Cannacopia
- Feb 27, 2019
- 3 min read

Where is weed legal?

Weed, cannabis, marijuana and ganja are just a few words for the beloved plant. This plant is known all around the world and used by people from all walks of life. In today’s society, the legality of the plant varies depending on what part of the world you are in. Some countries have it fully legalized while other countries, like the United States, have very complicated laws.

The legality of cannabis falls under a variety of umbrellas:

ILLEGAL

When you find yourself in a place where cannabis is considered illegal, steer clear of having any cannabis on you. You could end up with jail time and hefty fines.

MEDICALLY LEGAL

Places where cannabis is medically legal means that the government has passed laws that legalize the use of cannabis for medical reason. You usually need a doctor’s recommendation to purchase and consume cannabis. Patients who have serious medical aliments and terminal illnesses qualify for medical cannabis.

FEDERALLY LEGAL

In countries where cannabis is federally legal, anyone over a certain age is allowed to consume cannabis and legally have a predetermined amount of weed on them. Laws on where you can consume, i.e. public parks, beaches, while driving, etc., do exist and should be respected.

PARTIALLY LEGAL / DECRIMINALIZED

A majority of countries have laws against cannabis, but have decriminalized or partially legalized it in some form.

From our research, we’ve compiled a quick guide for you to see where in the world cannabis is legal.

WHERE IS WEED LEGAL IN THE US?

Cannabis in the United States is federally illegal. And according to Safe Access Now “The federal government regulates drugs through the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) (21 U.S.C. § 811), which does not recognize the difference between medical and recreational use of cannabis.” With that being said there are places in the United States where you can buy and consume weed legally. There are 3 levels of cannabis legality in the United States: recreationally legal, medically legal and illegal.

States where cannabis is recreationally legal are:

Washington
Oregon
California
Nevada
Colorado
Vermont
Alaska
Michigan
Maine
Massachusetts
District of Columbia

States where cannabis is medically legal are:

Utah
Arizona
Montana
North Dakota
New Mexico
Louisiana
New Hampshire
New York
Ohio
Maryland
Minnesota
Illinois
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Missouri
Florida
Connecticut
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Hawaii
Delaware
New Jersey

States where cannabis is illegal:

Idaho
Wyoming
South Dakota
Iowa
Kansas
Tennessee
Texas
Louisiana
Alabama
South Carolina
Georgia
Kentucky
Virgina
Indiana
Mississippi
Nebraska

One of the main things to keep in mind when you are traveling, is what the cannabis laws are in every location. In some states where it is medically legal it can be highly illegal to have it recreationally. Check out this website for a comprehensive guide to the legality of cannabis in the United States.

WHERE IS WEED LEGAL IN THE WORLD?

All over the world people consume cannabis. In some parts of the world the laws are laid out in plain sight. And in other parts of the world the use of cannabis can be completely overlooked. It is important to know the laws in places you reside or plan to travel to. This is a quick reference point to where cannabis is legal in the world. Please due extra research if you plan to travel with or use cannabis while on vacation.

LEGAL

There are a few places in the world where cannabis use, purchase or both is completely legal.

Canada → federally legal
Uruguay → federally legal
Peru → for personal use
Spain → grow and consume for personal use
Amsterdam | Netherlands is illegal but often looked over by police
South Africa
North Korea
Portugal

MEDICALLY LEGAL

It is common in many places around the world for the use of cannabis to be medically legal. What this means is that people who are ill can get and consume cannabis. In some parts where it is medically legal it is also decriminalized. But decriminalization doesn’t make it safe by any means. The following places in the world cannabis is medically legal and in some places decriminalized.

Australia → partially decriminalized
Chile
Colombia → decriminalized
Israel
Italy
Macedonia
Mexico → decriminalized
Philippines
Puerto Rico

ILLEGAL

If your going to visit one of the following places make sure you leave your cannabis at home. The following countries have extremely strict cannabis laws that will put you in jail for the tiniest amount of cannabis.

Japan
South Korea
Indonesia
United Arab Emirates
China
Saudi Arabia
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Dubai
India

WHAT ARE THE LAWS?

Unless you are in a place where it is clear that cannabis is legal for recreational use, it is safe to assume that it is illegal at some level. It is suggested that if you plan to use or take cannabis on your next vacation to triple check the laws and ensure that it is worth the risk. Often it isn’t.

So if you want to consume cannabis while on vacation try to hit a place where it is recreationally legal so you can consume in peace.