Cannabis in Iran

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Cannabis in Iran
Iran (orthographic projection).svg
Location of Iran (dark green)
Medicinal Illegal
Recreational Illegal

Cannabis is illegal in Iran, but the law is often not strictly enforced. [1] [2] [3] The use of cannabis has become increasingly popular in Iranian cities according to various reports, although the government does not keep official usage statistics. [4] [5]

Contents

In 1989 the Iranian government enacted a law providing the death penalty for possession of hashish in excess of five kilograms (11 lb). [6]

History

The popularization of cannabis is apocryphally attributed to Sheikh Haydar (d. 1221 CE), a Sufi saint who lived in Khurasan province of what is now Iran. [7]

Reform

In 2015, Saeed Sefatian, who leads the working group on drug demand reduction within the Council for the Discernment of the Expediency of the State (or Expediency Council) presented a lecture outlining steps towards legalizing cannabis. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legality of cannabis</span> Legal status of cannabis worldwide

The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. These policies in most countries are regulated by three United Nations treaties: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Cannabis was reclassified in 2020 to a Schedule I-only drug under the Single Convention treaty, with the schedules from strictest to least being IV, I, II, and III. As a Schedule I drug under the treaty, countries can allow the medical use of cannabis but it is considered to be an addictive drug with a serious risk of abuse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical cannabis</span> Cannabis sativa L. (marijuana; hemp) used medicinally

Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not been as rigorously tested as other medicinal plants due to legal and governmental restrictions, resulting in limited clinical research to define the safety and efficacy of using cannabis to treat diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act</span> Proposed changes to the legal status of cannabis in U.S. federal law

In the United States, the removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the category reserved for drugs that have "no currently accepted medical use", is a proposed legal and administrative change in cannabis-related law at the federal level. After being proposed repeatedly since 1972, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated 2024 rulemaking to reschedule cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The majority of 2024 public comments supported descheduling, decriminalizing, or legalizing marijuana at the federal level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States</span>

In the United States, the non-medical use of cannabis is legalized in 24 states and decriminalized in 7 states, as of November 2023. Decriminalization refers to a policy of reduced penalties for cannabis offenses, typically involving a civil penalty for possessing small amounts, instead of criminal prosecution or the threat of arrest. In jurisdictions without penalty the policy is referred to as legalization, although the term decriminalization is sometimes used for this purpose as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal history of cannabis in the United States</span>

In the United States, increased restrictions and labeling of cannabis as a poison began in many states from 1906 onward, and outright prohibitions began in the 1920s. By the mid-1930s cannabis was regulated as a drug in every state, including 35 states that adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act. The first national regulation was the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drug liberalization</span> Process of reducing drug prohibition laws

Drug liberalization is a drug policy process of decriminalizing, legalizing, or repealing laws that prohibit the production, possession, sale, or use of prohibited drugs. Variations of drug liberalization include drug legalization, drug relegalization, and drug decriminalization. Proponents of drug liberalization may favor a regulatory regime for the production, marketing, and distribution of some or all currently illegal drugs in a manner analogous to that for alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in the United States</span>

The use, sale, and possession of cannabis containing over 0.3% THC by dry weight in the United States, despite laws in many states permitting it under various circumstances, is illegal under federal law. As a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970, cannabis containing over 0.3% THC by dry weight is considered to have "no accepted medical use" and a high potential for abuse and physical or psychological dependence. Cannabis use is illegal for any reason, with the exception of FDA-approved research programs. However, individual states have enacted legislation permitting exemptions for various uses, including medical, industrial, and recreational use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical cannabis in the United States</span>

In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 38 states, four out of five permanently inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, as of March 2023. Ten other states have more restrictive laws limiting THC content, for the purpose of allowing access to products that are rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis. There is significant variation in medical cannabis laws from state to state, including how it is produced and distributed, how it can be consumed, and what medical conditions it can be used for.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction</span>

In the United States, cannabis is legal in 38 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use. At the federal level, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, determined to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, prohibiting its use for any purpose. Despite this prohibition, federal law is generally not enforced against the possession, cultivation, or intrastate distribution of cannabis in states where such activity has been legalized. Beginning in 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration has initiated a review to potentially move cannabis to the less-restrictive Schedule III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of cannabis laws in the United States</span>

The legal history of cannabis in the United States began with state-level prohibition in the early 20th century, with the first major federal limitations occurring in 1937. Starting with Oregon in 1973, individual states began to liberalize cannabis laws through decriminalization. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis, sparking a trend that spread to a majority of states by 2016. In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize cannabis for recreational use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Massachusetts</span>

Cannabis in Massachusetts is legal for medical and recreational use. It also relates to the legal and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. A century after becoming the first U.S. state to criminalize recreational cannabis, Massachusetts voters elected to legalize it in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Wyoming</span>

Cannabis is strictly illegal in Wyoming. The state has some of the strictest cannabis laws in the United States. Cannabis itself is not allowed for medical purposes, but a 2015 law allows limited use of non-psychoactive Cannabidiol. An effort was made to place two initiatives on the 2022 ballot, one to legalize medical cannabis, and the other to decriminalize personal use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Texas</span>

Cannabis in Texas is illegal for recreational use. Possession of up to two ounces is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in prison and a fine of up to $2000. Several of the state's major municipalities have enacted reforms to apply lesser penalties or limit enforcement, however.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Pennsylvania</span>

Cannabis in Pennsylvania is illegal for recreational use, but possession of small amounts is decriminalized in several of the state's largest cities. Medical use was legalized in 2016 through a bill passed by the state legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in New Mexico</span>

Cannabis in New Mexico is legal for recreational use as of June 29, 2021. A bill to legalize recreational use – House Bill 2, the Cannabis Regulation Act – was signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on April 12, 2021. The first licensed sales of recreational cannabis began on April 1, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Mexico</span>

Cannabis in Mexico is legal for both recreational and medicinal purposes. It became legal for recreational purposes in June 2021, upon application and issuance of a permit from the health secretariat, COFEPRIS. On 29 June 2021, the Supreme Court of Mexico decriminalized the recreational use of cannabis. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador signed a bill that allows adults 18 and over to possess up to 28 grams of cannabis and grow up to six marijuana plants on their property.

The list includes and details significant events that occurred in the global history of national-level implementations of, or changes made to, laws surrounding the use, sale, or production of the psychoactive drug cannabis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal history of cannabis in Canada</span>

The Cannabis Act (C-45) of June, 2018 paved the way for the legalization of cannabis in Canada on 17 October 2018. Police and prosecution services in all Canadian jurisdictions are currently capable of pursuing criminal charges for cannabis marketing without a licence issued by Health Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada has held that the federal Parliament has the power to criminalize the possession of cannabis and that doing so does not infringe upon the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Ontario Court of Appeal and the Superior Court of Ontario have, however, held that the absence of a statutory provision for medical marijuana is unconstitutional, and to that extent the federal law is of no force and/or effect if a prescription is obtained. The recreational use of cannabis has been legalized by the federal government, and took effect on 17 October 2018.

<i>Cannabis Act</i> 2018 Canadian law legalizing recreational cannabis use

The Cannabis Act is a law which legalized recreational cannabis use in Canada in combination with its companion legislation Bill C-46, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code. The law is a milestone in the legal history of cannabis in Canada, alongside the 1923 prohibition.

References

  1. Tegel, Simeon (13 March 2015). "A guide to smoking weed around the world". Public Radio International. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. Meehan, Maureen (29 June 2016). "Iran Has a Drug Problem and It Doesn't Include Cannabis". High Times. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  3. "Cannabis Use in Present-Day Iran". Sensi Seeds. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  4. Erdbrink, Thomas (25 June 2016). "Marijuana Use Rises in Iran, With Little Interference". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  5. "As Iran's Marijuana Trade Thrives, Is It Becoming a Nation of Stoners?". The Daily Beast. 10 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  6. Reza Afshari (7 June 2011). Human Rights in Iran: The Abuse of Cultural Relativism. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 40–. ISBN   978-0-8122-0105-5. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  7. Franz Rosenthal (1971). زهر العريش في احكام الحشيش: Haschish Versus Medieval Muslim Society. Brill Archive. p. 49. GGKEY:PXU3DXJBE76.
  8. Ghiabi, Mayizar (26 October 2015). "Drug laws: Iran takes steps towards legalising cannabis". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2017.