or producing with intent to trade carries death or life. In one case three men were sentenced to death over 18 kg of hashish. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use is a crime on the same footing as personal possession. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Death penalty.* Importing, exporting or producing with intent to trade, and cultivating narcotic plants for trade, carry death or life imprisonment. In one case three men were sentenced to death over 18 kg of hashish. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The interior ministry reported 14,438 arrests for trafficking, dealing and personal use in 2024, with 8,930 convictions and more than six tonnes of drugs seized; the figures cover all drugs. In the Kurdistan Region, which has its own law since 2020, arrests rose from 142 in 2014 to 2,017 in 2022, and in October 2023 a fifth of all prisoners, 1,097 people, were held for narcotics, 617 of them for use. - *Other consequences.* Courts can order hospital treatment for proven dependence or outpatient visits under the corrected treatment rule, with further decisions based on medical reports. Voluntary hospital presentation can prevent prosecution, but failure to follow the treatment programme can lead to legal action. ### Japan Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 174 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/jp/ Possession carries up to seven years, and since December 2024 use itself is a crime. The same reform allowed cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals; THC-free CBD is legal. - **Possession 0/10.** Possession of any amount is a crime. Amendments in force from 12 December 2024 moved cannabis under the narcotics law and raised the maximum for possession from five to seven years in prison. First offenders with small amounts commonly receive a suspended sentence, but arrest, weeks of detention and public naming are routine. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Unauthorised cultivation is imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than ten years. Cultivation for profit is a separate offence: imprisonment of not less than one year, or that imprisonment and a fine of up to 5 million yen. The Act licences cultivation for taking raw material and for research. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Strict and consistently enforced, with record arrest numbers among people in their twenties. Sentences are often suspended, but the process itself is punishing. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Transfer to another person carries up to seven years, whether or not for payment. - **Consumption 0/10.** Until 2024 Japan punished possession but not use — a quirk meant to protect hemp farmers. The amendment closed it: using cannabis is now itself a crime with up to seven years. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source of THC cannabis. - *Commercial production.* The same reform replaced the old plant-part rule with THC thresholds and created licence categories for hemp and for pharmaceutical raw material. - *Products.* CBD products are legal and popular, subject to very strict residual-THC limits set in parts per million. Nothing with meaningful THC is lawful. - *Seeds and clones.* The Act defines cannabis as the plant excluding its seed and mature stalk. Knowingly providing raw materials, including cannabis seeds, for unlicensed cultivation is up to five years. A licensed cultivator who transfers seeds without making them unable to germinate, except to another licensed cultivator or in a case the ministry sets, commits a separate offence of up to three years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen, or both. - *Medical use.* The 2024 law lifted the ban on cannabis-derived medicines, opening the way for an approved cannabidiol drug for severe epilepsy. There is no herbal medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 452 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 850 kg in 2023, and 11.8 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 1 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Act forbids driving in a state in which normal driving may not be possible because of overwork, illness, drugs or other reasons. The law sets no THC level; the test is the driver's condition. Where that condition comes from narcotics, cannabis, opium or stimulants, the penalty is up to five years in prison or a fine of up to one million yen. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession of any amount is a crime, with up to seven years in prison since December 2024. First offenders with small amounts commonly receive a suspended sentence, but arrest, weeks of detention and public naming are routine. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Police investigated a record 6,832 people for cannabis offences in 2025, 754 more than the year before, according to the National Police Agency. About 700 of them were pursued under the new offence of use itself, which took effect in December 2024. Young people stand out: 1,373 of those investigated were under 20, up more than a fifth and the most since 1990, and more than 40% of those under 30 said they had bought through apps such as X and Telegram. Seizures of cannabis concentrates rose more than 300% to 315 kg. - *Other consequences.* An arrest typically costs a person their job or university place, and foreigners are deported and barred from re-entry. ### Libya Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 175 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ly/ Cannabis is banned in every form. Trading in it can carry death or life imprisonment; personal use and possession carry prison and a fine, with treatment possible instead. - **Possession 0/10.** Law 7 of 1990 lists hashish and the cannabis plant among its controlled substances (Tables 1 and 5). Article 37 punishes holding, buying or growing for personal use with prison and a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 dinars; the court may order treatment in a clinic for six months to a year instead. Law 23 of 2002 added Article 35 bis: intent to traffic is established even for a single act, a small quantity, or when the offender cannot prove another purpose. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Article 30 bans growing, holding or trading in the Table 5 plants, seeds included, except for medical or scientific purposes. Growing for trade carries death or life imprisonment and a fine (Article 34); growing for personal use falls under Article 37. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The statute sets prison for personal use (Article 37) and allows treatment instead, and no prosecution if the user comes forward for treatment on their own. How it is applied is not shown by the text. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supplying a user for payment carries life imprisonment or at least ten years (Article 35). Supplying without payment carries prison and a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 dinars. Article 35 bis of 2002 treats even a one-off act as trading. - **Consumption 0/10.** Article 37 punishes actually using drugs with prison and a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 dinars, unless the person is licensed; treatment can replace the penalty. - **Legal access 0/10.** None for personal use. Medical and scientific use is allowed only under licence (Articles 30 and following). - *Death penalty.* Article 34 of Law 7 of 1990 punishes trading in drugs, or growing or importing Table 5 plants with intent to trade, with death or life imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 to 50,000 dinars. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 30 of Law 7 of 1990 bans growing, importing, owning, holding, buying or selling the listed plants at any stage of growth, as well as their seeds, except for medical or scientific purposes under licence. Only cannabis seeds roasted so they cannot germinate, and stalk fibre, are exempt. Growing or holding the plants or their seeds for personal use is punished with prison and a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 dinars under Article 37. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Malaysia Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 176 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/my/ Possession of 200 g or more is presumed trafficking, which can carry death (no longer mandatory since 2023). Registered cannabinoid medicines may be imported. - **Possession 0/10.** Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 punishes possession of cannabis, or of the seeds of the plant, with a fine of up to RM20,000, up to five years in prison, or both. Section 39A raises this by weight: 20 g or more but under 50 g brings two to five years and three to nine strokes of the cane; 50 g or more brings five years to life and at least ten strokes. A person found with 200 g or more is presumed to be trafficking. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Section 6B forbids planting or cultivating any plant from which cannabis can be obtained, and allowing it on land one owns or occupies. The penalty is imprisonment for life and at least six strokes of the cane, with no lesser tier for a single plant, and a person found on the land is presumed to be the grower. Only a public officer authorised by the Minister may grow, for research, educational, experimental or medical purposes. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** 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 0/10.** 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 0/10.** Section 15 makes consuming or self-administering a listed drug an offence with a fine of up to RM5,000 or up to two years in prison. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. The Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 allows cannabis to be imported only with the Minister's authorisation, punishes possession without such authority, and lets only an authorised public officer grow the plant. - *Death penalty.* The death penalty remains available for trafficking, which is presumed from 200 g of cannabis. Since July 2023 it is discretionary, not mandatory, and the reform let over a thousand death- row prisoners apply for resentencing. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None; hemp-derived CBD products require registration as medicines. - *Seeds and clones.* Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 makes it an offence to possess cannabis "or the seeds of the plants from which they may be obtained" without authorisation, with up to five years in prison. Section 6B forbids planting or cultivating any plant from which cannabis may be obtained. - *Medical use.* 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. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 4,025 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 4,800 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Transport Act section 44 covers drug influence that makes the driver incapable of proper control and causes injury or death. A first conviction causing injury carries seven to ten years in prison, a RM30,000–50,000 fine and at least seven years' licence disqualification. Causing death carries ten to fifteen years, RM50,000–100,000 and at least ten years' disqualification; repeat convictions bring higher penalties. Section 45 separately covers an unfit person in charge of a vehicle on a road or public place while not driving: a first conviction carries RM1,000–5,000, possible imprisonment up to two years and at least two years' disqualification, subject to a statutory defence about no likelihood of driving while unfit. Probationary licences are revoked on conviction under either section. Section 45A's concentration offence concerns alcohol, not a THC limit; the section 44 penalties above require injury or death. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the Dangerous Drugs Act possession of any amount is an offence, 20 g or more brings caning as well as prison, and a person found with 200 g or more is presumed to be trafficking, which carries death or life imprisonment with at least twelve strokes. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The federal police narcotics department reported 248,885 arrests for drug offences of all kinds between March 2024 and 16 February 2025, including 719 civil servants, and seizures of 102 tonnes of drugs. Cannabis accounted for 3,203 kg of that, far behind methamphetamine at 39,397 kg and ketum at 53,879 kg. The police gave no breakdown of the arrests by drug or by offence. - *Other consequences.* Registered drug users face supervision orders; foreigners are deported after serving their sentence. ### Oman Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 177 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/om/ Personal possession carries one to three years. Importing or manufacturing a scheduled drug for trafficking can bring death or life imprisonment. - **Possession 0/10.** Under the new narcotics law issued by Royal Decree 67/2026, anyone who possesses, acquires or buys drugs for their own consumption faces one to three years in prison and a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 rials. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing a listed plant for personal use falls under the same one-to-three-year provision of Article 41. Growing, importing or exporting a listed plant or its seeds for trafficking can bring death or life imprisonment and a fine of 35,000 to 60,000 rials. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Using a drug carries one to three years. Importing, exporting, producing or manufacturing a scheduled drug for trafficking, or growing a listed plant or its seeds for trafficking, can bring death or life imprisonment and a fine of 35,000 to 60,000 rials. Death is the only penalty for smuggling those things for trafficking, for a repeat of that offence, for an official charged with drug control, and for taking part in an international smuggling gang. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supplying a drug to a user without payment, or preparing a place for use without payment, carries seven to fifteen years and a fine of 5,000 to 15,000 rials. Supplying a user for payment, or possessing, selling or handing a drug over in order to traffic, carries at least fifteen years and a fine of 10,000 to 25,000 rials. An unpaid transfer made in order to traffic can still fall under that fifteen-year offence. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use is covered by the personal-consumption offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Death penalty.* Importing, exporting, producing or manufacturing a scheduled drug for trafficking, or growing, importing or exporting a listed plant or its seeds for trafficking, can be punished by death or by life imprisonment, and by a fine of 35,000 to 60,000 rials. Death is the sentence for smuggling those things for trafficking, for a repeat of that offence, for an official charged with drug control, and for taking part in an international smuggling gang. Selling or handing a drug over in order to traffic, without that import or manufacture, starts at fifteen years. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2026 narcotics law bans growing, holding, buying or selling a listed plant, any part of it at any stage of growth, and its seeds. Cannabis is on the list. Only cannabis seeds treated so they cannot germinate, and stalk fibre, are exempt. The law defines cultivation as starting with sowing for germination, and licences to grow go only to state bodies and recognised research institutes. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Driving.* The amended Traffic Law article 50 bis prohibits driving on a road under the influence of alcohol, a narcotic or another psychotropic substance. The police-published text provides one to six months’ imprisonment and OMR400–800; illness or inability to work exceeding 30 days raises this to six to twelve months and OMR600–1,200, while death or permanent total disability brings one to three years and OMR1,500–3,000. Stronger penalties under other laws are reserved. Article 49 separately punishes refusal of a breath sample or medical detection test where police have offence-related grounds to believe the person used these substances: one to three months and OMR200–500. Article 54 allows the court to withdraw a driving licence for up to one year, or two years for repetition. A numeric THC cutoff, specimen-specific confirmation rules and later implementing-regulation details were not established. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under the narcotics law issued by Royal Decree 67/2026, anyone who possesses, acquires or buys drugs for their own consumption faces one to three years in prison and a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 rials. - *Other consequences.* Foreigners are deported after serving their sentence. ### Qatar Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 178 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/qa/ Possession for personal use carries six months to three years and a fine. Non-residents are deported. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 37 of Law 9 of 1987, as amended by Law 3 of 2020, punishes possessing, buying, receiving, transporting, producing or growing a listed plant for personal use with six months to three years in prison and a fine of QR10,000 to QR20,000. A court may instead send a proven addict to a clinic for three months to a year. Article 29 bans the listed plants and their seeds. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing a listed plant for personal use is article 37: six months to three years and a fine of QR10,000 to QR20,000. Growing, importing or exporting a listed plant or its seeds for trade is article 34: death or life imprisonment and a fine of QR300,000 to QR500,000. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Zero tolerance, with bags and passengers scanned at the airport; travellers have been arrested with very small quantities. A courier caught there with hashish in 2021 received five years, a fine of QR300,000 and deportation. A court may send an addict to a clinic for three months to a year in place of the sentence, and a user who comes forward for treatment is not prosecuted. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Possessing or selling in order to trade carries ten to twenty years and a fine of QR200,000 to QR400,000. Supplying a drug to a user, or preparing a place for use, carries the same sentence when it is done for payment, and five to ten years and a fine of QR100,000 to QR200,000 when it is done without payment. Importing or producing for trade is article 34: death or life imprisonment, and death on a repeat within five years. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use is the same offence as possession for personal use: six months to three years and a fine of QR10,000 to QR20,000. A court may send a proven addict to a clinic instead. In 2016 a man was sentenced to one year and QR10,000 for using drugs. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Death penalty.* Article 34 provides death or life imprisonment, and a fine of QR300,000 to QR500,000, for importing, producing or growing for trade. A repeat of that offence within five years is punished by death. Courts have passed death sentences for hashish: for 160 kg in 2008, in the defendant's absence, for about 600 kg of hashish and opium in 2013, and for 120 kg in 2016. No execution for drugs was found, and in 2013 Qatar had reported no execution of any kind for more than a decade. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 9 of 1987 bans growing the listed plants (Article 28) and, in Article 29, importing, owning, holding, buying or selling them at any stage of growth, as well as their seeds; plant parts named in a separate schedule are exempt. The Minister of Public Health may license only government bodies and recognised research institutes to grow them or import seeds. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 195 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 29 kg in 2022, and 489 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 774 kg in 2022. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Traffic Law article 57(2) prohibits driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other psychotropic substances. Its published English penalty provision, article 94, sets one month to three years' imprisonment or a QR10,000–50,000 fine for that offence, without prejudice to more severe penalties in other laws. Drug-influenced driving carries six traffic points. The Traffic Department can suspend a licence, vehicle licence and number plates, or both, for up to ninety days under article 87; this administrative power is separate from the court penalty. Article 32 also bars public-vehicle licence applicants previously convicted of drug-influenced driving. The provisions reviewed do not specify a numeric THC allowance or a medical-cannabis defence. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possessing a drug for personal use is article 37, as amended by Law 3 of 2020: six months to three years and a fine of QR10,000 to QR20,000. - *Other consequences.* Non-residents convicted of drug offences are deported. ### Rwanda Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 179 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/rw/ Medical and research cannabis activities require licences. Unauthorised possession and use remain crimes, with community service available instead of prison. - **Possession 0/10.** The drug offence as amended in 2019 expressly covers being caught with narcotics or psychotropic substances, alongside use. Its stated penalty is one to two years in prison or community service. General sentencing rules adopted in 2023 allow judges to reduce a fixed term to half the statutory minimum when mitigating circumstances are accepted. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing cannabis requires a licence for medical or research purposes under the 2021 order. Unauthorised production falls within the criminal law’s highest drug category, which specifies life imprisonment and a fine of more than 20 million and up to 30 million francs. General mitigating-circumstance rules allow life imprisonment to be reduced to at least fifteen years. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Community service is an express alternative to imprisonment for possession or use. The government’s 2014 report to the UN counted 1,910 people incarcerated in 2011 for smoking cannabis; that is historical evidence of imprisonment, not a current sentencing rate. The 2023 general rules widened judges’ powers to reduce sentences. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Unauthorised giving to another person is included alongside production, transport, storage and sale. Cannabis is in the highest drug category, whose statutory tariff is life imprisonment and a fine of more than 20 million and up to 30 million Rwandan francs. The 2023 general rules allow mitigation, including reducing life imprisonment to at least fifteen years. - **Consumption 0/10.** Illicit consumption remains a criminal offence. The stated punishment is one to two years in prison or community service, with general judicial powers to reduce or suspend qualifying sentences under the 2023 amendments. - **Legal access 0/10.** The 2021 order permits medical use on prescription by a doctor with written health-ministry authority and requires registration of finished products. No cannabis or cannabinoid medicine was found in the FDA’s published September 2026 pharmaceutical register. Practical patient supply, including exceptional imports, was not established in this review. - *Commercial production.* The 2021 order licenses medical and research cultivation and processing. In May 2025, the development board reported off-site infrastructure for the Musanze project 83% complete, with fencing still outstanding; reporting described the licensed private producer’s plans as aimed mainly at cannabis oils for export. - *Products.* Finished cannabis products require registration, and importing or exporting them requires a permit for each shipment. Licensed activities are restricted to medical or research purposes. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2021 ministerial order defines cannabis to include its seeds for agricultural purposes and lists eight licences and permits. A cultivation licence covers developing genetic material, and separate import and export permits are required for seeds, genetic materials and other planting material. Everything is confined to medical or research use. - *Medical use.* Medical use requires a prescription from a doctor whom the health ministry has authorised in writing to prescribe cannabis. The reviewed September 2026 pharmaceutical register contained no cannabis or cannabinoid medicine; prescribing rules alone do not establish patient supply. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no recreational supply route in the reviewed laws. The possession/use offence states one to two years in prison or community service; authorised medical use requires a prescription from a doctor with written health-ministry authority. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The government told the UN Human Rights Committee in 2014 that 1,910 people had been incarcerated in 2011 for smoking cannabis. It separately recorded 2,402 arrests connected with banned substances across 2011–2012. These are historical counts, and the latter figure covers drugs generally. - *Other consequences.* Community service is a criminal sentence. Under the 2023 general rules, deliberate failure to carry it out properly requires the remaining sentence to be served in a correctional facility. ### Sierra Leone Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 180 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sl/ Cannabis possession and use remain crimes. The Pharmacy Board has rules for licensed medical cultivation and processing for export; patient access through local pharmacies has not been established. - **Possession 0/10.** Cannabis possession has been prosecuted under the 2008 drug law, including a 2023 case in which two defendants were refused bail. The Act sets at least five years for unlawful drug possession but lets courts impose a shorter term or a fine when that penalty would be harsh or unconscionable. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Personal growers face criminal restrictions: growing a narcotic-producing plant requires the Pharmacy Board's written consent, and the pharmacy law sets at least fifteen years for cannabis offences. The Board has separate rules for licensed medical cultivation and processing for export. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** In August 2023 a Freetown magistrate refused bail to two men accused of cannabis and kush possession under the 2008 Act. The law allows prison terms for possession and use, with discretion to impose a shorter term or a fine in some circumstances. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The pharmacy law prohibits supplying cannabis prepared for smoking, and its cannabis-specific penalty requires at least fifteen years in prison for an individual convicted under the Act. The 2008 Act also punishes unlawful drug supply and prevails where the laws conflict. - **Consumption 0/10.** The 2008 Act makes taking a drug by smoking, inhaling, sniffing, injecting or otherwise introducing it into the body a crime. The pharmacy law also expressly prohibits smoking cannabis and visiting premises used for it. - **Legal access 0/10.** The Pharmacy Board provides a licensed route for medical cultivation and processing focused on export. The reviewed production guidelines describe applications, site controls and product quality; they do not set out a local patient prescription or dispensing service. - *Commercial production.* Licensed companies, manufacturers and approved health organisations may apply to cultivate, harvest and process medical cannabis. Applicants need suitable staff and secure premises; the Board inspects compliance and can revoke licences for security failures. - *Products.* The medical production guidelines cover cannabis as a starting material for pharmaceutical products, including cannabis extracts, with quality standards for cultivation, harvesting and processing. Their stated purpose includes production and manufacture for export. - *Seeds and clones.* Cannabis is defined to include seeds and leaves in the 2008 Act. Licensed medical growers must use traceable planting material labelled by species, variety, chemical type and origin; the guidelines require female cuttings for production. The reviewed guidelines do not specify a public seed or cutting retail channel. - *Medical use.* The Pharmacy Board's guidelines permit licensed medical cultivation and processing for export, drawing on the written-consent power in the 2001 pharmacy law. The guidelines give an effective date of 17 May 2024. They describe production licensing and quality controls; a local patient access programme has not been verified. - *Cannabis clubs.* Personal cultivation and supplying cannabis are criminally restricted under the pharmacy law. The medical production guidelines provide applications for licensed companies, manufacturers and approved health organisations. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 1,632 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 22,778 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 102 prohibits driving or attempting to drive on a road while alcohol or drugs make proper control of the vehicle impossible. The published 2007 Act grades imprisonment by harm: up to six months for no or minor bodily injury to another person, one to two years for aggravated bodily injury, and three to five years where death occurs. The court may also order compensation. Current fines and later penalty amendments were not certified; the original monetary figures should not be read as current new-leone amounts. Section 107(3) requires police to consult a medical practitioner and follow that advice on drug-impairment questions arising under its detention provisions. Sections 104–106 describe alcohol-oriented breath/specimen procedures and hospital safeguards, not a verified cannabis concentration limit. Current drug toxicology, refusal rules and offence-specific licence-point assignments remain follow-ups. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The 2008 drug law permits courts to order deportation or cancellation of a visa after a drug conviction. Its possession and use offences apply without a visitor exemption. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### South Sudan Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 181 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ss/ Possession or use is up to five years, a fine, or both. Dealing is up to fourteen years, a fine, or both. The death or life sentence is written for a dangerous drug other than cannabis. - **Possession 0/10.** Section 384 of the Penal Code Act 2008 makes acquiring or possessing a dangerous drug an offence, punished with up to five years, a fine, or both. Courts have jailed people for six months to a year for holding bhang. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing for one's own consumption is the section 384 offence, up to five years, a fine, or both. Growing in order to deal is the section 383 offence, up to fourteen years, a fine, or both. Cannabis is grown in Equatoria. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Young men are jailed for possession in group trials; enforcement varies widely between states. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Section 383 makes selling, supplying, transporting and other dealing an offence. The sentence is up to fourteen years, a fine, or both. Death or life imprisonment is written only where the drug was a dangerous drug other than cannabis and an aggravating circumstance is proved. - **Consumption 0/10.** Section 384 makes ingesting, smoking or otherwise consuming a dangerous drug an offence, with up to five years, a fine, or both. Where the court finds that the person abuses or is addicted to the drug, it may order treatment as well as or instead of that sentence. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Death penalty.* Section 383(3) defines the aggravating circumstances for death or life imprisonment as applying when the drug was a dangerous drug other than cannabis. Cannabis in that chapter means the flowering or fruiting tops. The cannabis plant, prepared cannabis and cannabis resin are defined separately and are not repeated in the exclusion. Other dealing is up to fourteen years, a fine, or both. No later statute replacing these sections was found. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* Section 382 of the Penal Code Act 2008 defines cannabis as the flowering or fruiting tops of the plant, "excluding the seeds and leaves when not accompanied by the tops", so loose seed is not a dangerous drug. The cannabis plant itself, defined as any plant of the genus, is a dangerous drug. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them. Supplying a dangerous drug is dealing under section 383, punished with up to fourteen years, a fine, or both. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession or use under section 384 is up to five years, a fine, or both. Courts have jailed people for six months to a year for holding bhang. Dealing under section 383 is up to fourteen years, a fine, or both. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record. ### Taiwan Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 182 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tw/ Category 2 narcotic: up to three years for use; growing for personal use carries one to seven years since 2022, other cultivation at least five. - **Possession 0/10.** Cannabis is a Category 2 narcotic under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, alongside amphetamines. Possession carries up to two years in prison. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing cannabis was punished with a minimum of five years until the Constitutional Court found that disproportionate. A 2022 amendment set one to seven years and a fine of up to NT$1 million for growing for personal use where circumstances are minor. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Strictly enforced, with arrests rising and little political appetite for reform despite annual 4/20 demonstrations in Taipei. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Selling can bring life imprisonment; giving it to others is also a serious offence. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use is a crime with up to three years. First-time users are normally sent to observation and rehabilitation instead of being prosecuted. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None; even industrial hemp cultivation is not permitted. - *Products.* CBD is regulated as a medicine and may be imported for personal use with a prescription; THC content must be negligible. - *Seeds and clones.* The Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act names cannabis seeds directly. Possessing them carries up to one year in prison, possessing or transferring them with intent to sell up to two years, and transporting or selling them for cultivation at least two years (Articles 13 and 14). Growing the plant is a crime under Article 12, with one to seven years where the case is minor and for personal use. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme beyond prescription CBD. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* The Taiwan High Prosecutors' Office reported 2.3 tonnes of cannabis seized in 2023, against 240.5 kg in 2021, and 15,360 plants in the first eight months of 2024. Prosecutors called cannabis one of the most popular narcotics in Taiwan. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act punishes a driver found by a test to have taken drugs, narcotics or similar controlled substances, with no level set. Car drivers are fined 30,000 to 120,000 New Taiwan dollars and motorcyclists 15,000 to 90,000; the vehicle is removed and the licence suspended for one to two years, or revoked for good after a crash causing serious injury or death. Refusing the test costs 180,000 dollars and the licence, and officers may take the driver for sampling by force. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Cannabis is a Category 2 narcotic under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, and possession carries up to two years in prison. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Taiwan High Prosecutors' Office reported in October 2024 that seizures of cannabis reached 2.3 tonnes in 2023, 9.7 times the 240.5 kg of 2021, and that 15,360 plants were seized in the first eight months of 2024. It described cannabis as one of the most popular narcotics in Taiwan and increasingly used by young people. Prosecutors said they would keep offering drug users deferred prosecution with addiction treatment, after which 22.5 per cent reoffend, a lower rate than after the other measures. The report gave no count of people charged over cannabis. - *Other consequences.* A conviction is a criminal record; rehabilitation orders are recorded. ### Turkmenistan Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 183 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/tm/ Cannabis remains illegal. Small-amount possession and use can bring a fine or administrative detention; criminal possession carries up to five years. - **Possession 0/10.** The Administrative Offences Code covers acquiring or holding a minor quantity without intent to supply, and use, with a fine of one to three base units and confiscation or up to 15 days’ administrative detention; quantities are set in separate regulations. The Criminal Code’s ordinary non-supply offence allows a fine of 40–100 base units or up to five years in prison; repeated or group offending carries three to ten years. Criminal exemption requires voluntary surrender and active help against drug offences. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Sowing or growing prohibited drug-containing plants, expressly including cannabis, allows up to two years’ corrective labour or two to five years in prison, with possible additional residence restrictions. Repeated, group or large-scale offending carries five to ten years. Controlled cultivation is reserved to permitted enterprises and institutions within state quotas. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The administrative small-amount offence allows a fine or up to 15 days’ detention. Criminal drug offences carry longer terms, including five to twelve years for supply and fifteen to twenty-five years in the most serious supply tier. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Unauthorised supply and holding drugs with intent to supply carry five to twelve years, rising to eight to twenty years for repeated, group or large-quantity offending and fifteen to twenty-five years in the highest tier. The drug law defines acquisition to include receiving drugs as a gift or in exchange. - **Consumption 0/10.** Consuming narcotic drugs without a doctor’s order is prohibited. The Administrative Offences Code includes use in its small-amount drug offence, punishable by a fine of one to three base units and confiscation or up to 15 days’ detention. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply remains prohibited under the criminal drug-supply rules. The general controlled-medicine route requires special prescriptions and licensed pharmacies in the state healthcare system. - *Commercial production.* The drug law allows controlled plants to be grown only by permitted enterprises and institutions, within state quotas and for industrial, medical or scientific purposes. Scientific and educational drug handling is reserved to specially licensed state institutions. - *Products.* The drug law places controlled substances in separate lists and restricts their production, storage and supply. Controlled medicines for patients require special prescriptions through licensed state pharmacies. - *Seeds and clones.* The cultivation rule covers sowing and growing controlled plants and reserves permission to enterprises and institutions within state quotas. The Criminal Code expressly names cannabis among the plants covered by the unauthorised cultivation offence. - *Medical use.* The general controlled-medicine rules require special prescriptions and supply through licensed state pharmacies. The health ministry sets the dispensing and prescription procedures. - *Cannabis clubs.* Controlled cultivation is limited to permitted enterprises and institutions, within state quotas; drug consumption requires a doctor’s order. Unauthorised supply is a criminal offence, leaving no lawful recreational growing-and-sharing club route. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational drug supply remains prohibited. The administrative code permits a fine or detention for small-amount possession and use. British travel advice warns that illegal drug possession or use can lead to lengthy prison sentences in very basic conditions. - *Other consequences.* The drug law provides for registration and medical monitoring of people diagnosed with drug dependence. A court can order compulsory treatment where a diagnosed person avoids observation and treatment and continues using; specified occupations can be restricted after medical assessment, with a right to challenge the decision. ### United Arab Emirates Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 184 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ae/ A 2022 reform softened first-offence penalties (minimum three months or a fine) and made deportation discretionary, but personal use remains one of the strictest regimes, including for trace amounts. From 1 January 2026 a separate law allows licensed industrial hemp and authorised hemp-derived medical products. - **Possession 0/10.** Under Federal Decree-Law 30 of 2021, a first offence of possessing or using cannabis for personal use carries at least three months in prison or a fine of AED 10,000–100,000 — a softening from the previous mandatory four years. Repeat offences bring longer mandatory terms. Trace amounts, including residue or metabolites in the body, are enough. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing cannabis outside a licence is a serious crime with long prison terms. Licensed industrial hemp, at or below 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol and only in approved zones, is a separate regime from 1 January 2026. - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** Still one of the strictest regimes, though the 2021 law added fines and rehabilitation as alternatives for first offences. A 2024 rule lets non-residents caught at ports of entry with personal-use amounts pay a fine of AED 5,000–20,000. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supply is trafficking. Article 57 provides the death penalty when prohibited drugs or plants are possessed or acquired with intent to traffic or promote them. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use is an offence proved by blood or urine test, on the same terms as possession. Courts can order treatment for first offenders. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Death penalty.* Federal Decree-Law 30 of 2021 provides the death penalty for trafficking or promotion involving prohibited narcotic substances or drug-producing plants, which include cannabis. - *Commercial production.* From 1 January 2026 licensed industrial hemp is lawful. Cultivation needs a licence from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, a local permit and security clearance, and it is confined to zones that are secured, fenced and kept apart from homes and other farms. Tetrahydrocannabinol must stay at or below 0.3%. An emirate may prohibit or restrict the activity. No list of issued cultivation licences was read. - *Products.* Personal and recreational use of industrial hemp is prohibited, as are hemp foods, dietary supplements, veterinary products and smoking products. Cosmetics that contain hemp are prohibited except for oils from seeds or stalks. The 2026 law allows authorised medical products that contain hemp compounds, and licensed manufacture of industrial products kept at or below 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol. Whether any such product is on sale was not verified. A compound that can produce a narcotic or psychoactive effect stays under the narcotics law. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 14 of Federal Decree-Law 30 of 2021 bans growing, importing, owning or holding the listed plants, or any other plant that yields drugs, at any stage of growth, as well as their seeds. Landowners must report such plants on their land. Licences under that law go only to government bodies and scientific institutes. From 1 January 2026 a separate law lets a licensed agricultural company import and export approved industrial-hemp seeds, and lets a licensed grower cultivate and handle seedlings, only inside approved plots. Seeds and seedlings may be passed only to a person licensed for the activity. Personal growing stays prohibited. - *Medical use.* The 2026 law permits medical products that contain industrial-hemp compounds or hemp raw materials, under the law on medical products. It is a route for those hemp-derived products. Whether a pharmacy stocks any of them was not verified. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Driving.* Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on traffic regulation, in force from 29 March 2025, makes it an offence to drive or attempt to drive a vehicle while under the influence of narcotic or psychotropic substances. The penalty is imprisonment, a fine of 30,000 to 200,000 dirhams, or both, heavier than for alcohol. The licence is suspended for six months on a first offence and a year on a second, and cancelled on a third. Causing a death while under the influence brings at least a year in prison and a fine of at least 100,000 dirhams. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Under Federal Decree-Law 30 of 2021, a first offence of possessing or using cannabis for personal use carries at least three months in prison or a fine of AED 10,000 to 100,000, with longer mandatory terms for repeat offences. - *Other consequences.* Deportation of foreigners after a drug conviction, once mandatory, is now at the court's discretion for first-time personal-use offences. ### Yemen Score 2/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 185 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ye/ Personal possession or use carries five years in prison under Law 3 of 1993, and trading or supplying drugs carries death or 25 years. Qat, by contrast, is legal. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 38 of Law 3 of 1993 punishes holding, buying or growing for personal use with five years in prison. The court may order an addict into a clinic for at least six months instead, and no case is brought against a user who comes forward for treatment on their own. The copy read does not include the schedules, so it does not show which plants are in Table 5. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Article 28 bans growing the Table 5 plants. Growing them for trade carries death or 25 years (Article 34); growing for personal use carries five years (Article 38). - **Punishment & enforcement 1/10.** The statute sets five years for personal use and allows treatment instead (Article 38); the court may reduce a sentence only to the next lower penalty (Article 37). How it is applied is not shown by the text. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Article 35 punishes giving drugs to a user without payment, or making use easier, with death or 25 years in prison, the same as trading (Article 34). - **Consumption 0/10.** Article 38 punishes holding or buying for personal use or consumption with five years in prison, with treatment possible instead. Qat, a mild stimulant leaf chewed daily by most Yemeni men, is legal and central to social life. - **Legal access 0/10.** None for personal use. Imports for medical and scientific use need prior written permission from the health ministry (Article 3). - *Death penalty.* Articles 33 to 35 of Law 3 of 1993 punish importing, producing or trading in drugs, and supplying a user, with death or 25 years in prison. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Seeds and clones.* Law 3 of 1993 bans growing the listed plants (Article 28) and, in Article 29, importing, owning, holding, buying or selling them at any stage of growth, as well as their seeds; plant parts named in a separate schedule are exempt. The Minister of Agriculture may license only government departments and scientific institutes to grow them or import seeds. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone, so a visitor has no lawful way to buy cannabis. The sources behind this profile describe no separate rule for visitors. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The drug control administration of the internationally recognised government counted 704 drug cases in 2025 in the governorates it controls, 488 of them for use, and 1,260 suspects, of whom 827 were users. It seized 2,986 kg of hashish, beside 1,530 kg of crystal methamphetamine and 169 kg of heroin. The figures do not cover areas held by the Houthi authorities. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Abkhazia Score 1/100 (Severe prohibition), disputed territory, not ranked. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/xa/ Cannabis use brings three days’ administrative arrest; possession and growing carry prison terms. The most serious supply cases can bring life or death. - **Possession 0/10.** Ordinary possession without intent to supply carries one to three years in prison. Large quantities carry three to five years and a fine, and especially large quantities five to seven years and a fine. Exemption requires voluntary surrender and active assistance against drug offences. The Supreme Court confirms that the ordinary offence applies regardless of quantity below those higher tiers. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Sowing or growing prohibited drug plants, expressly including cannabis, carries six to eight years in prison and a fine of 100,000–150,000 rubles. Group, organised-group or large-scale growing carries ten to twelve years. An August 2026 cabinet announcement set ten Cannabis plants as the large-scale threshold, with commencement tied to official publication. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Personal possession carries one to three years and ordinary cannabis cultivation six to eight years in prison. Cannabis or hashish use without a doctor’s order carries three days’ administrative arrest and ten days for repetition within a year. Life or death remains available in the highest supply/import tiers without mitigating circumstances; the Supreme Court bars those penalties when mitigation exists. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The ordinary drug-supply offence carries five to eight years in prison and a fine, with higher tiers for aggravated cases. The Supreme Court defines supply to include gifts, exchanges, loans and payment of debts, and says ordinary supply liability applies regardless of amount below the larger tiers. - **Consumption 1/10.** Cannabis or hashish use without a doctor’s order carries three days’ administrative arrest, rising to ten days for repetition within a year. Repeat liability for the first-use offence cannot be imposed within fifteen days of the earlier liability decision. A person voluntarily seeking medical help for illegal drug use is exempt from administrative liability under this article. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational supply is criminal, and the Supreme Court includes both paid and unpaid transfers in its definition. The use offence expressly covers cannabis and hashish taken without a doctor’s order. - *Death penalty.* The highest supply/import tiers allow life or death where mitigating circumstances are absent; the Supreme Court expressly bars those penalties where mitigation exists. The code excludes women, people who offended under eighteen and men aged sixty-five by sentencing from the death penalty, and allows presidential commutation of death. - *Commercial production.* Unlawful cannabis cultivation carries six to eight years in the ordinary tier. The Supreme Court includes creating special conditions for sowing and growing, improving cultivation methods and breeding higher-yield varieties within cultivation. - *Products.* Cannabis and hashish are expressly named in the administrative use offence. Passing controlled drugs to another person, including as a gift, falls under the criminal supply rules. - *Medical use.* The cannabis/hashish use offence applies to use without a doctor’s order. It also exempts a person who voluntarily seeks medical help for illegal drug use from administrative liability under that article. - *Cannabis clubs.* Cannabis cultivation and running premises for drug consumption are criminal offences. The Supreme Court treats gifts and other unpaid transfers as supply, leaving no lawful recreational growing-and-sharing club route. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Cannabis use without a doctor’s order carries three days’ arrest, with ten for repetition within a year. Possession without supply intent and unauthorised drug import have separate prison offences; giving drugs away is included in supply. - *Other consequences.* A criminal conviction creates a criminal record until it is extinguished or removed under the code’s rules. The Supreme Court requires access to legal assistance and protection against self-incrimination when questioning of a detained person turns to incriminating facts. ### Afghanistan Score 1/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 186 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/af/ Historically one of the world's largest hashish producers. The Taliban banned cultivation in 2023. - **Possession 0/10.** Possession is illegal; the pre-2021 drug law set one to five years depending on amount. Under the Taliban, offenders are tried by sharia courts, with imprisonment and flogging. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** On 19 March 2023 the Taliban's supreme leader issued a decree banning cannabis cultivation across the country: crops are destroyed and growers sent to court. Afghanistan had long been one of the world's largest hashish producers. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Sharia punishments including flogging, applied unevenly: hashish remains widely used and the cultivation ban has been enforced less thoroughly than the opium ban. In a 2025 case involving hashish trafficking, a Taliban court imposed prison terms and 10–39 lashes. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** The available cannabis-specific legislation sets prison terms rather than death for trafficking. A 2025 Taliban ruling imposed seven months to three and a half years in prison, plus lashes, in a case involving hashish and narcotic tablets. - **Consumption 1/10.** Use is prohibited; drug users have been rounded up into compulsory treatment camps. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Commercial production.* None; a pre-2021 plan for a licensed medical cannabis project came to nothing. - *Products.* None. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession is illegal; under the Taliban offenders are tried by sharia courts, with imprisonment and flogging. - *Other consequences.* Forced detention in treatment centres is the main risk for users. ### Philippines Score 1/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 187 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/ph/ Prison applies to any amount. Life imprisonment can apply from 300 g of marijuana or 5 g of resin, and it is the sentence from 500 g of marijuana or 10 g of resin. There is no medical-cannabis programme, only case-specific compassionate access to an imported medicine. - **Possession 0/10.** Under Section 11 of Republic Act 9165, possession of less than 300 g of marijuana, or less than 5 g of resin or resin oil, carries 12 years and one day to 20 years and a fine of ₱300,000 to ₱400,000. From 300 g up to but not including 500 g of marijuana, or from 5 g up to but not including 10 g of resin or resin oil, the sentence is 20 years and one day to life imprisonment and a fine of ₱400,000 to ₱500,000. At least 500 g of marijuana, or at least 10 g of resin or resin oil, carries life imprisonment and a fine of ₱500,000 to ₱10 million. There is no lesser tier for personal use. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivating any marijuana plant carries life imprisonment and a fine of ₱500,000–10 million. The land or greenhouse can also be confiscated. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** A small personal amount exposes its possessor to a sentence of more than 12 years. The nationwide anti-drug campaign launched in 2016 also killed thousands of alleged drug suspects; the UN found serious rights violations and near impunity. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Selling, delivering or giving away cannabis carries life imprisonment and a ₱500,000–10 million fine, with no lower quantity tier. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use is a separate offence. After a confirmatory positive test, a first offence means at least six months in a government rehabilitation centre; a second brings six years and one day to 12 years in prison and a ₱50,000–200,000 fine. - **Legal access 1/10.** No dispensary or ordinary pharmacy route exists. For a seriously ill patient, a treating physician or health institution may seek an FDA compassionate special permit to import an unregistered cannabis-based medicine for restricted use. - *Commercial production.* None. Republic Act 9165 prohibits every form of unauthorised cannabis cultivation. - *Products.* No cannabis or CBD consumer products are lawful. The statutory definition covers every part of the plant and its seeds, resin, extract and tincture. - *Seeds and clones.* Republic Act 9165 defines cannabis as any part of the plant "and seeds thereof", so seeds fall under the same possession and sale offences as the drug. Section 16 punishes planting or cultivating marijuana "regardless of quantity" with life imprisonment. - *Medical use.* There is no medical-cannabis programme. The health department says marijuana remains illegal unless an FDA compassionate special permit covers its use and importation. On 24 February 2026, two House committees approved a consolidated medical-cannabis bill subject to style and amendments, but it has not become law. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 5,920 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 2,124 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* The Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act defines drugged driving by a positive confirmatory test for dangerous-drug use, without a numerical THC allowance or separate requirement to prove impairment. With probable cause, police bring the driver for drug screening and, if necessary, confirmation; a crash causing injury or death also requires testing. The Act provides three months in prison and a PHP20,000–80,000 fine without injury or homicide. Injury raises the fine to PHP100,000–200,000 and homicide to PHP300,000–500,000, alongside the respective statutory prison penalties. A nonprofessional licence is suspended for twelve months on the first conviction and permanently revoked on the second. A professional licence is permanently revoked on the first conviction, barring any future licence. Refusal of mandatory field sobriety and drug tests brings confiscation and automatic licence revocation, in addition to other applicable penalties. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possession of less than 300 g of marijuana, or less than 5 g of resin, carries 12 years and one day to 20 years. From 300 g of marijuana or 5 g of resin, the sentence can be life imprisonment. - *Arrests and prisoners.* The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported that it and its partner agencies carried out 10,161 anti-drug operations and arrested 13,497 people in the first three months of 2025. Over the five years from 2020 the agency counted 183,149 operations and 253,776 arrests, with seizures of 13.5 tonnes of shabu, 14.54 tonnes of dried marijuana leaves and 1,033 kg of marijuana kush. The figures cover all drugs; methamphetamine dominates the seizures by value, and the report does not say how many of the arrests were for cannabis. - *Other consequences.* Foreign nationals are deported after serving their sentence. Qualifying defendants may seek a plea bargain under the Supreme Court's drug-case framework, but acceptance is discretionary rather than a right. ### Bahrain Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 188 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bh/ Personal possession and growing are crimes; trafficking can bring death or life imprisonment. - **Possession 0/10.** Possessing cannabis, listed plants or their seeds for personal use carries imprisonment and a fine up to BHD3,000. The Penal Code’s ordinary imprisonment range is ten days to three years unless another range is specified. Courts may replace punishment with treatment for proven addiction; the law separately protects eligible people seeking treatment before being caught using or prosecuted. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing listed plants for personal use falls under the personal-use offence: imprisonment and a fine up to BHD3,000. Growing for trafficking carries death or life imprisonment, with death mandatory in specified aggravated cases. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Trafficking carries death or life imprisonment, plus a BHD5,000–50,000 fine, with death required in specified aggravated cases. Personal possession and growing carry imprisonment and a fine, with treatment alternatives for proven addiction. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Providing cannabis for use without payment has a separate offence carrying up to seven years in prison and a BHD1,000–10,000 fine, with a harsher tier in specified aggravated cases. Providing it for payment under the corresponding offence carries at least ten years; trafficking under article 30 carries death or life imprisonment. - **Consumption 0/10.** Cannabis use is prohibited, with personal-use possession punished by imprisonment and a fine. Courts can substitute treatment for proven addiction. Eligible people approaching for treatment voluntarily, or through a spouse or relative up to the fourth degree, are protected from prosecution unless caught using or already prosecuted for that offence. - **Legal access 0/10.** Recreational cannabis transactions and use are prohibited. The law provides a general prescription route for controlled medicines through licensed pharmacies; it separately prohibits prescribing or dispensing listed plants except as the law permits. - *Death penalty.* Trafficking in listed drugs and plants carries death or life imprisonment and a BHD5,000–50,000 fine. Listed aggravated circumstances, including repeat offending, using a minor and involvement with international drug-smuggling syndicates, require death. - *Commercial production.* Cultivating listed cannabis plants is prohibited outside the law’s exceptions, with distinct penalties for personal-use growing and growing for trafficking. Cannabis fibre and seeds treated so they cannot germinate are excluded from the plant controls. - *Products.* Cannabis plants are listed among prohibited plants, while cannabis fibre and treated non-germinating seeds are excluded from the plant controls. Growing remains subject to the law’s cultivation controls. - *Seeds and clones.* The law restricts dealing in listed cannabis plants, their parts and seeds, and defines cultivation to include handling seeds. Table 6 exempts cannabis fibre and seeds treated so they cannot germinate; viable cannabis seeds remain within the controls. - *Medical use.* The general controlled-medicine route requires medical prescriptions and licensed pharmacy supply. Listed cannabis plants are subject to the separate plant prohibition, including restrictions on prescribing and dispensing them. - *Cannabis clubs.* The law criminalises unauthorised growing, cannabis provision for use and premises prepared for drug consumption, leaving no lawful recreational growing-and-sharing club route. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 90.8 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, and 106 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Traffic Law article 35 prohibits driving when alcohol or a drug causes loss of control or impaired driving ability, and separately prohibits taking these substances while driving. It provides six-month administrative licence withdrawal; refusal of an authorised examination or attempted escape brings the same withdrawal. Repetition has longer administrative periods. Decree-Law 30/2025 replaced article 51: ordinary drug-influence driving now carries two months to one year in prison and BHD1,000–2,000, or either penalty. Committing a further crime or traffic-rule violation through that driving raises this to four months to two years and BHD2,000–4,000, or either penalty; repetition within a year of judgment doubles the article 51 penalties. The court may additionally suspend the licence for up to a year under amended article 54. New article 51 bis has separate fatal-collision tiers. Current specimen-specific testing standards and a numeric THC cutoff were not established; the older official English law should not be used for the 2025 penalty figures. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Recreational supply and personal possession remain prohibited, with imprisonment and a fine up to BHD3,000 for the personal-use offence. For a person previously convicted under the drug law, a court may add permanent deportation of a foreign national. - *Other consequences.* Courts must order confiscation of seized drugs and equipment used for the offence, subject to protections for innocent third parties. For a person previously convicted under the drug law, a court can add measures including permanent deportation of a foreign national, occupational restrictions or residence restrictions. ### Brunei Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 189 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-15. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/bn/ Severe penalties include prison and, for specified trafficking offences, caning or a mandatory death sentence. Death sentences are imposed but have not been carried out in decades. - **Possession 0/10.** Section 6(a) prohibits unauthorised possession. In the reviewed 2013 consolidation, section 15 presumes trafficking above 15 g of cannabis unless rebutted. The separate death-penalty quantity is above 500 g for specified trafficking offences; it is not the presumption threshold. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Section 8 prohibits cannabis cultivation. The reviewed Second Schedule provides up to 20 years, B$40,000, or both, with stated minimums of three years, B$5,000, or both. That row does not prescribe caning. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Severe statutory penalties apply, including caning for specified trafficking offences. Death sentences are reported as imposed but not carried out. The possession and cultivation rows reviewed do not support a blanket claim of mandatory caning for any quantity. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Giving or distributing cannabis falls within trafficking. Specified quantities attract the mandatory death penalty; the reviewed statutory threshold for cannabis is more than 500 g. Brunei has not carried out executions in decades. - **Consumption 0/10.** Consumption is itself an offence, proved by urine test. - **Legal access 0/10.** None: the Misuse of Drugs Act makes consumption itself an offence, proved by urine test. - *Death penalty.* Trafficking carries a mandatory death sentence on the statute book. Death sentences are imposed but not carried out: Brunei has not executed anyone in decades. - *Commercial production.* None. - *Products.* None. - *Seeds and clones.* The Misuse of Drugs Act defines cannabis as any plant of the genus "or any part of such plant, by whatever name it is called", with no exception for seed, and section 8 makes it an offence to cultivate any plant of the genus cannabis. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 2.6 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 6.3 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Driving.* Road Traffic Act section 26 covers driving, attempting to drive or being in charge on a road or public place while drug influence makes proper vehicle control impossible. The 2026 revised text provides a B$10,000 fine and two years' imprisonment for a first conviction, and B$20,000 and four years for a repeat conviction. The court normally orders at least three years' licence disqualification, starting on conviction or, if imprisoned, on release; it can depart for stated special reasons. Where the offence causes death or serious injury, section 26A allows licence suspension on charge until the court decides the case. Section 26G permits analysis of blood taken for treatment after specified crashes when the person cannot provide breath or consent to blood sampling, on the Police Commissioner's direction. The concentration limit in section 26 concerns alcohol; no numerical THC limit is given there. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice warns of severe penalties for drug offences including, in some cases, the death penalty, with caning and long prison sentences for other crimes. - *Other consequences.* Section 24 allows forfeiture of drugs and articles connected with an offence, including where nobody has been convicted, subject to its notice and claim procedures. ### Comoros Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 190 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-13. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/km/ The 2021 Penal Code punishes holding, buying or using narcotics with 10 to 15 years in prison and production with 10 to 20 years. Cannabis was briefly legal here from 1975 to 1978. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 208 of the Penal Code of 2020 (Law 20-038/AU, promulgated 16 February 2021) punishes transporting, holding, offering, transferring, acquiring or unlawfully using narcotics with 10 to 15 years in prison and a fine of 10,000,000 to 20,000,000 Comorian francs. The article has no lighter tier for personal use. The text uses the word "stupéfiants" and does not name cannabis; the earlier code did name hashish and Indian hemp. Cannabis was legal from 1975 to 1978 under President Ali Soilih. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Article 206 punishes illicit production or manufacture of narcotics with 10 to 20 years, and 15 to 25 when committed by an organised gang. Article 205 gives life imprisonment for leading a group that grows, makes or supplies narcotics. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** The code sets 10 to 15 years for holding or using, with no personal-use tier, and doubles the maximum in listed aggravating cases (Article 214). How courts apply it is not shown by the text. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Article 210 punishes giving or offering narcotics to a person for their personal consumption with 5 to 10 years and a fine of 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 francs; 7 to 10 years if offered to minors or at schools. Article 208 also punishes offering or transferring (10 to 15 years). - **Consumption 0/10.** Article 208 punishes the unlawful "emploi" (use) of narcotics with 10 to 15 years. - **Legal access 0/10.** No lawful source; acquiring and holding narcotics is punished under Article 208. - *Commercial production.* No licensed production. - *Products.* No legal products. - *Seeds and clones.* The 2020 Penal Code punishes the illicit production of narcotics with ten to twenty years (Article 206) and does not name cultivation or seeds separately. Whether growing a plant counts as production under the code was not confirmed. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited. - *Black market.* Figures reported by the government to the UN drugs office record 316 kg of herbal cannabis seized in 2024, against 2,263 kg in 2023, and 121 kg of cannabis resin seized in 2024, against 57.5 kg in 2023. The UN publishes them as kilogram equivalents, and countries count seizures differently, so the figures are not comparable across borders. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says drug trafficking and possession are serious offences that can bring a long prison sentence and a fine. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Indonesia Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 191 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/id/ Class I narcotic. Since 2 January 2026, possessing the plant is up to twelve years, with no statutory minimum. Aggravated sale can still be death. Medical use is prohibited. - **Possession 0/10.** Cannabis is a Class I narcotic. Since 2 January 2026, planting or possessing it in plant form carries up to twelve years in prison and/or a category VI fine. More than 1 kg or at least six plants raises the penalty to life imprisonment or up to twenty years, and/or a higher fine. Possession under Article 111 has no death penalty or special minimum prison term. Personal use under Article 127 carries up to four years; a person proved to be a victim of drug abuse must receive rehabilitation. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Planting cannabis is punished under Article 111. Since 2 January 2026, the basic penalty is up to twelve years and/or a category VI fine. More than 1 kg or at least six plants carries life imprisonment or up to twenty years and/or a higher fine. The special minimum prison terms have been removed; Article 111 does not provide a death sentence. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Among the harshest in the world. Tourists in Bali are regularly jailed for years over a few grams, and Indonesia retains and uses the death penalty for drug trafficking. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Selling, buying, brokering or delivering a Class I narcotic carries life imprisonment or up to twenty years and/or a category VI fine. For plant-form cannabis, more than 1 kg or at least six plants can bring death, life imprisonment or up to twenty years and/or a higher fine under Article 114. Giving a Class I narcotic to another person to use carries up to fifteen years and/or a category VI fine under Article 116(1). If it causes death or permanent disability, Article 116(2) allows death, life imprisonment or up to twenty years and/or a higher fine. The 2026 law removed the special minimum prison terms. - **Consumption 0/10.** Using a Class I narcotic for oneself is a crime with up to four years in prison under Article 127; a judge may order treatment and rehabilitation, which counts towards the sentence. An adult addict who does not report for treatment faces up to six months' custody or a fine, and so does a parent who does not report an addicted child. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. - *Death penalty.* Since 2 January 2026, aggravated sale or delivery under Article 114 can bring death, life imprisonment or up to twenty years and/or a higher fine. For cannabis in plant form, the threshold is more than 1 kg or at least six plants. Possession and planting under Article 111 carry prison penalties only. The new Criminal Code’s Article 610 replaces the former production, import, export and distribution offence in Article 113: the same plant-weight or plant-count threshold can bring death, life imprisonment or up to twenty years and/or a category VI fine. For non-plant Class I narcotics the threshold is more than 5 g. Giving a Class I narcotic to another person to use can also bring death under Article 116(2) if it causes death or permanent disability. - *Commercial production.* None. Cannabis has long been grown illicitly in Aceh, where the army burns fields each year. - *Products.* None; CBD is treated as cannabis. - *Seeds and clones.* The Class I list covers the cannabis plant and all its parts, including seeds, fruit and straw, and its products. Since 2 January 2026, unauthorised planting, keeping or possessing a Class I narcotic in plant form carries up to twelve years and/or a category VI fine under Article 111(1), without a special minimum prison term. - *Medical use.* Prohibited absolutely: Class I narcotics may not be used for health services. The Constitutional Court rejected a challenge brought by mothers of children with cerebral palsy, while urging the government to research therapeutic use. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Black market.* The illegal supply is domestic and centred on Aceh, in northern Sumatra, where the narcotics agency speaks of illicit cannabis production and destroys hill plantations every year. In one operation in November 2025 it burned about 97,000 plants, some 69 tonnes wet weight, on six plots covering 6.5 hectares in North Aceh, with 151 officers from the agency, army, police and other bodies. The village is one of four pilot sites of an alternative-development programme, with Aceh Besar, Bireuen and Gayo Lues, that trains growers to switch to legal crops. - *Driving.* Article 106(1) of Law 22/2009 requires proper driving with full concentration. Its official explanation expressly includes alcohol or drugs affecting driving ability. Article 283 punishes abnormal driving or a condition that disrupts concentration with up to three months' detention or a fine of up to Rp750,000. This is a driving-ability rule, not a specified THC concentration in the provisions reviewed. Article 314 also permits licence revocation or compensation as an additional penalty for traffic offences; licence loss is not automatic under article 283. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply. Cannabis is a Class I narcotic and is prohibited for health services, including for foreign medical patients. Since 2 January 2026, possessing the plant carries up to twelve years and/or a category VI fine, without a special minimum prison term. Personal use under Article 127 carries up to four years; a person proved to be a victim of abuse must receive rehabilitation. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Indonesia's prison figures cover all narcotics, not cannabis alone. On 30 April 2026 prisons and detention centres held 271,602 people, 85% over capacity, and 146,376 of them, 53%, were there for narcotics offences. In October 2026 the law minister said the government was preparing rehabilitation and re-education centres, mainly for drug users of working age, on the president's instruction. - *Other consequences.* Long pre-trial detention, deportation and blacklisting for foreigners. ### Kuwait Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 192 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/kw/ Personal consumption or possession of controlled drugs can bring prison. The 2025 law distinguishes unpaid sharing from trafficking, which can carry death or life imprisonment, and provides rehabilitation options for personal-use cases. - **Possession 0/10.** Unlawful personal consumption, possession, purchase and specified other personal-use conduct carry up to five years in prison and a fine up to KD5,000. The maximum rises to ten years and KD10,000 in specified places including prisons, schools and treatment centres. Separate lower-schedule rules provide different penalties. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivation for trafficking of a plant in the prohibited-plant table can bring death or life imprisonment and a fine of KD100,000–2 million, or the value of the seized substances if higher. Personal-use cultivation of a plant in that table carries up to three years and a fine up to KD5,000. Institutional medical or scientific cultivation requires a licence. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Prosecutors may order up to three months in rehabilitation instead of starting a prosecution for the personal-use offence. Courts have a separate treatment-instead-of-punishment route. The law also permits authorities to introduce drug tests for public appointments and periodic or random workplace testing, and permits testing requirements for driving or weapons licences and marriage procedures. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Providing a controlled drug for consumption without payment carries five to ten years in prison and a fine of KD5,000–10,000. The same article provides death or life imprisonment for specified trafficking, promotion, exchange and paid-supply conduct, with higher fines. - **Consumption 0/10.** Unlawful consumption is expressly included in the personal-use offence, carrying up to five years and a fine up to KD5,000 in the ordinary case. Prosecutors may choose rehabilitation instead of starting a prosecution, and courts have a separate treatment option. - **Legal access 0/10.** Controlled-drug dealing, possession and use require the authority specified in the drug law. Unauthorised personal-use and supply offences can bring prison or, in specified trafficking cases, death or life imprisonment. - *Death penalty.* The enacted 2025 law provides death or life imprisonment for specified importing, smuggling, production and cultivation for trafficking, and for specified possession for trade, sale, promotion and exchange. Fines vary by offence and can rise to KD2 million or the seized substances’ value if higher. Listed aggravating factors can make death mandatory. - *Commercial production.* Manufacture of controlled drugs and preparations is reserved to licensed pharmaceutical factories, with use restricted to operations authorised by the health ministry. Prohibited-plant growing has a separate institutional licensing route. - *Products.* Pharmacists may dispense controlled-drug preparations only against the required prescription, and the law limits the time in which a prescription can be filled and prohibits reusing it. Specified drugs and plant materials follow separate schedules and licensing rules. - *Seeds and clones.* The drug law allows licensed import of prohibited plants and their seeds for authorised institutional medical or scientific purposes. The 2026 rules require seed quantities and records, a responsible pharmacist, secure storage and growing sites, and supervised destruction of unused crops and seeds when the authorised purpose or licence ends. - *Medical use.* The drug law provides controlled medical prescribing, pharmaceutical manufacture and institutional medical or scientific cultivation. The 2026 cultivation rules require eligible institutions to obtain permits and appoint a responsible pharmacist, keep seed and crop records and secure the growing site. - *Cannabis clubs.* Unpaid supply of a controlled drug for another person’s consumption carries five to ten years and a fine. Trafficking and specified paid-supply conduct have separate capital or life-sentence penalties. - *Driving.* The 2025 amended Traffic Law article 38 prohibits driving or attempting to drive under the influence of narcotics, psychotropic substances and other listed substances affecting normal faculties. The reproduced amended statute provides one to two years in prison and KWD1,000–3,000, or either penalty. An accident damaging public or another person’s property raises this to one to three years and KWD2,000–3,000, or either; an accident causing injury or death brings two to five years and KWD2,000–5,000, or either. The court must withdraw the licence for one to three years; on repetition it may order three to five years. These are statutory court ranges, not routine settlement amounts, and stronger penalties under other laws are reserved. The Interior Ministry confirms implementation on 22 April 2025. Its older traffic- violation page still shows the superseded one-year/KWD500 ceiling. Numeric THC limits, drug specimen/confirmation rules and a medical-prescription exception were not established. - *Visitors and foreigners.* Personal possession and consumption can bring prison under the general offence. A separate rule withholds prosecution on a first detection at an official entry point of specified food, drink or body-care products containing controlled substances for personal use, subject to confiscation and a written undertaking not to repeat the conduct; repetition can lead to prosecution. - *Arrests and prisoners.* A report by the anti-drug prosecution counted 2,666 narcotics cases involving 3,554 defendants in 2023, against 2,687 cases the year before. Use and addiction accounted for 77.2 per cent of the cases and trafficking for 22.5 per cent. Twelve death sentences and 59 life sentences were passed for smuggling or dealing that year. The figures cover all drugs. - *Other consequences.* For eligible personal-use cases, prosecutors may order rehabilitation for up to three months instead of starting a prosecution. Breaching treatment conditions can lead to prosecution; time already spent in the centre is credited if custody or detention is later ordered. ### Maldives Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 193 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-24. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/mv/ Someone who is not drug-dependent is presumed to be dealing even with 5 g or less, and dealing is fifteen years. Use by a dependent person is three years. Trafficking is life, and bringing in more than 350 g of cannabis can be death. - **Possession 0/10.** Cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug under the Drugs Act (17/2011). A person assessed as drug-dependent who has 5 g or less of cannabis, cannabis mixture or cannabis resin is presumed to possess it for use, and use is an offence of three years. More than 5 g and less than 14 g is presumed peddling, which is five to ten years, and more than 14 g is presumed trafficking, which is life. A person who is not drug-dependent is presumed to be dealing even at 5 g or less, and dealing is fifteen years; more than 14 g is again presumed trafficking. Specified acts can raise a smaller amount to trafficking. The Drug Court can take a dependent person who pleads guilty to use or peddling and is not charged with trafficking. The presidency's account of the Third Amendment, ratified on 6 December 2025 and in force three months after ratification and gazette publication, does not describe a change to these presumptions. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** The retained sources identify cultivation as an offence but do not give its sentence. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** The Third Amendment, ratified on 6 December 2025, adds the death penalty for bringing more than 350 g of cannabis into the country on entry, and raises the penalty for importing a Schedule 1 drug to 20 years. It takes effect three months after ratification and gazette publication. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Trafficking carries life imprisonment, now defined as the remainder of a person's life with no pardon or commutation. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use of cannabis is an offence of three years. The Drug Court can take a dependent person who pleads guilty to use or peddling and is not charged with trafficking. - **Legal access 0/10.** No legal source. - *Death penalty.* The Third Amendment, ratified on 6 December 2025, provides the death penalty where more than 350 g of cannabis is brought into the country on entry, and only if the full Supreme Court agrees unanimously. It takes effect three months after ratification and gazette publication. - *Commercial production.* Reliable national information about lawful cannabis production was not established by the retained sources. - *Products.* Reliable national information about legally available cannabis products was not established by the retained sources. - *Medical use.* The retained sources do not establish whether a medical cannabis programme operates. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. British travel advice says even small quantities of cannabis can lead to arrest, with long prison sentences, whipping in some cases and the death penalty for the most serious offences. Travellers have been caught carrying controlled drugs in transit, and the advice is to carry none, even if legal in the country of departure. - *Arrests and prisoners.* Police told a press conference in May 2024 that so far that year they had arrested 260 Maldivians and 16 foreigners with drugs in 56 operations, investigated 257 drug cases and sent 95 to the prosecutor general, and seized about 19 kg of drugs. No breakdown by drug was given. - *Other consequences.* The retained sources do not establish collateral consequences beyond the penalties described above. ### Nauru Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 194 of 196. Recreational: Illegal. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/nr/ Unlawful possession carries at least a year in custody; growing, supply and use face much longer prison terms. - **Possession 0/10.** Since 23 December 2024, possessing cannabis without lawful authority carries twelve months to three years in custody. Cannabis, its resin, oil, plants, fruit and seeds appear in the illicit-drug schedule. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Growing cannabis without lawful authority falls under the offence carrying life imprisonment with at least ten years to be served before parole or probation. Cultivation includes planting, sowing, scattering seeds, tending and harvesting. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** The December 2024 amendment requires custody for possession and at least ten years before parole or probation for offences including use, cultivation and supply. Earlier in 2024, a one-gram cannabis case ended with fines, community service and probation for two adults. Bail is barred for people charged under the drug-control law and while appealing a conviction. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Supply includes giving cannabis away. Unlawful supply carries life imprisonment with at least ten years to be served before parole or probation; the same rule covers dealings to transfer or transport illicit drugs. - **Consumption 0/10.** Using or administering an illicit drug without lawful authority is expressly included in the offence carrying life imprisonment with at least ten years to be served before parole or probation. - **Legal access 0/10.** Ordinary cannabis supply is criminalised. The law separately allows possession of drugs prescribed for medical treatment and licensed imports for medicinal purposes, subject to ministerial and Cabinet controls. - *Commercial production.* Producing or manufacturing cannabis without lawful authority carries the same life-imprisonment penalty and ten-year custody requirement as unlawful cultivation and supply. - *Products.* The illicit-drug schedule covers cannabis plants, fruit, seeds, oil, resin and THC. Possession of drugs lawfully prescribed or provided for treating a medical condition is allowed. - *Seeds and clones.* Cannabis seeds and plants are listed as illicit drugs. Cultivation includes planting, sowing and scattering seeds, as well as tending and harvesting. Supplying includes giving, so the ordinary prohibitions cover transferring seeds and living plants. - *Medical use.* Cabinet may issue renewable one-year licences for medicinal drug imports on the minister’s recommendation. Licensees must record imported quantities and how and to whom they are provided; the law also exempts lawfully prescribed or provided drugs for treating a medical condition. - *Cannabis clubs.* Giving cannabis away and cultivating it without lawful authority fall under the serious drug offence, with at least ten years to be served before parole or probation. - *Driving.* Driving under the influence of a drug is an offence under Motor Traffic Act section 69(1). The official Service 6 consolidation retains that drug limb, and section 114 permits arrest without warrant on reasonable cause for a drug-driving contravention. Section 87 allows the court to suspend or cancel a licence and disqualify a convicted driver for a period it considers appropriate. No numeric THC threshold is established by the reviewed traffic provisions: the prescribed concentrations and breath-testing regime concern alcohol. A specific cannabis fine or prison ceiling remains unresolved because section 69(1) refers to section 79, while section 79(1)’s graduated penalties expressly identify the alcohol-specific section 69(2). Those alcohol tariffs should not be presented as verified cannabis penalties. Current drug toxicology and refusal procedures still need confirmation. - *Visitors and foreigners.* The traveller exemption covers lawfully prescribed drugs for a medical condition, sufficient for no more than one month, for the traveller or someone in their care. Travellers entering or transiting must declare them to Customs on arrival. Failure to declare carries up to five years in prison or a fine of A$20,000–50,000. - *Other consequences.* The possession offence requires twelve months to three years in custody. The 2024 amendment also excluded the general sentencing options for fines, discharge, dismissal and other alternative orders from drug offences. The Bail Act also bars bail for drug charges, so custody can begin before conviction. ### Saudi Arabia Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 195 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: None. Reviewed 2026-10-12. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sa/ Prison for possession and use; long terms or death for trafficking. Discretionary flogging ended in 2020, but drug executions resumed in 2022 and continued in hashish cases through 2026. - **Possession 0/10.** Article 41 punishes possessing, buying, receiving or otherwise obtaining cannabis for personal use with six months to two years in prison. There is no exempt personal amount. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cannabis and its seeds are listed as prohibited plants. Unauthorised cultivation is a crime and cultivation connected with supply is treated under the law's trafficking provisions. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Personal users face prison. Article 37 permits death sentences for importing, exporting, manufacturing or receiving drugs for distribution, although a court may reduce the sentence to at least 15 years in prison. Discretionary flogging was abolished in 2020, but executions resumed in 2022 and people were executed for hashish smuggling as recently as July 2026. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Giving cannabis to another person for promotion, even without payment, is treated as dealing. Article 38 provides five to 15 years in prison and a fine; aggravated or repeat trafficking can bring longer imprisonment or death. - **Consumption 0/10.** Use is a crime within Article 41's six-month-to-two-year prison range. A dependent user may be sent to treatment instead, and someone who voluntarily seeks treatment can avoid prosecution if the law's conditions are met. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. Cannabis is a prohibited plant and there is no medical or adult-use supply route. - *Death penalty.* Article 37 permits death sentences for importing, exporting, manufacturing or receiving drugs for distribution, although a court may reduce the sentence to at least 15 years in prison. Executions resumed in 2022, and people were executed for hashish smuggling as recently as July 2026. - *Commercial production.* None. The official schedules prohibit cannabis plants, their fibre and their seeds; there is no licensed cannabis-production programme. - *Products.* Cannabis is controlled under names including hashish and marijuana, and the prohibition extends to every part of the plant. No general hemp or CBD exemption is provided. - *Seeds and clones.* Article 3 of the narcotics law bans growing the listed plants and importing, owning or holding any part of them at any stage of growth, as well as their seeds; anyone who does work needed for seeds or seedlings to grow counts as a grower. Holding or selling seeds with intent to traffic carries five to fifteen years under Article 38. The Interior Minister may license only government bodies and research centres to import and sow seeds. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. The law licenses some medicines containing controlled drugs, but cannabis itself remains on the prohibited-plant schedule rather than a patient-access pathway. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Article 41 of the narcotics law punishes possessing, buying or receiving cannabis for personal use with six months to two years in prison, and no amount is exempt. - *Other consequences.* Foreigners are deported and banned from returning after serving their sentence. ### Singapore Score 0/100 (Severe prohibition), rank 196 of 196. Recreational: Death penalty. Medical: Limited. Reviewed 2026-10-23. Page: https://cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/sg/ Death for trafficking more than 500 g of cannabis, more than 200 g of cannabis resin, or more than 1,000 g of cannabis mixture, with narrow exceptions. Larger possession amounts bring a mandatory prison term and caning. Consumption brings at least one year. Citizens can be prosecuted for use abroad. Cannabinoid pharmaceuticals are approved case by case. - **Possession 0/10.** Cannabis is a Class A controlled drug. Possessing less than 330 g of cannabis, less than 130 g of resin, or less than 660 g of mixture carries up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both. From 330 g to 500 g of cannabis the sentence is at least 10 years and 5 strokes of the cane, and at most 20 years and 10 strokes. More than 500 g is at least 20 years and 10 strokes, and at most 30 years and 15 strokes. Resin uses 130 g and 200 g for those same steps, and mixture uses 660 g and 1,000 g. - **Personal cultivation 0/10.** Cultivating cannabis brings at least three years or a fine of at least S$5,000, and up to 20 years or a fine of S$40,000, or both. - **Punishment & enforcement 0/10.** Trafficking, importing or exporting more than 500 g of cannabis, more than 200 g of cannabis resin, or more than 1,000 g of cannabis mixture is a capital offence, with narrow exceptions for qualifying couriers. From 330 g to 500 g of cannabis the trafficking sentence is at least 20 years and 15 strokes of the cane, and up to 30 years or life and 15 strokes. Cannabis executions have been carried out as recently as April 2026. - **Sharing & gifting 0/10.** Giving cannabis to another person is trafficking, whether or not money changes hands. For under 330 g of cannabis the sentence is at least 5 years and 5 strokes of the cane, and at most 20 years and 15 strokes. The same first band runs to under 130 g of resin and under 660 g of mixture. - **Consumption 0/10.** Consumption is itself a crime, proved by a urine test, with at least one year and up to 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to S$20,000. Police can require a test. Citizens and permanent residents who use cannabis abroad, even where it is legal, are liable as if they had used it in Singapore, and can be tested on return. - **Legal access 0/10.** None. There is no legal source of any kind. - *Death penalty.* Trafficking, importing or exporting more than 500 g of cannabis, more than 200 g of cannabis resin, or more than 1,000 g of cannabis mixture is a capital offence, with narrow exceptions for qualifying couriers. Cannabis executions have been carried out as recently as April 2026. - *Commercial production.* None. No licensed production exists. - *Products.* None. CBD products are also prohibited; a pharmaceutical cannabinoid can be approved for an individual patient. - *Seeds and clones.* The Misuse of Drugs Act defines cannabis as any part of a plant of the genus Cannabis, with no exception for seeds, so seeds and cuttings are controlled drugs like the rest of the plant. - *Medical use.* No medical cannabis programme. In rare cases the health regulator has approved a cannabidiol medicine for a named patient, such as a child with drug-resistant epilepsy. - *Cannabis clubs.* No cannabis clubs are known, and the law leaves no room for them: growing cannabis and supplying it to another person are both prohibited, and the law provides for the death penalty for the most serious drug offences. - *Driving.* The Road Traffic Act makes it an offence to drive while unfit, meaning under the influence of drink, a drug or a psychoactive substance to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle. Unlike for alcohol, no limit is prescribed for drugs. A first offence brings a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 dollars or up to 12 months in prison and at least two years' disqualification; a repeat offence, a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 dollars and up to two years in prison, with at least five years' disqualification. - *Visitors and foreigners.* There is no legal recreational supply for anyone. Possessing less than 330 g of cannabis can bring up to ten years, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both. From 330 g the prison term is mandatory and includes caning. Trafficking more than 200 g of cannabis resin can bring death. - *Other consequences.* Users can be committed to a Drug Rehabilitation Centre and then placed under supervision with regular urine tests. Foreigners are deported after sentence, and a drug record affects employment for life.