Cannabis

Cannabis (listed as 'Marihuana') and tetrahydrocannabinols are Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act,¹⁴² meaning federally illegal to cultivate, buy, possess, or distribute. Paradoxically, synthetic THC (dronabinol/Marinol) is Schedule III with approved medical use. Simple possession of small amounts is almost never prosecuted federally. Multiple states have legalized recreational and medical use in contradiction of federal law. Industrial hemp containing no more than 0.3% THC is legal under the 2018 Farm Bill.¹⁴³

Current official Justice guidance confirms that possession and cultivation remain offenses. Adult personal-use possession of no more than 3 grams or one cultivated plant has low prosecution priority subject to personal-use, no-aggravating-circumstances and no-public-order-disturbance conditions. Police prepare a simplified report and the King's prosecutor may prosecute with reasons; the guidance does not state that reports are anonymous or that the state typically does not prosecute. The current Royal Decree states that cannabis cultivation is prohibited and cannot be authorized, except cultivation under the EU Common Agricultural Policy conditions. The AFMPS Annex IA schedule aid is expressly non-official; AFMPS says only annexes and amendments published in the Moniteur belge have official legal value. AFMPS's current working consolidation identifies cannabis in Annex IA, while the current Justel text sets out the legal framework. Low-THC industrial hemp (inflorescence/plant THC at or below 0.3%) is a distinct, regulated agricultural category and is not a general recreational-cannabis authorization.

Bulgaria's classification regulation places cannabis (and cannabis resin/products named as hashish and hashish oil) and tetrahydrocannabinol in List I. The Narcotic Substances and Precursors Control Act prohibits sowing and growing cannabis (Article 27), obtaining hemp/hashish/hashish oil (Article 28), and production, processing, trade, storage, import/export, transit, transport, offering, acquisition, use and possession of List I plants, substances and preparations (Article 30). Limited quantities may be authorized for medical, scientific, laboratory-research and educational purposes (Articles 31 and 73). A narrow industrial-hemp regime is separate: the Agriculture Ministry's current service describes permitted cultivation under 0.3% THC for fiber, feed/food seed and sowing seed, only after a ministerial permit and with continuing sampling/reporting duties. Article 29 of the official consolidated Act uses older under-0.2% wording, while the later Agriculture Ministry regulation/service uses under 0.3%; the >0.2% THC threshold is therefore not a universal current rule. Neither regime legalizes recreational cannabis, cannabis possession, or cannabis sales.

As of 27 August 2026, cannabis and its processed products (hashish, marijuana, resin, extracts and tinctures) are expressly in Estonia's Schedule I, while qualifying EU-catalogue agricultural varieties at no more than 0.3% THC are excluded from the narcotic definition. Handling of listed narcotics is prohibited except the NPAS medical, scientific, crime-prevention and statutory teaching purposes; NPAS separately prohibits growing cannabis for making a narcotic. Qualifying industrial hemp may be grown for agricultural purposes, and compliant seed marketing/import is regulated rather than subject to a blanket prohibition. Seed import is conditional and subject to certification, and Cannabis sativa is listed as a certifiable oil/fibre crop. This does not legalize psychoactive cannabis, marijuana, resin, extracts or tinctures. Small-quantity non-prescription use, acquisition or possession is punishable as an offence under NPAS § 15¹ (up to 300 fine units or detention), which is not a legalization or retail route. Estonia has no blanket prescription or recreational market exception.

Cannabis is controlled, and Article 29 separately criminalizes personal-use procurement, possession, use and cannabis cultivation; medicinal final products are a statutory Table D exception subject to EOF approval and prescription controls. Law 5302/2026, effective on publication under Article 101, raised the low-THC threshold in Article 1(3) to 0.3%, expressly prohibited consumer retail/purchase/use of dry flower at or below that threshold, and created a licensed/registered retail channel for defined non-flower products. Cannabis-derived products, cannabinoids, food, cosmetics and supplements do not necessarily have the same status; composition, product authorization, licence and intended use remain material.

Possession, cultivation, sale, and import are forbidden under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.⁵⁵ Any offense is punishable by a fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment for up to 15 years.citation needed

The statutory position is not an unqualified ban on every cannabis-related product: the NDPS definition excludes unaccompanied leaves/seeds, section 10 allows State rules for cannabis excluding charas, and section 14 permits government-authorized industrial fibre/seed or horticultural cultivation. Variable enforcement does not create a legal exception.

The current Ministry procedure expressly prohibits use unless a lawful license or prescription applies. The medical pathway is controlled and does not legalize recreational possession, cultivation, sale, or other non-authorized activity. Procedure 106 identifies cannabis as a dangerous drug and says it is not a registered medicine.

Cannabis is prohibited under the Cannabis Control Act.⁷⁰ Penalties for possession, cultivation, and distribution are severe.citation needed

As of 2026-08-27, cannabis oil and hashish are treated as Class B substances, while cannabis seed and cannabis plant are listed separately as Class C substances. Ordinary use, possession, cultivation and supply remain offences, while a narrow prescription medicinal-cannabis pathway exists. The 2020 cannabis legalisation referendum does not determine this status. The legal status of a particular product may depend on its exact composition, whether it is prescribed or licensed, and any applicable statutory exemption.

Article 2 of the Drug Management Law makes the legal definition depend on Appendices 1 and 2, and Appendix 1 expressly lists both 대마 and 대마수지. Article 35 prohibits citizens from possessing narcotic drugs, except that a patient may hold a limited amount supplied by a medical-preventive institution with the relevant health-authority approval. Articles 39–41 require authorization for use and restrict citizen medical use to diagnosis and prescription by medical institutions; Article 49 limits use to prescribed purposes and prohibits unapproved transfer or sale. The 2021 Anti-Drug Crime Prevention Act separately prohibits illegal storage and use of drugs (Article 11(7)); its Article 29 sends illegal use to the Criminal Law, where Article 238 provides labour-training punishment for illegal use and Article 236 provides labour-training punishment for illegal storage, with escalated terms for serious or large-quantity cases. These narrow medical and authorized institutional exceptions do not establish recreational legality or a tolerance rule. The law does not provide a dispensary, adult-use, or general non-prosecution exception for cannabis.

The current official penalty provisions set maximum sanctions, not a fixed cannabis possession fine. The Narkotikalisten expressly marks cannabis plant material, cannabis resin and THC as prohibited under narcotics regulation § 5. Section 5 allows the department to make medical or scientific exceptions, and the Medicines Act allows narcotics supply only for medical or scientific use; this is not a recreational or general cultivation/sale exception. Current prescribing rules create a controlled medical pathway: all doctors with prescription-group-A authority may prescribe approved or Norwegian-marketed cannabis medicines; they may also prescribe unapproved cannabis medicines with THC under 1%, while an authorized specialist employed in public health or a private hospital may prescribe unapproved products with THC over 1%, subject to journal documentation, DMP approval-exemption application and patient monitoring. DMP identifies approved Sativex and Epidyolex and states that unregistered products require approval exemption; products over 1% THC are strictly regulated and all other cannabis use is experimental treatment. The regulation uses ‘under 1%’ and ‘over 1%’; DMP guidance says ‘up to 1%’ and ‘over 1%’, so these sources do not resolve treatment of an exactly 1.00% product. Outside lawful access, Medicines Act § 24 prohibits possession or use without lawful access. Section 31 sets a fine or imprisonment up to six months for possession/use of narcotics. Unlawful manufacture, import, export, acquisition, possession, sending or transfer can also fall under Penal Code § 231 (fine or imprisonment up to 2 years; negligent offence up to 1 year), and aggravated offences under § 232 carry up to 10 years, or 3–15 years for a very significant quantity and exceptionally up to 21 years; negligent aggravated offences carry up to 6 years.

Federal CNSA sections 4–8 prohibit cultivation, possession, production, sale, transport, import/export and trafficking, subject to statutory medical, scientific or industrial authorization. Section 9, substituted in 2022, gives substance- and quantity-specific penalties: bhang up to 999 g carries six months to three years and a fine up to Rs. 10,000, rising to at least 14 years (potentially life) and at least Rs. 200,000 at 20,000 g or more; charas up to 499 g carries 10 months to five years and a fine up to Rs. 40,000, rising to at least 20 years (potentially life) and at least Rs. 800,000 at 10,000 g or more; hashish oil/liquid hashish has its own table, from 14 months to seven years at up to 499 g to at least 20 years (potentially life) at 5,000 g or more, with the specified fines. Cultivation under section 4 is punishable under section 5 by imprisonment up to seven years, with the 2022 amendment imposing a minimum one-year term and a fine. The 2024 Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Act creates a licensing route for cultivation, production, manufacturing and product development/sale, including medicinal, industrial and other permitted public uses, but does not create a general recreational-use market: section 20 requires an Authority licence, section 25 applies the CNSA to criminal offences under the Act, section 26 sets administrative fines, and section 34 preserves CNSA and Anti-Narcotics Force powers. The 2026 amendment changes only the appointing reference in section 7(4) from Federal Government to Prime Minister and does not alter the licensing or prohibition rules. Provincial enforcement practice may vary, but federal law provides no provincial exception for recreational cannabis.

Poland prohibits non-medical possession, cultivation and supply of non-fiber cannabis, subject to tightly controlled medical, research and industrial channels. Article 62(1) punishes unlawful possession of a narcotic drug by up to three years' imprisonment; a significant quantity carries one to ten years (Article 62(2)); a lesser case carries a fine, restriction of liberty or up to one year (Article 62(3)). Article 62a permits discretionary discontinuance where the amount is insignificant, intended for the offender's own use, and punishment would be pointless in light of the circumstances and social harm; this is not legalization or a safe quantity threshold. Article 63(1) punishes unauthorized cultivation of cannabis (other than fiber hemp) by up to three years, rising to six months through eight years where the cultivation could produce a significant quantity; collecting non-fiber cannabis herb or resin is also covered by Article 63(2). Article 53 punishes unlawful production, processing or conversion of a narcotic drug by up to three years, and significant quantity or profit-motivated conduct by three to twenty years. Article 56 punishes unlawful market introduction or participation by six months to eight years, with lesser-weight and significant-quantity bands; Articles 58-59 separately cover giving or facilitating use and profit-motivated supply. The I-N classification permits use only for medical, industrial or research purposes (Article 33(1)). Article 33a permits non-fiber cannabis herb, pharmaceutical tinctures/extracts and resin to be pharmaceutical raw material for compounded medicines only after a marketing authorization from the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products. Article 49a permits cultivation and harvest of non-fiber cannabis for that pharmaceutical raw material only by a qualifying agricultural-ministry-supervised research institute after a Chief Pharmaceutical Inspector permit. Fiber hemp is not a general recreational exception: Article 4(5) sets the combined THC/THCA ceiling at 0.3%, Article 45(3) limits cultivation to enumerated textile, chemical, pulp/paper, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, energy, seed, research, breeding, food, veterinary, feed, beekeeping, fertilizer, insulation, composite, construction and plant-protection purposes, and Article 47a(2) requires registration; own-purpose cultivation under Article 45(6) is limited to one hectare annually for the listed purposes. Article 65 makes cultivation or purchase of fiber hemp contrary to the Act a fine. The schedule expressly excludes seeds from the statutory definition of non-fiber cannabis herb, but no independent general legality rule for cannabis seeds is stated. The latest schedule amendment, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 934, published 13 July 2026 and effective after 14 days, changes specified THC/HHC and other entries but does not amend the Annex 2 I-N cannabis herb item 113 or resin item 188; the current codified Act records itself as based on Dz.U. 2023 poz. 1939 and Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1004.

Under current official consolidated Law No. 143/2000, risk drugs are those in Table III, and Article 2(1) covers without-right cultivation, production, manufacture, extraction, preparation, transformation, offering, sale, distribution, delivery, sending, transport, procurement, purchase, possession and other circulation operations involving risk drugs. Article 4(1) separately covers cultivation, production, manufacture, extraction, preparation, transformation, purchase or possession of a risk drug for personal consumption without right, with imprisonment from 3 months to 2 years or a fine. Article 3(1) provides 5-15 years for unauthorized introduction into or removal from Romania and import/export of risk drugs. Article 22(1) prohibits consumption of nationally controlled drugs without a medical prescription. This is not recreational decriminalization. A narrow lawful medical route exists under Law No. 339/2005: cannabis is in Table II, whose heading describes medical-interest substances under strict control; operations with Tables II-III are permitted only as authorized, and Article 37 requires medical prescriptions while Article 38(1) limits prescribing to pharmaceutical preparations. Article 40 prohibits possession of scheduled plants, substances and preparations for any purpose unless authorized. The same law defines cannabis as the flowering or fruiting tops of Cannabis indica, excluding seeds and unaccompanied leaves, but defines the cannabis plant as all species of the Cannabis genus; Article 12 allows authorized cultivation for technical, medical, scientific, industrial, food or seed purposes and regulates seed suppliers and authorized cultivators. Standalone seeds are not simply legal under these provisions: they are excluded from the statutory cannabis definition, but seed supply and cultivation remain subject to authorization rules. THC itself is separately treated more strictly in Law No. 339/2005 Table I, so a product's exact identity and formulation matter.

The current schedule places cannabis/marijuana in List I, whose heading says circulation is prohibited. Federal Law No. 3-FZ Article 14(1) allows List I turnover only for the statute's specified purposes, not general consumer, recreational or ordinary prescription access; Article 14(4) separately prohibits narcotic and psychotropic analogues. Article 40 prohibits consumption without a doctor's prescription. Resolution No. 1002's current plant-and-plant-part table states values in grams over the threshold: Cannabis (plant of the genus Cannabis) 6 significant, 100 large and 100,000 especially large; hashish/cannabis resin 2, 25 and 10,000; cannabis/hashish oil 0.4, 5 and 1,000. The same table says quantity is determined after drying to constant mass at +110 to +115 °C and that plant thresholds correspond to their drug-containing parts. Industrial hemp is a narrow regulated carve-out: Resolution No. 101 permits registered varieties for industrial purposes unrelated to drug production, with THC not exceeding 0.1% in the dry mass of leaves and inflorescences of the upper plant parts and specified seed-reproduction restrictions; this does not legalize marijuana, recreational use or general cannabis turnover. Unauthorized possession, acquisition, transport, manufacture or processing without intent to supply is criminal under Article 228 when the significant threshold is exceeded (up to 3 years at significant size, 3–10 years at large size, 10–15 years at especially large size, with listed alternative/additional sanctions). Article 228.1 makes production, supply or forwarding criminal independently of amount under part 1 (4–8 years), with 5–12 years for the specified venue/network circumstances, 8–15 years at significant size, 10–20 years at large size, and 15–20 years or life imprisonment at especially large size. Article 231 criminalizes illegal cultivation in large or especially large size (up to 2 years for large; up to 8 years for qualifying group or especially large cases). Article 229.1 imposes 3–7 years for basic cross-border smuggling, 5–10 years at significant size, 10–20 years at large size, and 15–20 years or life imprisonment at especially large size. Where unauthorized possession/acquisition/transport of cannabis or its parts without intent to supply does not constitute a crime, Article 6.8 provides a 4,000–5,000-ruble fine or up to 15 days' administrative arrest, with foreign nationals additionally subject to removal. Article 6.9 applies the same fine/arrest range to non-prescribed consumption (and removal for foreign nationals); Article 10.5.1 applies to illegal cultivation not amounting to a crime, with a 3,000–5,000-ruble fine or up to 15 days' arrest for individuals and 100,000–300,000 rubles for legal entities. Exact liability depends on substance form, measured dry mass, conduct, intent, plant count/qualification and aggravating circumstances.

Cannabis is a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.¹³¹ Cultivation, sale, and possession are illegal with severe penalties including lengthy imprisonment.citation needed

Article 368 prohibits cultivation, trafficking, facilitation, and possession for those purposes.

Cannabis is subject to narcotics control in Sweden, and possession, use, handling, and transfer-related offences are unlawful; seeds are excluded. The current Penal Act does not list the legacy 50 g/2.5 kg penalty bands.

Under Taiwan's Ministry of Justice statutory text, cannabis is classified as Category Two (第二級), and possession is subject to penalties. The statutory category name is Category Two (第二級), not Schedule 2.

Cannabis, cannabis resin, cannabis oil, and cannabinol derivatives are Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and sit in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, so possession, supply, production, and cultivation are criminal offences with no general lawful use. Cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans (CBPMs) were moved to Schedule 2 in November 2018, allowing prescription by specialist doctors; the licensed medicines Sativex (Schedule 4 Part 1) and Epidyolex (Schedule 5) are scheduled separately.

Cannabis laws vary by state. Decriminalized in Western Australia and South Australia. Tasmania, Victoria, and Queensland have ticketing policies for amounts below 50 grams. The federal government approved medical cannabis under strict government license in 2016.¹⁷

Cannabis (hennep) — every part of the Cannabis plant from which the resin has not been extracted, excluding the seeds — together with cannabis resin (hasjiesj) and hemp oil is controlled on List II of the Opiumwet, so cultivation, trafficking, and possession remain offences. The Act's penalty provisions expressly carve out quantities of hennep or hasjiesj up to 30 grams from the higher custodial penalties (Article 11), the statutory footing beneath the Dutch prosecutorial tolerance policy (gedoogbeleid) toward small-quantity possession and licensed coffeeshop sale. The Minister holds exclusive authority over lawful cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes, and medical cannabis is dispensed through pharmacies under that regime.

Cannabis possession is legal for residents aged 18 and older. Uruguay was one of the first countries in the world to fully legalize cannabis in 2013,¹⁴⁴ with implementation of regulations beginning in 2015. Buyers must register with the government.citation needed

Cannabis remains controlled and illegal, but the Supreme Court ruled in August 2009 that prosecution of private use is unconstitutional.¹⁶ Small amounts for personal possession are decriminalized.citation needed

STF RE 635659 decriminalized personal cannabis possession and established the 40-gram or six-female-plant parameter. The presumption is relative and does not legalize possession, cultivation, sale or distribution: cannabis may be seized and trafficking indicators can override the presumption. The Anvisa List E baseline prohibits import, export, commerce, manipulation and use, and controls substances obtained from Cannabis; explicit exceptions include tightly regulated medicinal/veterinary products, registered medicines, personal import under RDC 660, authorized institutional cultivation/research, and qualifying low-THC plant material shifted to Lista C1 or A3 controls. The 0.3% plant threshold is not the 0.2% finished-product prescription threshold. Exact status of a particular extract, isolate, finished product or synthetic cannabinoid remains product-, composition-, authorization- and purpose-specific.

Recreational cannabis is legal nationwide under the Cannabis Act (S.C. 2018, c. 16), in force since 17 October 2018 and last amended 26 March 2026. Adults may possess in public up to the equivalent of 30 grams of dried cannabis; possession above that equivalent, distribution outside the licensing regime, and sale to young persons remain criminal offences, and home cultivation is capped at four plants per dwelling-house. Production, distribution, and retail operate under federal licences and the Cannabis Regulations (SOR/2018-144); medical access continues under Part 14 of those regulations.

Act No. 270/2025 Coll. took effect. The reform does not create a general commercial cannabis market: the personal-use exceptions are quantity-, age-, purpose- and property-limited, while supply to another remains criminal. The official statute expressly removes the permit requirement for the stated personal cultivation and possession. The provisions do not establish that every form of consumption is affirmatively authorized; they describe possession and cultivation permissions rather than an unrestricted right to use.

Cannabis for adult personal use is regulated by the Konsumcannabisgesetz (KCanG), which removed consumer cannabis from the narcotics act regime on 1 April 2024. Under § 3 KCanG, adults (18+) may possess up to 25 grams of dried cannabis for personal consumption in public and, at their residence, up to 50 grams total plus up to three living cannabis plants; private home cultivation (§ 9) and non-commercial cultivation associations with a permit (§ 11) are the lawful supply routes. Consumption bans near schools and playgrounds (§ 5), advertising and sponsoring bans (§ 6), and criminal penalties for possession or supply outside these limits (§ 34) remain; commercial retail sale is not authorized. Medical cannabis is governed separately by the Medizinal-Cannabisgesetz.

Personal use is decriminalized, but a fixed under-5-gram threshold is not stated by current Article 75. Article 75 instead directs authorities to assess exclusively personal use by reference to the maximum quantity limits set by a ministerial decree, presentation/packaging and other circumstances; it then applies administrative sanctions, including suspension of driving licence, firearms licence and passport. Cannabis is expressly assigned to Table II by Article 14. Article 73 Article 1-bis covers illicit acquisition/receipt/possession that appears intended for an use other than exclusively personal, while Article 73 also criminalizes unauthorized cultivation, production, sale, offering, transfer, distribution, trade and transport. The 2015 Ministry decree confirms a controlled medical route: cannabis-origin medicinal products are in the medicines table Section B and can be prescribed with a non-repeatable prescription (subject to AIFA conditions), and the Ministry authorizes cultivation and controls national production quotas. Since April 2025, Article 18 of Decree-Law 48/2025 excludes hemp inflorescences and products containing them from the industrial-hemp safe-harbour and prohibits their import, possession, transfer, processing, distribution, commerce, transport and delivery, applying Title VIII sanctions; this is a separate low-THC/hemp-inflorescence rule and does not create recreational legalization. The constitutional-court materials were referral ordinances, not a final invalidation; the enacted Article 18 rule remains operative.

Possession is decriminalized for amounts up to two ounces.⁶⁹ Smoking is permitted where cigarette smoking is allowed. Cultivation for personal use is legal, and medical use has been approved. Sale for recreational use remains technically prohibited but is widely ignored, with cannabis sold openly in many markets.citation needed

The Cap. 101 text controls raw cannabis and its resin, and its Third Schedule is a precursor list rather than a cannabis schedule. Malta provides explicit, limited decriminalization/tolerance for adult personal possession and home cultivation, plus a closed member-only association regime. Up to 7g for personal use is exempt in the statutory circumstances; 7–28g for personal use is handled through a Commissioner for Justice and a €50–€100 penalty range, not a general retail permission. Home cultivation is limited to four plants and 50g dried cannabis at the adult resident’s officially registered residence and subject to visibility, nuisance and minor-safety conditions. CHRAs are not retail shops: only permitted non-profit associations may cultivate/distribute to adult Malta-resident members, with quantity, packaging, testing, premises and transport controls. The medicinal pathway is separate, named-patient and prescription-based; article 10 bars indication for smoking and urgent prescriptions. Cap. 101’s 0.2% psychoactive-cannabinoid threshold is not a blanket permission for CBD-labelled products, and synthetic cannabinoids/products are expressly prohibited. As of 2026-08-27, exact composition, form, authorization, residence, permit, prescription and Authority conditions control.

A 2009 law decriminalized possession of small quantities of cannabis (up to 5 grams), which are not prosecuted as crimes.⁸⁸

Under Article 299 of the Peruvian penal code, personal possession of up to 8 grams of cannabis is not a criminal offense.¹⁰⁹

Personal use was decriminalized by Law 30/2000, effective July 2001.¹¹⁴ Possession of less than 25 grams of leaves and flowering tops, 5 grams of resin, 2.5 grams of oil, or 500mg THC is not a criminal offense, though substances may be seized and possessors referred to mandatory treatment.citation needed

Since 2011, cannabis products containing less than 1% THC are not considered controlled substances.¹³⁷ Products exceeding 1% THC are controlled; possession of 10 grams or more, or sale, may result in heavier fines or imprisonment.citation needed