Recent legal and policy developments
A living overview of cannabis policy per jurisdiction, based on primary official sources.
- — Lebanon: Regulatory Authority publishes draft framework and digital licensing portal
The Regulatory Authority, hosted at the Ministry of Agriculture in Beirut and supported by the National Council for Scientific Research, opens an official portal with draft decrees (licensing, inspection, penalties, THC/CBD limits, seed registration, supply chain, export, pharmacies and dispensaries, national laboratory, fees), seven technical annexes (GACP, GSP, GMP, track-and-trace, inspection, cultivation and licensing documentation, application forms) and nineteen digital application procedures. Most documents are marked as drafts and formal adoption or publication in the Official Gazette is not confirmed; the framework covers medical and industrial cannabis only.
- — Thailand: Controlled-herb notifications refocus on medical channels
Ministry of Public Health notifications further restrict non-medical exploitation of cannabis.
- — Malta: Various Laws relating to Cannabis Activities (Amendment) Act
Further amendments consolidating the operation of the adult-use authority.
- — Netherlands: Experimentation phase begins
Full experimentation phase begins: only regulated cannabis is sold in coffeeshops in the participating municipalities.
- — Italy: Oral CBD compositions added to medicinal table B
Oral CBD compositions derived from cannabis are listed in medicinal table B.
- — United States: Federal rescheduling procedure under way
DOJ/DEA formal rescheduling procedure ongoing; federally cannabis remains in Schedule I in this reporting round.
- — Germany: Cannabisgesetz (CanG) in force
Legalises adult possession up to 25 g, home cultivation of three plants and non-commercial cultivation associations.
- — Czechia: Government regulatory impact assessment on cannabis reform
Official RIA and legislative pathway for further reform; no confirmed adult-use opening in primary sources in this round.
- — Netherlands: Run-up phase of the closed coffeeshop chain experiment
Coffeeshops in participating municipalities begin selling regulated products alongside the tolerated supply during the run-up phase.
- — Switzerland: Medical cannabis freed from BAG exception permit
Physicians may prescribe cannabis for medical purposes without a BAG exception permit.
- — Thailand: Delisting cannabis from Category 5 narcotics
MOPH Notification prescribing the updated list of Category 5 narcotics; removes cannabis, briefly enabling wider access.
- — Malta: Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis Act
Establishes an official authority for adult-use activities alongside the medical framework; enables home cultivation and non-commercial associations.
- — Switzerland: Federal law amendment creates pilot basis
BetmG amendment creates the statutory basis for pilots with controlled distribution of cannabis for non-medical purposes.
- — Netherlands: Act on the closed coffeeshop chain experiment enters into force
Statutory foundation for a controlled pilot with regulated production, distribution and retail in participating municipalities.
- — Lebanon: Law No. 178/2020 legalises medical and industrial cannabis cultivation
Parliament adopts a licensing framework for cannabis cultivation for medical and industrial purposes and provides for a dedicated regulatory authority. Recreational use remains prohibited.
- — Australia: ACT personal cannabis use regime in force
Australian Capital Territory decriminalises personal possession and limited home cultivation.
- — Thailand: Narcotics Act No. 7 (medical basis)
Amendment allowing cannabis/hemp formulations for treatment or research under Thai FDA oversight.
- — European Union: European Parliament resolution on medicinal cannabis
Non-legislative resolution calling on Member States and the Commission to address the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
- — United Kingdom: Cannabis-based products rescheduled for medicinal use
Statutory instrument UKSI 2018/1055 reschedules cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans.
- — Canada: Cannabis Act in force
Federal Cannabis Act creates a national regulated adult-use retail market alongside the medical stream.
- — Italy: Cannabis medicines added to table III-bis
Cannabis-based medicines added to the ministerial table III-bis governing controlled substances.
- — Malta: Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Research Purposes Act
Malta's medical cannabis production act published in Government Gazette No. 19,979.
- — Germany: Cannabis as Medicine Act enters into force
Federal amendment enabling prescription cannabis, published as BGBl. 2017 I Nr. 11, p. 403.
- — Australia: Narcotic Drugs Amendment Act 2016
Federal legislation amending the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 for medicinal cannabis.
- — Italy: State organism for medical cannabis established
Ministerial decree of 9 November 2015 establishes the state organism for medical cannabis; GU Serie Generale n. 279.
- — Czechia: Medical cannabis legalised under the Addictive Substances Act
Amendment allowing handling of cannabis for medical use or scientific purposes enters into force on 1 April 2013.
- — United States: Washington Initiative 502 effective
First state-level regulated adult-use cannabis market becomes effective in Washington.
- — Austria: SMG-Novelle 2007 anchors medical cannabis cultivation
Federal law links cannabis cultivation for medicinal manufacture to AGES; BGBl. I Nr. 110/2007.
- — Canada: Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (SOR/2001-227)
First federal medical cannabis access regulations under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
- — Netherlands: Bureau for Medicinal Cannabis becomes the government agency
The Ministry of Health formally designates the BMC as the government agency for medicinal cannabis; retrospectively confirmed in Stcrt. 2003 nr. 6.
- — United States: California Proposition 215 — Compassionate Use Act
First state-level medical cannabis initiative, added to Health & Safety Code § 11362.5.
- — Netherlands: Introduction of the coffeeshop tolerance policy
Amendment of the Opium Act and adoption of a tolerance policy establishing the distinction between soft and hard drugs and the conditional tolerance of coffeeshop retail. Exact statute reference not stably retrieved in the primary source round.