The Narcotic Control Act, passed in 1961, was one of Canada's national drug control statutes prior to its repeal by the 1996 Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. It implemented the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
Drug liberalization is a drug policy process of decriminalizing or legalizing the use or sale of controlled drugs. Variations of drug liberalization include: drug legalization, drug re-legalization and drug decriminalization. Proponents of drug liberalization argue that the legalization of these would make them more widely available, eradicating the illegal drug market and reducing the law enforcement costs and incarceration rates.
Canada's drug regulations are measures of the Food and Drug Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. In relation to controlled and restricted drug products, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act establishes eight schedules of drugs and new penalties for the possession, trafficking, exportation and production of controlled substances as defined by the Governor-in-Council. Drug policy of Canada has traditionally favoured punishment of the smallest of offences, but this convention was partially broken in 1996 with the passing of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Cannabis is a plant used in Australia for recreational, medicinal and industrial purposes. In 2019, 36% of Australians over the age of fourteen years had used cannabis in their lifetime and 11.6% had used cannabis in the last 12 months.
Illegal drug abuse is the action of using drugs that are prohibited by the government or strictly controlled by means of prescription to alter one’s consciousness and emotions. The Hong Kong government has a zero tolerance policy against illegal drug use. Drugs such as cannabis and ecstasy, which can be considered recreational drugs in other countries are all illegal in Hong Kong.
Cannabis in Croatia is decriminalized for personal use and legalized for limited medical uses.
Cannabis in Cyprus is illegal for recreational use but legal for medical use.
Cannabis in Finland is illegal. The 50th chapter of the Criminal Code criminalises all dealings with illegal narcotics, including the production, import, transport, sale, possession and use of cannabis.
Cannabis in Hong Kong is illegal. The possession, sale, transportation, and cultivation of cannabis is prohibited under the Dangerous Drug Ordinance, which was put into effect at January 17 ,1969 ,during the British colonial period.
Cannabis in Latvia is illegal for recreational and medical purposes, but production of industrial hemp is permitted.
In Thailand, cannabis, known by the name ganja is de facto decriminalized. As of 2021, medical cannabis can be purchased from licensed retailers, and households can grow up to six plants for personal use. While parts of the cannabis plant that contain less than 0.2 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which includes the roots, stalks, stems, and leaves, can be sold or used for food or cosmetics, recreational use remains prohibited and the flowers and seeds must be sent to state medical facilities.
Cannabis in Ukraine is illegal, but the country is in process to a legalization of cannabis for medical purposes.
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.
Cannabis in Seychelles is illegal, with cultivation, possession and sale of the substance banned. Regardless of this, the controlled substance has seen continual use within Seychelles, with statistics indicating that more than a quarter of the nation's population are users of the drug, as well as use evident amongst adolescents. The drug is ingested in a variety of forms for medicinal or recreational use.
Cannabis in Antigua and Barbuda is illegal but decriminalized. The islands are not a major producer of cannabis, and instead import the drug from Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Cannabis in The Bahamas is illegal.
Cannabis in Kuwait is illegal for all purposes, and possession of even small amounts of the drug is a criminal offence and can result in hefty prison time and significant fines.
Cannabis is illegal in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Although the islands are a British Overseas Territory and their legal system is based on English common law, the islands are a separate legal jurisdiction to the United Kingdom and have their own laws.
Cannabis is illegal in the Marshall Islands.
Cannabis in Kosovo is illegal for both medicinal or recreational purposes. Penalties are defined by Article 269 of the Kosovo Criminal Code, last revised in January 2019. For first-time offenders, possession of illicit substances leads to either a one-year sentence or, more likely, a financial penalty of €250-300. A 2014 survey of 5500 reported that 10% of Kosovans knew someone who had used cannabis and 12.6% reported having easy access to cannabis.
