MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY COUNTRY

AUSTRALIA

Australia legalised medical cannabis in August 2014, allowing patients with a prescription to purchase cannabis from authorised sellers.

CANADA

Canada implemented a national medical cannabis law in 2001, allowing patients to grow their own cannabis at home and caregivers to produce their own cannabis. Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced legislation to legalise the recreational use of marijuana in the country. When the bill is passed, Canada will become the second nation to completely legalise marijuana as a consumer product after Uruguay.

ISRAEL

One of the leading countries with medical marijuana research, Israel’s government announced in 2016 plans to make medical cannabis prescriptions available for patients through pharmacies across the nation. Earlier this year, Israeli ministers endorsed a draft bill to legalise export of cannabis for approved medical use. However, the recreational use of weed is currently illegal in the Jewish state.

ITALY

Italy allowed medical marijuana in 2013.

SWITZERLAND

Since 2011, cannabis can be sold and consumed legally in the wealthy Alpine country.

THE NETHERLANDS

The country started allowing medical cannabis products to be sold at pharmacies to patients with a doctor’s prescription in 2003.

THE UNITED STATES

California was the first US state to legalise medical cannabis for qualifying patients in 1996. After that, 28 other states followed suit. The latest is West Virginia, which has legalised medical marijuana this year.