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The legal status of cocaine varies worldwide. Even though many countries have banned the sale of cocaine for recreational use, some have legalized it for possession, personal use, transportation, and cultivation, while some have decriminalized it for certain uses. It is necessary to distinguish cocaine from coca leaves or the plant itself.
| Country | Possession | Sale | Transport | Cultivation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine is fully illegal in Afghanistan and drug trafficking and drug smuggling are sins and crimes that are punishable by death. |
 Argentina | Decriminalized for private use | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine is decriminalized for private and personal use or possession. The consumption and possession of fresh coca leaves for chewing and teas are legal. [1] |
 Armenia | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | All uses, sale, possession and use is fully illegal. |
 Albania | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine is effectively illegal and banned in Albania. |
 Australia | Legal Medically | Legal Medically | Legal Medically | Legal Medically | Cocaine is a Schedule 8 controlled substance in Australia, that which allows certain medical use of it, but otherwise it is outlawed (controlled). [2] |
 Bahamas | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Possession and use is illegal. [3] |
 Bangladesh | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | All kind of uses, selling, cultivation and transportation is illegal. |
 Bolivia | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Legal | Limited private cultivation of coca is legal in Bolivia, where chewing the leaves and drinking coca tea are considered cultural practices, in particular in the mountainous regions, processed cocaine is forbidden. [4] |
 Brazil | Decriminalized for private use | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Public consumption and selling of cocaine are considered crimes. Punishments for public consumption include a warning about the drugs effects, community service (5 to 10 months), and educational courses or programs. Punishment for the selling of cocaine is 5 to 15 years of jail, a R$500–1,500 fine and course or program attendance. The decision on which purpose the apprehended drug had is based on judge decision. [5] |
 Canada | Illegal, decriminalized in the Province of British Columbia | Legal Medically | Legal Medically | Legal Medically | Possession and use is illegal. [6] Consumption, possession, purchasing and trading of cocaine is outlawed, cocaine remains as a Schedule I controlled substance. Effective January 31, 2023 possession up to 2.5 grams of cocaine, opioids, methamphetamine and MDMA by adults (age 18 and over, excluding members of the Canadian Armed Forces unless otherwise authorized [7] ) is decriminalized in the Province of British Columbia due to Health Canada mandate [8] [9] |
 Colombia | Legal (up to 1 gram) | Illegal | Illegal | Legal | Since 1994, possession of 1 gram of cocaine has been legal for personal use. [10] [11] Sale remains illegal, but personal production or gifts of cocaine are permitted. |
 Czech Republic | Decriminalised (up to 1 gram) | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Possession of up to 1 gram for personal use is punishable by fine of up to 15000 CZK according to act 167/1998 §39, possession of higher amount is illegal according to Criminal code with up to 2-year sentence. Trafficking is punishable by 2–18 years in prison, depending on the scale and other circumstances. [12] [ citation needed ] |
 China | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Use and possession of cocaine is illegal. [13] |
 Germany | Legal Medically, Decriminalized | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Possession of cocaine without a medical prescription is illegal. Small amounts for personal consumption may go unpunished for first-time or non-regular offenders, however this varies by state. Usually revocation of a driving license will follow from confiscation of any drug except marijuana, since drug users are considered a road hazard. [14] |
 Greece | Decriminalized for private use | Legal only for medical reasons and with license by government | Illegal | Illegal | Use, possession and cultivation of class B drugs is illegal in Greece except for medical reasons. Personal use might be decriminalized. Use in public is also illegal. [15] |
 India | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Use and possession of cocaine is illegal with a mandatory 10-year sentence. But its often upheld and wrongly assumed and no proof has been given that Freely Available in Local Shops in Cities. [16] |
 Ireland | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine use, possession, sale, cultivation and transport is illegal.[ citation needed ] |
 Israel | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Every kind of use, possession, sale, transport and cultivation of coca leaves and even the chewing of coca leaves and brewing coca tea is fully illegal in Israel. |
 Italy | Decriminalized | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine possession and consumption in special and overall in small and tiny amounts is decrimalized but the sale, the trade, the deal,the growing, the production and the transportation of cocaine are considered felonies in Italy. |
 Japan | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Penalty for cocaine consumption: maximum of 7 years in jail. [17] |
 Jordan | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | All uses, possession, sale, cultivation, and production is fully illegal and forbidden even for medical or scientific reasons. |
 Luxembourg | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Use and possession of cocaine is illegal.[ citation needed ] |
 Malaysia | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Use and possession of cocaine is illegal. [18] |
 Mexico | Legal (up to 1/2 Gram) | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | There is no penalty for carrying up to 1/2 a gram, however any amount over that is illegal. [19] |
 Netherlands | Unenforced (small amounts) | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine is considered an illegal hard-drug. Possession, production and trade are not allowed as stated in the Opium Law of 1928. Although technically illegal, possession of less than half a gram usually goes unpunished. [20] [21] |
 New Zealand | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine is a Class A drug. The coca leaf and preparations of cocaine containing no more than 0.1% cocaine base, in such a way that the cocaine cannot be recovered, are both classified as Class C, and are punishable with 3 months imprisonment and/or a fine of $500. [22] [23] |
 Nigeria | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | It is illegal to import, manufacture, process, plant or grow, export, transport, traffic, sell, buy, expose for sale, smoke, inhale, inject, possess or deal with cocaine. [24] |
 Norway | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | All kind of uses, selling, cultivation and transportation is illegal. [25] |
 Pakistan | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Use and possession of cocaine is illegal. [26] |
 Philippines | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Use and possession of cocaine is illegal. Possession of cocaine is explicitly named as an illegal substance under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The possession 10 grams or more of cocaine or cocaine hydrochloride is punishable by up to life imprisonment. [27] |
 Peru | Legal (up to 2 grams of cocaine or 5 grams of cocaine-freebase) | Illegal | Illegal | Legal (Coca Plants) | Cultivation of coca plants is legal, and coca leaves are sold openly on markets. Similarly to Bolivia, chewing leaves and drinking coca tea are cultural practices. Possession of up to 2 grams of cocaine or up to 5 grams of coca paste is legal for personal use in Peru per Article 299 of the Peruvian Penal Code. It is important to note that if a person possess two or more kinds of drugs at the same time it is considered criminal offense. [28] |
 Portugal | Decriminalized up to 2 grams | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Personal use of cocaine is decriminalized. Drug abuse is dealt with by administrative and medical intervention. Trafficking is illegal. [29] |
 Saudi Arabia | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Narcotics user is jailed for two years and punished according to the judge's decision. If the offender is a foreigner, he is deported from the Kingdom. A narcotics user who enrolls in a treatment Programme is not questioned, but admitted into a specialised hospital. Saudi law in accordance with the United Nation recommendations treats narcotics addicts as patients who need treatment. [30] |
 Singapore | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Trafficking of over 3 grams is punishable by death. [31] |
 South Africa | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | It is a criminal offense to have cocaine in your possession. [32] |
 Spain | Decriminalized with a fine | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine sales are strictly and fully outlawed, forbbiden, not allowed, controlled and illegal, but private use and personal cocaine consumption is decriminalized with a spot fine and is not a crime nor a felony. |
 Switzerland | Possession of small amounts decriminalized | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Traffickers of cocaine are sentenced with jail. Personal use is punished with a fine, contrary to common belief possession of up to 18 grams is not legal. According to a recent study, 5 Swiss cities (St Gallen, Bern, Zurich, Basel and Geneva) were listed among top 10 European cities for cocaine use. [33] [34] Personal consumption and possession of small amounts, or sharing with adults free of charge is not liable to prosecution based on the Swiss federal law. [35] |
 Sweden | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Sweden is known and infamous for having a zero tolerance policy regarding drug trafficking and drug abuse. |
 Thailand | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Thailand is very strict on drugs and it is very common to be stopped, searched and asked to give urine samples on the street, especially in Bangkok. Being caught with intent to sell is punishable by 10 years to life in prison. Consumption for personal use is 1 – 10 years in prison or a fine, or both. [36] |
 Ukraine | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Public drug consumption is outlawed and punishable by prison time or with jail punishment but private consumption of drugs is not enforced and is not crime. |
 United Arab Emirates | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine trafficking is punishable by the capital punishment and drug consumption is punishable with four years in prison in the UAE. |
 United Kingdom | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Illegal | Cocaine was first made illegal by the Dangerous Drugs Act 1920. It is now classed as a Class A drug, controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Possession carries a punishment of up to 7 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Supply and production carries a punishment of up to life in prison, an unlimited fine or both. [37] It is legal for medical use under Schedule 2 of The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. [38] |
 United States | Legal Medically | Legal Medically | Legal Medically | Legal Medically | Cocaine is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act. It remains legal for medical use. |
| Country | Possession | Sale | Transport | Cultivation | Notes |
The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances.
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It represents action in line with treaty commitments under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
Commonly-cited arguments for and against the prohibition of drugs include the following:
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.
The drug policy in the United States is the activity of the federal government relating to the regulation of drugs. Starting in the early 1900s, the United States government began enforcing drug policies. These policies criminalized drugs such as opium, morphine, heroin, and cocaine outside of medical use. The drug policies put into place are enforced by the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Classification of Drugs are defined and enforced using the Controlled Substance Act, which lists different drugs into their respective substances based on its potential of abuse and potential for medical use. Four different categories of drugs are Alcohol, Cannabis, Opioids, and Stimulants.
A drug policy is the policy regarding the control and regulation of psychoactive substances, particularly those that are addictive or cause physical and mental dependence. While drug policies are generally implemented by governments, entities at all levels may have specific policies related to drugs.
Drug liberalization is a drug policy process of decriminalizing or legalizing the use or sale 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.
Drug policy of California refers to the policy on various classes and kinds of drugs in the U.S. state of California. Cannabis possession has been legalized with the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, passed in November 2016, with recreational sales starting January of the next year. With respect to many controlled substances, terms such as illegal and prohibited do not include their authorized possession or sale as laid out by applicable laws.
The U.S. state of Oregon has various policies restricting the production, sale, and use of different substances. In 2006, Oregon's per capita drug use exceeded the national average. The most used substances were marijuana, methamphetamine and illicit painkillers and stimulants.
The legal status of unauthorised actions with psilocybin mushrooms varies worldwide. Psilocybin and psilocin are listed as Schedule I drugs under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse or drugs that have no recognized medical uses. However, psilocybin mushrooms have had numerous medicinal and religious uses in dozens of cultures throughout history and have a significantly lower potential for abuse than other Schedule I drugs.
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 for the smallest of offences, but this convention was partially broken in 1996 with the passing of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
The drug policy of Portugal, informally called the "drug strategy", was put in place in 2000, and came into effect in July 2001. Its purpose was to reduce the number of new HIV/AIDS cases in the country, as it was estimated around half of new cases came from injection drug use.
This is a history of drug prohibition in the United States.
In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defined the word "drug" as an "article intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals" and those "(other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals." Consistent with that definition, the U.S. separately defines narcotic drugs and controlled substances, which may include non-drugs, and explicitly excludes tobacco, caffeine and alcoholic beverages.
Cocaine is the second most popular illegal recreational drug in the United States behind cannabis, and the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of cocaine. In 2020, Oregon became the first U.S. state to decriminalize cocaine.
In the early 21st century, advocacy for drug legalization has increased in Latin America. Spearheading the movement, the Uruguayan government announced in 2012 plans to legalize state-controlled sales of marijuana in order to fight drug-related crimes.
Cannabis in Slovakia is illegal for all purposes and possession of even small amounts of the drug can lead to lengthy prison terms. Possession or use of small amounts of cannabis is punishable by up to eight years in prison. In April 2012, The Wall Street Journal reported that Robert Fico, the incoming Slovak prime minister, might push for partial legalisation of cannabis possession, and has argued for the legalisation of possession of up to three doses of cannabis for personal use.
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.
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.
The movement to decriminalize psilocybin in the United States began in 2019 with Denver, Colorado, becoming the first city to decriminalize psilocybin in May of that year. The cities of Oakland and Santa Cruz, California, decriminalized psilocybin in June 2019 and January 2020, respectively. Washington, D.C., followed suit in November 2020, as did Somerville, Massachusetts, in January 2021, and then the neighboring Cambridge and Northampton in February 2021 and March 2021, respectively. Seattle, Washington, became the largest U.S. city on the growing list in October 2021. Detroit, Michigan, followed in November 2021.
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