Where is cannabis legal around the world?

Fully legal for adults, with a retail market

Only two countries run a nationwide legal market where adults can walk into a store and buy cannabis: Canada (legalized in 2018) and Uruguay (the first country in the world to do it, in 2013). That is the whole list. It is a reminder of how unusual Canada's system actually is.

Legal for adults, but no open store

A larger group of countries has legalized adult use in some form but stopped short of open retail sales. In these places you generally can't just buy it in a shop; the law allows personal possession, home-growing, or non-profit "cannabis clubs" instead.

A few others allow personal use through court rulings without a retail market, including Georgia and Mexico.

The United States: a patchwork

The US is a special case. As of 2026, 24 states and Washington, D.C. allow adult-use cannabis, and about 40 states allow medical use, yet cannabis remains illegal under federal law. That contradiction is why you can buy legally in a state like California but still can't fly across a state line with it, and why crossing the Canada to US border with cannabis is a serious risk no matter where you're headed.

Medical, decriminalized, and tolerated

Beyond full legalization, dozens of countries sit in the middle:

• Medical only: more than 50 countries allow cannabis for medical use in some form, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, and much of Europe.
• Decriminalized: some countries have removed criminal penalties for small amounts without legalizing sales. Portugal, which decriminalized all drugs in 2001, is the best-known example.
• Tolerated: the Netherlands never fully legalized cannabis, but famously tolerates sales in licensed "coffeeshops" under strict conditions. Spain works similarly through private members' clubs.

Laws change, sometimes backward

This map is not one-directional. Thailand is the clearest warning: it decriminalized cannabis in 2022, saw thousands of shops open, then reversed course in 2025 and restricted cannabis to medical use with a prescription. Thousands of dispensaries have since closed. It's a reminder that a country being "legal" today doesn't mean it will be next year, which is exactly why the date on this page matters.

Sources & notes

This is a general snapshot for 2026, not legal advice, and it can't capture every local nuance. Cannabis laws change often and vary within countries. Before you travel, check the official government or embassy source for your destination.

• Legality of cannabis by country (overview and country list) Which countries allow recreational or medical cannabis, and in what form.
• Forbes, Thailand closes the door on recreational cannabis (2026) Thailand's reversal to medical-only, with a prescription requirement.
• Government of Canada, Travelling with drugs and medication Taking cannabis across the border is illegal in both directions, even to a legal US state.