Where is use of cannabis legal?

We recently informed you that Malta is the first country in the European Union where is use of cannabis legal for all purposes.

The move puts Malta ahead of Luxembourg, which has also approved the legalisation of marijuana but has not yet enacted laws. It should also be added that the new coalition in Germany is seeking to approve the consumption of cannabis in certain places.

So where and under what conditions is cannabis legal?

Personal use of cannabis.

Europe

Every country in the European Union has a degree of tolerance regarding cannabis use, but until recently, cannabis was not legal in any European country.

Cannabis is still illegal in the following countries, but you will not go to jail for possessing small amounts of cannabis for personal use.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain

You will be familiar with the famous coffee shops in the Netherlands. These are not directly legal, but the government there tolerates it if the shop meets certain conditions. In addition, the owners of these “coffee shops” regularly pay taxes.

If, for example, a person is caught growing less than five plants, or has a small amount of marijuana in their possession, this rarely leads to any prosecution.

Another country on the road to legalisation could be Portugal, which decriminalised all illicit drugs in 2000 because of the heroin crisis. People who are caught with any drug are sent to a “deterrent commission” and can be fined.

Overseas states

The first country to legalize was Uruguay in 2013. It was not without complications, however, as some dispensaries found themselves in the crosshairs of US banks, through legislation.

The next country was Canada, where legalization came in 2018. Canada did so mainly to boost the economy and eliminate the black market for cannabis. However, the interest was so high that many times they were not even able to meet the demand. There was also talk that many customers would prefer to buy from the black market, where the quality is much better and the price much lower.

USA

To date, there are 18 states where recreational use of marijuana is legal or on its way to being legalised.

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado. Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachussetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada. New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Vermont, Washington.

Medical use of marijuana

As for medical cannabis, it was approved in California twenty years ago. In other European countries, medical marijuana is already quite common. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the CBD variety, but also the THC variant, for which you need a doctor’s prescription. Cannabis with THC is usually prescribed for people with a serious illness.

In these European countries you can buy cannabis, or products from the plant, for medical purposes.

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (you must be examined), Estonia (must be authorised), Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland.

Outside Europe, medical cannabis is authorised in New Zealand, Australia, Jamaica, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Israel, Lebanon, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Rwanda, St Vincent, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The first African country to legalize medical marijuana was Lesotho in 2017, however recreational marijuana is still illegal there.

The issue of legalizing medicinal cannabis was also addressed by Greece, as it was meant to boost the economy there and help the country cope with the crisis. Then in 2017, a change was made and Greece officially legalised cannabis for medical purposes. Moreover, the patrons there are interested in expanding cultivation and investing quite a large amount to bring medical cannabis to as many people as possible. This is somewhat hindered by the Greek Minister of Agriculture, who thinks that people might abuse it and smoke recreational marijuana instead of medicinal. He favours only Sativex, which is an approved medicinal extract.

Here’s a brief summary of what that looks like. The issue of cannabis legalization is being addressed by far more states now than it was years ago. Which is a good thing, as pharmaceuticals often may not succeed where cannabis clearly leads. Check out our models from Nukaseeds, which would help in many ways.

How do you feel about legalization?