Legality of cannabis: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Tags: Reverted Mobile edit Mobile web edit

Line 23:

The use of [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] for recreational purposes is prohibited in most countries; however, many have adopted a policy of [[decriminalization]] to make simple possession a non-criminal offense (often similar to a minor traffic violation). Others have much more severe penalties such as some Asian and Middle Eastern countries where possession of even small amounts is punished by imprisonment for several years.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=Burgess |title=The 7 Countries with the Strictest Weed Laws |url=https://hightimes.com/guides/countries-strictest-weed-laws/ |access-date=21 July 2018 |work=[[High Times]] |date=24 February 2018 |archive-date=26 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126132111/https://hightimes.com/guides/countries-strictest-weed-laws/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Countries that have legalized recreational use of cannabis are [[Cannabis in Canada|Canada]], [[Cannabis in Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Cannabis in Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], [[Cannabis in Malta|Malta]], [[Cannabis in Mexico|Mexico]], [[Cannabis in South Africa|South Africa]], [[Cannabis in Thailand|Thailand]], and [[Cannabis in Uruguay|Uruguay]], plus 23 states, 3 territories, and the [[Cannabis in Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]] in the [[Cannabis in the United States|United States]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]] in [[Cannabis in Australia|Australia]]. Commercial sale of recreational cannabis is legalized nationwide in three countries (Canada, Thailand, and Uruguay) and in all subnational U.S. jurisdictions that have legalized possession except Virginia and Washington, D.C. A policy of limited enforcement has also been adopted in many countries, in particular the [[Cannabis in the Netherlands|Netherlands]] where the sale of cannabis is tolerated at [[Coffeeshop (Netherlands)|licensed coffeeshops]].<ref name="coffeeshops">{{cite news |last1=Haines |first1=Gavin |title=Everything you need to know about marijuana smoking in the Netherlands |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-smoking-marijuana-in-the-netherlands/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-smoking-marijuana-in-the-netherlands/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=22 July 2018 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=21 February 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Countries that have legalized medical use of cannabis include [[Cannabis in Bharat|Bharat],[[Cannabis in Albania|Albania]], [[Cannabis in Argentina|Argentina]], [[Cannabis in Australia|Australia]], [[Cannabis in Barbados|Barbados]], [[Cannabis in Brazil|Brazil]], [[Cannabis in Canada|Canada]], [[Cannabis in Chile|Chile]], [[Cannabis in Colombia|Colombia]], [[Cannabis in Costa Rica|Costa Rica]], [[Cannabis in Croatia|Croatia]], [[Cannabis in Cyprus|Cyprus]], [[Cannabis in the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], [[Cannabis in Denmark|Denmark]], [[Cannabis in Ecuador|Ecuador]], [[Cannabis in Finland|Finland]], [[Cannabis in Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Cannabis in Germany|Germany]], [[Cannabis in Greece|Greece]], [[Cannabis in Ireland|Ireland]], [[Cannabis in Israel|Israel]], [[Cannabis in Italy|Italy]], [[Cannabis in Jamaica|Jamaica]], [[Cannabis in Lebanon|Lebanon]], [[Cannabis in Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], [[Cannabis in Malawi|Malawi]], [[Cannabis in Malta|Malta]], [[Cannabis in Mexico|Mexico]], [[Cannabis in the Netherlands|the Netherlands]], [[Cannabis in New Zealand|New Zealand]], [[Cannabis in North Macedonia|North Macedonia]], [[Cannabis in Norway|Norway]], [[Cannabis in Panama|Panama]], [[Cannabis in Peru|Peru]], [[Cannabis in Poland|Poland]], [[Cannabis in Portugal|Portugal]], [[Cannabis in Rwanda|Rwanda]], [[Cannabis in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]], [[Cannabis in San Marino|San Marino]], [[Cannabis in South Africa|South Africa]], [[Cannabis in Spain|Spain]], [[Cannabis in Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]], [[Cannabis in Switzerland|Switzerland]], [[Cannabis in Thailand|Thailand]], the [[Cannabis in the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]], [[Cannabis in Uruguay|Uruguay]], [[Cannabis in Vanuatu|Vanuatu]], [[Cannabis in Zambia|Zambia]], and [[Cannabis in Zimbabwe|Zimbabwe]]. Others have more restrictive laws that allow only the use of certain cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals, such as [[Sativex]], [[Marinol]], or [[Epidiolex]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ruddick |first1=Graham |title=GW signs Sativex cannabis-based drug deal with Novartis |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/8443914/GW-signs-Sativex-cannabis-based-drug-deal-with-Novartis.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/8443914/GW-signs-Sativex-cannabis-based-drug-deal-with-Novartis.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=17 October 2018|date=11 April 2011 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> In the United States, 38 states, 4 territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of cannabis, but at the federal level its use remains prohibited.<ref name="ncsl">{{cite web|title=State Medical Marijuana Laws|url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx|website=National Conference of State Legislatures|date=5 March 2019|access-date=26 March 2019|archive-date=11 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211125951/http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Legalization timeline==