Regions continent
Europe
45 countries and 7 territories in Europe. The average score is 18.4 of 100, 5.1 above the world average; Czechia is the freest and Belarus the harshest.
- average score · world 13.3
- 18.4
- countries, and 7 territories
- 45
- people
- 746 million
- legal for adults · 11 with a medical route
- 4
Europe on the map
Each country coloured by its score: red means prison risk, green means free. Select a country for its profile.
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.
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.
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.
Adults may grow four plants from seed per household and use their harvest at home. Small possession elsewhere can bring a €145 warning payment or a criminal fine. There is no legal recreational retail market.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Small personal possession remains an administrative offence, with higher fines from August 2026. Supplying drugs carries prison terms; authorised industrial hemp has a separate route.
Possession for personal use has been a misdemeanour since 2013. The penalty is a fine of €663.61 to €2,654.46, or up to 90 days' detention. Medical cannabis is prescribable since 2015.
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 of up to 5 g is an administrative offence. Medical cannabis became legal in August 2024; the first patients received prescribed capsules on 11 June 2026.
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.
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.
Since February 2023, the Criminal Code expressly excludes possession for personal use from punishment. Drug use still brings a separate misdemeanour fine, and unauthorised production and supply remain criminal. Licensed companies may grow for medical or scientific purposes; domestic patient access remains limited.
Possession of small amounts is punished with a fine.
Possession is fined. After 2022 Supreme Court rulings, people with dependency are generally not punished for small amounts.
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 of any amount has been a criminal offence since 2017; decriminalisation has been repeatedly debated. Cannabinoid medicines are permitted.
Use itself is a criminal offence, typically fined. Medical cannabis is available to a small number of patients.
One of Europe's strictest laws alongside its highest use rates. Since 20 August 2026 ordinary 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.
Personal use is a misdemeanour that is rarely jailed. Medical cannabis was legalised in 2017 and production licences are issued.
Since September 2026, eligible first-time possession cases can receive a health referral. The Medical Cannabis Access Programme covers only a few conditions.
Personal possession, use and growing for one’s own consumption are criminal contraventions usually punishable by a fine. Cannabis-type narcotics at or above 1% THC are controlled; low-THC hemp and exceptional medical access have separate rules.
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.
Licensed medical production is for export, with a separate industrial permit scheme. A small personal dose is exempt from the possession offence; unlicensed growing and supply carry prison terms.
The first-offence small-quantity tier depends on the product: up to 1 g dried cannabis, 5 g undried, 0.1 g hashish or 0.05 g resin/oil/extract. Above the relevant ceiling, or after a repeat warning, criminal penalties can apply.
Personal possession and use remain criminal, normally carrying six months to three years under the statutory scale, with a possible reduction for particularly minor personal cases. Medical cultivation and prescribing have separate authorisation rules.
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.
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 is criminal. A first offence with less than three grams can bring a fine or up to one year in prison.
Personal possession and use can bring six months to three years in prison or a fine. Group use, cultivation, supply and imports face higher statutory penalties; CBD retail products have also been prosecuted.
Possession for personal use carries prison of three months to two years or a fine. Medical access is largely theoretical.
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.
Zero-tolerance model: use itself is criminal and police can compel drug tests.
The administrative tier is product-specific: up to 6 g of marijuana plant material, 2 g of hashish or 0.4 g of cannabis oil. Above the relevant threshold, criminal penalties apply. Drug propaganda is also penalised.
Zero-tolerance policy, toughened further in 2025; diversion is available only for first-time small-quantity offenders.
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.
A high-risk drug: ordinary possession carries one to six years and a fine. Minor cases carry a fine up to €511.29; qualifying first offenders can receive administrative release.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Recreational possession remains criminal, with fines common in small cases and much harsher treatment for imports. Medical cannabis is available privately. Certain CBD preparations have a retail exemption, with an age restriction applying from October 2026.
Cannabis remains a Class B drug. Small possession cases can bring a fine or a drug-education referral; home growing remains criminal. Private medical dispensing expanded beyond a single-pharmacy pilot in 2024.
Cannabis is a Class B drug, but small amounts are usually settled at a Parish Hall enquiry with a written caution or a fine, neither of which appears on the person's criminal record. Private medical prescriptions are unusually common, and the island licenses medical cannabis growers. A decriminalisation debate was put off until after the 2026 election.
Cannabis possession and use remain criminal offences, but eligible people can accept supervised treatment before sentence. Successful completion avoids a sentence and a conviction entry. Growing and supply are excluded from that route, and people who breach its conditions can return to sentencing.
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.
How the 45 countries divide
For adults
- Legal 4Czechia, Germany, Malta, Luxembourg
- Partly legal / tolerated 2Netherlands, Spain
- Decriminalized 13Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Slovenia, Austria…
- Illegal 26Denmark, Iceland, Norway, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Finland…
For patients
- Legal 11Czechia, Germany, Malta, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland…
- Limited 21Spain, Belgium, Austria, Croatia, Estonia, Ukraine…
- None verified 13Moldova, Montenegro, Albania, Latvia, Andorra, Kosovo…
Europe over time
The average score and the share of countries, or of people, in each band, rebuilt from the recorded history.
Cannabis freedom in Europe over time
Europe average score
18.4Restrictive−81.6 since 186018.4Restrictive+3.4 since 201120.4Restrictive−79.6 since 186020.4Restrictive+4.7 since 2011
Countries under prohibition or worse
Countries under prohibition or worse
People under prohibition or worse
People under prohibition or worse
51%23 of 45+51 points since 186051%23 of 45−9 points since 201147%of Europe's people+47 points since 186047%of Europe's people−10 points since 2011
Every country, ranked
The index score from 0 to 100 and its six parts from 0 to 10. Territories follow, unranked.
| # | Country | Score | Adults | Patients | Possession | cultivation | enforcement | Sharing | Consumption | Legal access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1#4 | CzechiaLegal with limits | 44 | Legal | Legal | 6 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 2#5 | GermanyLegal with limits | 44 | Legal | Legal | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 3#6 | MaltaLegal with limits | 41 | Legal | Legal | 4 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 4#13 | LuxembourgTolerant | 37 | Legal | Legal | 4 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 5#14 | NetherlandsTolerant | 37 | Partly legal / tolerated | Legal | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 6#18 | SpainTolerant | 31 | Partly legal / tolerated | Limited | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 7#19 | SwitzerlandTolerant | 30 | Decriminalized | Legal | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 8#24 | ItalyTolerant | 26 | Decriminalized | Legal | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 9#26 | PortugalTolerant | 25 | Decriminalized | Legal | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 10#27 | BelgiumRestrictive | 25 | Decriminalized | Limited | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 11#31 | SloveniaRestrictive | 23 | Decriminalized | Legal | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 12#34 | AustriaRestrictive | 22 | Decriminalized | Limited | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 13#39 | MoldovaRestrictive | 21 | Decriminalized | None verified | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 14#40 | CroatiaRestrictive | 20 | Decriminalized | Limited | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 15#41 | EstoniaRestrictive | 20 | Decriminalized | Limited | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 16#42 | UkraineRestrictive | 20 | Decriminalized | Limited | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 17#43 | DenmarkRestrictive | 20 | Illegal | Legal | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 18#45 | MontenegroRestrictive | 18 | Decriminalized | None verified | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 19#49 | North MacedoniaRestrictive | 17 | Decriminalized | Limited | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 20#51 | IcelandRestrictive | 17 | Illegal | Limited | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 21#52 | NorwayRestrictive | 17 | Illegal | Limited | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 22#57 | United KingdomRestrictive | 15 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 23#58 | LithuaniaProhibition | 15 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 24#59 | FinlandProhibition | 14 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 25#60 | FranceProhibition | 14 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 26#61 | GreeceProhibition | 14 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 27#62 | IrelandProhibition | 14 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 28#63 | LiechtensteinProhibition | 14 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 29#64 | PolandProhibition | 14 | Illegal | Legal | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 30#65 | AlbaniaProhibition | 14 | Illegal | None verified | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 31#68 | LatviaProhibition | 14 | Decriminalized | None verified | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 32#76 | San MarinoProhibition | 12 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 33#78 | AndorraProhibition | 11 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 34#81 | Bosnia and HerzegovinaProhibition | 11 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 35#86 | KosovoProhibition | 11 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 36#91 | MonacoProhibition | 11 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 37#94 | RomaniaProhibition | 11 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 38#95 | SlovakiaProhibition | 11 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 39#97 | SwedenProhibition | 11 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 40#101 | RussiaProhibition | 11 | Illegal | None verified | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 41#105 | HungaryProhibition | 10 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 42#141 | SerbiaProhibition | 9 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 43#143 | BulgariaProhibition | 8 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 44#151 | CyprusProhibition | 6 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 45#158 | BelarusSevere prohibition | 5 | Illegal | None verified | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – | Faroe IslandsSelf-governing territory | 12 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| – | GibraltarBritish Overseas Territory | 12 | Illegal | Limited | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| – | GuernseyCrown Dependency | 13 | Illegal | Legal | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| – | Isle of ManCrown Dependency | 13 | Illegal | Legal | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| – | JerseyCrown Dependency | 19 | Illegal | Legal | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| – | Northern Cyprusdisputed territory | 8 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| – | Transnistriadisputed territory | 13 | Illegal | None verified | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The second number under the rank is the country's place worldwide, of 196.
Latest in Europe
The newest entries in the history. All history →
- 21 October 2026
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- October 2026
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