Cannabis rules apply at the border, not at the airport you left. A gram in your pocket in Amsterdam is a crime in Singapore. Legal status also splits inside single countries: Canada allows sales nationwide, the United States does not. This guide to cannabis legality by country covers where visitors can buy, where possession is tolerated, and where a gram can mean prison.
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Where visitors can buy
Canada is the simplest case. Sales are legal nationwide under the Cannabis Act, in force since October 17, 2018. The purchase age is 19 in most provinces, 18 in Alberta, and 21 in Quebec. The public possession limit is 30 grams of dried cannabis.
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Uruguay legalized in 2013, but the pharmacy system is closed to visitors. Registration requires a national ID or a residency card, so tourists cannot buy there.
Thailand removed cannabis from its narcotics list in June 2022. Rules changed in 2025: sales now require a medical prescription and a doctor certificate. The walk-in market has narrowed.
Germany allows possession under the Cannabis Act, in force April 1, 2024. Adults 18 and older may carry 25 grams in public and keep 50 grams at home, plus 3 plants. Germany has no retail stores. You can carry it there, but you cannot buy it there.
Where possession is tolerated, not legal
- Netherlands: coffeeshops sell up to 5 grams per person, age 18. Some cities, including Maastricht, limit sales to residents.
- Portugal: personal possession of 25 grams of herbal cannabis has been an administrative offense since 2001, not a crime. There is no retail market.
- Czech Republic: possession under 10 grams is a misdemeanor.
- Spain: private clubs operate in Catalonia and other regions. Public sale and public use are illegal.
- Malta and Luxembourg: home cultivation. Malta allows 4 plants and 7 grams. Luxembourg allows 4 plants per household and 3 grams in public.
- South Africa: adults may possess and grow in private under a 2018 court ruling and the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act signed in 2024. Selling remains illegal.
- Australia: the Australian Capital Territory allows 50 grams and 2 plants for adults. Other states treat small possession as a fine or a diversion program.
- Switzerland: pilot sales run in Zurich, Basel, Geneva, and other cities. Participation is limited to registered residents.
Where it is illegal
Singapore, Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates treat cannabis as a narcotic. Penalties include caning, long prison terms, and death for trafficking. Singapore sets the death threshold at 500 grams of cannabis, 15 grams of resin, or 30 grams of a mixture. Malaysia sets its trafficking threshold at 200 grams. Indonesia and Saudi Arabia allow capital punishment for large quantities.
Japan revised its Cannabis Control Act in December 2023. Use became punishable by up to 7 years, effective December 2024. China imposes 15 days of detention and a fine for small possession. South Korea permits medical cannabis with government approval.
Borders, airports, and transit
An airport is national territory. A transit lounge is national territory. If a connecting country bans cannabis, the bag in your carry-on is your problem, not the airline problem.
In the United States, cannabis is a Schedule I substance under federal law. 24 states and the District of Columbia allow adult sales. Federal land covers airports, national parks, and border zones. Customs and Border Protection can deny entry, and a lifetime ban is possible, if a traveler admits to cannabis use.
Canada bars cannabis at the border. Carrying it into Canada or out of it is a criminal offense, even though it is legal inside the country.
Cruise ships follow the law of the flag state plus the law of each port. Most cruise lines ban cannabis on board.
CBD is not a loophole. The United States permits hemp products with 0.3 percent THC or less. Japan, the UAE, and Singapore restrict or ban CBD.
Medical documents do not cross borders
A medical card from your home state carries no weight abroad. Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, and the United Kingdom allow cannabis imports in narrow cases, with a permit or a prescription issued inside that country. Canada requires a Canadian medical document. Do not assume your card works at a foreign border.
What travelers check first
Retail access decides the trip for many travelers. A country with stores and posted prices, such as Canada or a legal US state, removes the search. A country with medical rules, a club system, or a residency requirement adds steps: find a doctor, register, or skip it. Convenience turns legality from a legal question into a booking question.
Check five items before you book
- National law, not city practice. Amsterdam tolerates sales. The Netherlands does not legalize them.
- Age and gram limits.
- Public consumption rules. Fines apply in many places.
- Entry forms. Japan, Singapore, and the United States ask about drug arrests or use.
- Return trip. Your home country applies its own law at the border, and most ban imports without a permit.