Where Is Cannabis Legal? Countries and US States

Short answer

Cannabis is legal for adults at the national level in six countries: Canada, Uruguay, Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, and South Africa. In the United States, 24 states and the District of Columbia allow adult use. Medical cannabis programs operate in 38 states plus DC. Federal US law still lists cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance.

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The word legal covers three separate things: possession, home growing, and store sales. Some countries allow two of the three and ban the rest. Laws change, so check the effective date on any list.

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Countries with adult-use laws

• Canada: legal since October 17, 2018. Public possession limit is 30 grams. Minimum age is 18 in Alberta and Quebec, 19 in other provinces.
• Uruguay: legal since 2013. Registered adults buy up to 40 grams per month at pharmacies, or grow up to 6 plants at home. Sales to visitors are not allowed.
• Malta: legal since 2021. Adults may carry up to 7 grams and grow 4 plants at home. Retail stores do not operate. Nonprofit clubs distribute limited amounts.
• Luxembourg: legal since 2023. Adults may grow 4 plants at home and carry up to 3 grams in public. Retail sales have not opened.
• Germany: legal since April 1, 2024. Adults may carry 25 grams in public, keep 50 grams at home, and grow 3 plants. Cannabis clubs opened in July 2024. Store sales are not allowed.
• South Africa: the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act was signed in May 2024. Adults may use and grow cannabis in private. Buying and selling remain illegal.

Places with partial rules

• Netherlands: coffee shops sell cannabis under a tolerance policy. Personal possession of 5 grams is tolerated. Growing and wholesale supply are illegal.
• Portugal: personal possession was decriminalized in 2001. Limits are 25 grams of herb and 5 grams of hash. Supply is still a crime.
• Mexico: possession of up to 5 grams is decriminalized. Court rulings allow personal use. No federal retail market exists.
• Thailand: cannabis was decriminalized in 2022. In 2025 the government restricted sales to medical use, and buyers need a prescription or medical certificate.
• Georgia: a 2018 court ruling made personal consumption legal. Sale and production stay illegal.
• Switzerland: pilot programs in cities including Basel, Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne sell cannabis to registered study participants.
• Australia: the Australian Capital Territory allows adults to hold 50 grams and grow 2 plants. Other states treat possession as an offense. Medical cannabis is legal nationwide.

United States

State law and federal law do not match. Federal agencies can still enforce the Controlled Substances Act. State programs set their own possession limits, taxes, and retail rules. Ohio, Minnesota, Delaware, and Maryland are recent additions. Some states allow home grow, some do not. Some states allow sales, and Virginia and Washington, D.C. limit or ban retail storefronts.

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How to check a local rule

1. Find the possession limit in grams.
2. Check if home growing is allowed and how many plants.
3. Check if licensed stores or clubs can sell to adults without a medical card.
4. Check the minimum age, usually 18 or 19 outside the US and 21 in US adult-use states.
5. Check rules for visitors, because Uruguay, Malta, and Germany restrict sales to residents or club members.

Where a store can operate is a separate question from where possession is legal. A country can allow home grow and still jail anyone who sells.