57 countries have legalized the medical use of marijuana.
As confirmed by a recent study published by the US National Institute of Health, 57 countries have legalized medical marijuana. Canada was the first country to do so in 2001, five years after California became the first U.S. state to legalize the medicine.
The list below includes the 57 countries that have enacted some form of medical marijuana legalization law, arranged alphabetically, along with the year they legalized it. It’s important to note that the specific laws and regulations can vary significantly between countries.
- Argentina: 2017
- Australia: 2016
- Austria: 2008
- Barbados: 2019
- Belgium: 2001
- Bermuda: 2016
- Brazil: 2015
- Canada: 2001
- Chile: 2015
- Colombia: 2016
- Costa Rica: 2023
- Croatia: 2015
- Cyprus: 2019
- Czech Republic: 2013
- Denmark: 2018
- Ecuador: 2019
- Estonia:
- Finland: 2008
- France: 2022
- Georgia: 2018
- Germany: 2017
- Greece: 2017
- Ireland: 2019
- Israel: 1999
- Italy: 2007
- Jamaica: 2015
- Lesotho: 2017
- Lithuania: 2019
- Luxembourg: 2018
- Malawi: 2020
- Malta: 2018
- Mexico: 2017
- Moldova: 2008
- Netherlands: 2003
- New Zealand: 2020
- North Macedonia: 2016
- Norway: 2017
- Panama: 2021
- Paraguay: 2017
- Peru: 2017
- Poland: 2017
- Portugal: 2018
- Romania: 2013
- San Marino: 2016
- Slovenia: 2014
- Spain: 2005
- South Africa: 2017
- South Korea: 2018
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines: 2018
- Switzerland: 2011
- Thailand: 2018
- United Kingdom: 2018
- Vanuatu: 2018
- Zambia: 2021
- Zimbabwe: 2018
- Ukraine: 2024
- Uruguay: 2013
Although the United States is not on the list, it is progressing in this direction by moving marijuana to Schedule III, which will allow marijuana-derived medicines to be legally prescribed once they receive regulatory approval.
