The legal status of cannabis varies by country, depending on whether it is allowed for medical, recreational, or both purposes. According to the information I found from the web, here are some of the main categories of cannabis legality around the world:

– **Legal for both medical and recreational use**: These countries have fully legalized cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes, with production and sales regulated by the government. They include Canada, Uruguay, Thailand, Malta, and some states and territories in the United States and Australia. ¹²⁴

– **Legal for medical use only**: These countries have legalized cannabis for medical use only, with strict regulations on who can access it, how it can be consumed, and what medical conditions it can be used for. They include Albania, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, South Africa (private use also decriminalized), Spain (private use also decriminalized), Sri Lanka (only Ayurvedic preparations), Switzerland (recreational use also decriminalized), the United Kingdom (only certain cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals), Uruguay (recreational use also legal), Vanuatu (only traditional use), Zambia (only hemp), and Zimbabwe. ¹²⁴

– **Decriminalized for personal use**: These countries have decriminalized cannabis for personal use only. This means that possession of small amounts of cannabis is not a criminal offense but may still be subject to fines or other administrative sanctions. They include Belgium (only adults), Bolivia (only traditional use), Cambodia (only traditional use), Estonia (only in small amounts), France (only in small amounts), India (only in some states and for religious purposes), Iran (only in small amounts), Jamaica (medical use also legal), Mexico (recreational and medical use also legal), Moldova (only in small amounts), Nepal (only during certain festivals), Paraguay (only in small amounts), Portugal (medical use also legal), Russia (only in small amounts), Slovenia (only in small amounts), South Africa (medical and private use also legal), Spain (medical and private use also legal), Switzerland (medical use also legal), Ukraine (only in small amounts) and Vietnam (only in small amounts). ¹²⁴

– **Illegal but often unenforced**: These countries have laws that prohibit cannabis use but do not enforce them strictly or consistently. They include Bangladesh (only for religious purposes), Ethiopia (only for religious purposes), Ghana (only for religious purposes), Laos (only for traditional purposes), Morocco (only for traditional purposes) and Pakistan (only for religious purposes). ¹²⁴

– **Illegal and strictly enforced**: These countries have laws that prohibit cannabis use and enforce them harshly. They include Afghanistan, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, China, Egypt,

Indonesia,

Iraq,

Japan,

Jordan,

Kuwait,

Malaysia,

Myanmar,

Nigeria,

North Korea,

Oman,

Philippines,

Qatar,

Saudi Arabia,

Singapore,

South Korea,

Sudan,

Syria,

Taiwan,

Turkey,

United Arab Emirates

and Yemen. ¹²⁴

As you can see, the legal status of cannabis is complex and diverse across the world.

(1) Legality of cannabis – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis.

(2) Cannabis World Map: Interactive Map of Cannabis Laws – THC Affiliates.com. https://thcaffiliates.com/legal-status-maps/world/.

(3) Where in World is Cannabis Legal? – THC Affiliates.com. https://thcaffiliates.com/legal-status-maps/.

(4) Countries Where Weed Is Illegal 2023 – World Population Review. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-where-weed-is-illegal.