Marijuana, cannabis, bud, or whatever you name this psychotropic plant, its legality is a complex issue. Although recreational marijuana is frequently outlawed, certain nations have a more lenient stance. Here are the 19 nations that have legalized (or decriminalized) recreational marijuana by 2024.
1. Georgia
Georgia, in Eastern Europe and Western Asia, legalized marijuana possession on July 30, 2018, declaring in legislation that it solely damaged the user’s health, not the wider population, and thus was not deemed a threat. Before this verdict, people found with marijuana risked 14 years in prison.
However, recreational use in Georgia remains limited because large-scale growing and selling remain illegal, as is smoking cannabis in front of minors, in public, or while driving under the influence. However, it is famous for being the only former Soviet Union country to legalize cannabis.
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2. Mexico
Mexico legalized recreational marijuana in June 2021. Adults are allowed to possess up to 28 grams of cannabis and grow six plants at home, but smoking in public or front of minors remains illegal.
Experts were not shocked when Mexico legalized marijuana, as the government decriminalized personal possession in 2009 in the hopes of reducing criminal activity. In 2017, medicinal marijuana with less than 1% Tetrahydrocannabinol TCH (the psychotropic ingredient) became permitted.
3. Malta
Malta, located in southern Europe, is a Mediterranean Sea island and the European Union’s smallest member state. The government legalized marijuana in 2021, allowing those over the age of 18 to buy, possess, and grow it. The Authority for the Responsible Usage of Cannabis (ARUC) oversees its usage.
Adults can now possess no more than seven grams of cannabis and cultivate up to four plants in their homes. It is prohibited to smoke marijuana in front of minors or public, just as it is in other nations where marijuana is permitted.
Supporters of legalizing cannabis in 2021 claimed that doing so would allow consumers to get it in a safe, controlled manner and would reduce drug trafficking.
4. Thailand
Thailand in Southeast Asia legalized marijuana in 2022. Before the law, possession of cannabis might result in a 15-year jail term, while drug dealers face the death penalty.
Thailand was the first Asian country to legalize marijuana, and since then, more than 1.1 million Thais have sought a growing license. Many marijuana stores litter Bangkok’s streets, but it may not be legal for long. All major political parties’ election campaigns pledged to restrict marijuana sales to medicinal purposes alone. A draft measure to make recreational cannabis illegal again is making its way through Parliament, only 18 months after it was legalized.
5. Ecuador
Ecuador tolerates up to ten grams of personal marijuana. It was decriminalized in 2019, but sales and transportation are still unlawful.
There are no particular rules governing the quantity of plants a person may grow, however possessing up to 10 grams of hashish is not a crime. 10 grams is more than many other nations that have decriminalized marijuana, and this is due to Ecuador’s 2008 Constitution, which states that marijuana smoking is a health problem rather than a crime.
6. Columbia
While recreational marijuana is banned in Columbia, personal possession was decriminalized as early as 1994.
A recent attempt to pass a legal measure in the legislature failed, leaving over 200,000 cannabis farmers working illegally; nonetheless, people can carry 20 grams of cannabis at home and, since 2015, produce 20 cannabis plants.
Conclusion
To summarize, as of 2024, numerous nations had legalized or decriminalized recreational marijuana. Georgia, Mexico, Malta, Thailand, Ecuador, and Colombia have made substantial progress toward changing their cannabis laws. However, the amount of legalization differs, with many countries imposing prohibitions on possession, production, public use, and sales to govern recreational marijuana usage.