Marijuana legalization is exploding over the U.S, but what does it look like for the rest of the world? The legality of cannabis varies from country to country and while the drug may be legal to possess in one country, that same act could mean serious jail time in another.

Currently, the countries with the least restrictive cannabis laws include:

  • Bangladesh
  • Cambodia
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Czech Republic
  • India
  • Jamaica
  • Mexico
  • Spain
  • Uruguay
  • Germany
  • The Netherlands
  • North Korea
  • Some U.S states
  • Some territories of Australia

On the other side, the countries that currently have the strictest cannabis laws are:

  • China
  • Egypt
  • France
  • Indonesia
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • Nigeria
  • Norway
  • The Philippines
  • Poland
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab of Emirates
  • Vietnam

Many countries not on this list have not physically legalized marijuana in any form, but have decriminalized the possession or small amounts of cultivation of the drug.