12 Countries You Didn’t Know Were Cannabis Friendly
The battle to normalize cannabis isn’t just relegated to the United States. Cannabis is a part of most cultures worldwide. It can grow in nearly any climate and ancient civilizations from the Chinese to the Romans regularly used cannabis for health and wellness. The legality of cannabis varies from country to country or in the case of the US and India, state to state. Cannabis may not be strictly “legal” in many of these countries but possession of a small amount of cannabis flowers won’t land you in the same kind of legal problems as they would in say, Saudi Arabia. Be sure to check each country’s laws before you travel for the most up-to-date information!
Australia: Decriminalized cannabis for personal use.
Chile: Illegal but decriminalized for personal use, medical cannabis is legal.
Colombia: Illegal but decriminalized up to 22 grams for personal use, personal cultivation is legal.
Costa Rica: Illegal, decriminalized and widely used.
The Czech Republic: Medical cannabis is legal, otherwise illegal. Decriminalized up to 15 grams for personal use.
India: Federally illegal, cannabis is legal or tolerated in several states.
Israel: Legal for medical use only.
Mexico: Legal for medical use, decriminalized for personal use.
The Netherlands: Illegal but tolerated in “coffee shops.” Up to 5 grams decriminalized for personal use.
Portugal: Illegal but decriminalized for personal use.
South Africa: Limited decriminalization, pending…
Spain: Legal in private areas, illegal in public but decriminalized (fine). Possession of more than 70 grams is considered intent to traffic.
Uruguay: Legal for nationals, no foreign use allowed.