Cannabis Around the World is a multi-part series exploring cannabis’ journey around the globe – from its beginning in ancient cultures Before the Common Era, its spread and integration into new societies in the Common Era, and the modern cannabis policies of the world.
Asia
Modern cannabis policies have undergone drastic changes in countries which once openly accepted the plant. Although cannabis has had a long-established presence in Asia (explored in Part I and Part II in Cannabis Around the World), many Asian countries have criminalized cannabis in the last century. Countries like Indonesia and Japan have banned all uses of the plant and enforce severe punishments, and other parts of the continent are not much more welcoming to cannabis use either.
While researchers believe that cannabis use may have originated in modern-day China, all uses of cannabis have been illegal since 1985. Punishments for the possession, consumption, or trafficking of cannabis are considered harsh with penalties including life in prison or the death penalty, depending on the amount and charge. Despite the country’s strong anti-cannabis position, the People’s Republic of China takes a much different approach in its regulation of hemp. Considered one of the top hemp cultivating countries, China values hemp’s versatility for textiles and has welcomed the boost to their economy from recent hemp sales.
The Middle East is also no stranger to cannabis use. The consumption of hashish was once common, but modern cannabis policies do not always reflect the role that cannabis has played in these evolving countries. In Iraq, all uses of cannabis are illegal and infractions receive tough penalties. In other countries like Iran and Pakistan, recreational use of cannabis is illegal, but not strongly enforced in certain regions, and medical use remains illegal. Although recreational use of cannabis remains illegal in Turkey, the country has established a legal medical program – though limited to certain cannabis-based medications.
Both Thailand and South Korea have banned the recreational use of cannabis, though Thailand may not uphold this law as stringently. While both countries have created medical cannabis programs, South Korea’s is more restricted, with access limited to specific cannabis-based medications only. Information about cannabis laws in North Korea is scarce, but reports from defectors, journalists, and tourists indicate that the plant is either legal or laws against it are not enforced, though its official status is unknown.
As one of the most populous countries in the world, India experiences its fair share of cannabis consumption – though cannabis remains illegal both recreationally and medically. Despite the plant’s criminalization, cannabis can still be found in the form of bhang, a cannabis-infused drink popular during the Festival of Holi. Cannabis is also allowed for devotees of the Hindu god Shiva who believe cannabis consumption is a form of worship. Although technically prohibited, illegal consumption is not always enforced and penalties typically only involve paying bribes or fines.
While recreational cannabis is illegal in Israel, the plant has been decriminalized and the country has become a world leader in medical cannabis research. An Israeli scientist helped to discover the endocannabinoid system in 1992, and the country continues to research the therapeutic value of cannabis. Medical cannabis is highly restricted within the country and dosages are strictly regulated, but illicit cannabis is reportedly not difficult to find and often tolerated if done in private.
Europe
Legal medical cannabis is available through most of Europe now in some capacity, but modern cannabis policies still prohibit the plant’s recreational use in most countries.
France has an especially restricted medical-use program which is limited to only a few cannabis-based medications. While maximum penalties for the use of recreational cannabis can extend up to a year in prison with hefty fines, recent changes to legislation have established ‘on-the-spot fines,’ although the government may still pursue further legal action depending on the circumstance. Greece has also recently legalized cannabis for medical use, but recreational use is still illegal. Although less severe than other countries, depending on the circumstance, infractions to this law can result in drug rehabilitation treatments or up to five months in prison.
Although recreational cannabis is not legal in Italy or Spain, both countries have decriminalized its use. Both have also legalized medical cannabis programs – though Spain only allows certain cannabis-based medications. Italy and Spain have also decriminalized cultivation for personal use, but cultivation is still prohibited in Spain if the process can be seen from a public area. Although Spain issues fines for public consumption, the country boasts ‘cannabis clubs’ that allow for cannabis dispensing and use in a social setting, often accompanied by live music, food, or drink.
Unlike most of Europe, all uses of cannabis are illegal in Sweden. While Denmark, Norway, and Germany only allow for legal medical cannabis, the countries vary on how they handle illegal recreational use. In Denmark, recreational cannabis is illegal but tolerated in certain areas, especially in the Greenlight District of Freetown Christiania where outdoor cannabis markets are not difficult to find. Norway recently decriminalized cannabis, becoming the first Scandinavian country to do so, though penalties are issued depending on the situation. Recreational cannabis is illegal in Germany, although its use is often ignored. In line with the country’s more lenient stance on cannabis, prosecution for infractions is even optional in small possession cases.
In Russia, all uses of cannabis have been prohibited, with violations resulting in hefty fines of up to three months of the offender’s salary and prison sentences. The country, which has more people incarcerated for drug offences than any other European country, has a surprisingly high rate of drug usage. While support for cannabis legalization is considered weak, the country has signaled its interest in medical cannabis research.
While recreational cannabis is illegal in the United Kingdom, offences typically result in warnings or on-the-spot fines – although maximum penalties can result in unlimited fines and/or five years in prison. The medical use of cannabis has been legalized in the country but is limited by the number of prescribing doctors and a few specific cannabis-based medications. Although the country’s stance on cannabis is considered lenient, the United Kingdom still has a way to go before cannabis is fully available.
Australia
The country of Australia is relatively divided when it comes to cannabis use and laws vary depending on the state or territory. While recreational cannabis remains illegal in most of Australia, personal use and cultivation has been decriminalized for personal use in South Australia, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory. Medical cannabis programs in the country are guided my strict regulations but allow access for chronic or severely ill approved patients.
In the nearby islands of Fiji and New Zealand, all recreational cannabis is illegal. Although an illicit cannabis market is present in the country’s major cities, violators of the law may receive fines and three months or more in prison. While recreational cannabis is still illegal in New Zealand, the country has legalized medical-use and has indicated its intent to further legalization. On September 19 the New Zealand will hold a referendum on the Cannabis Legalization and Control Bill which, if passed, would allow for the regulation and legal distribution of recreational cannabis.
Cannabis, which was once legally traded across the ancient world, is still illegal throughout most of the globe – though this may be changing soon. Many countries in which cannabis was completely prohibited only a few years ago now have established medical cannabis programs and support is increasing for the spread of recreational cannabis. Although cannabis may not be as prevalent as it once was, it may not be long before modern cannabis policies allow it to make a full comeback.