Weed Legalization Quiz: Who Legalized Marijuana by 2021?

Only four countries have legalized the recreational use of cannabis. They are Canada, Georgia, South Africa, and Uruguay.

What about the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands, the sale of recreational cannabis is formally illegal but tolerated at licensed coffee shops.

Which countries have legalized the medical use of cannabis?

Countries that have legalized the medical use of cannabis include Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center from April 5-11, 2021, an overwhelming 91% share of U.S. adults say that marijuana should be legal either for medical and recreational use (60%) or for medical use only (31%). Fewer than one-in-ten (8%) say marijuana should not be legal for use by adults.

On Tuesday, June 22, 2021, Connecticut became the 19th state to legalize recreational marijuana and the fifth to do so in 2021 after New Mexico, New York, Virginia, and New Jersey.

What does the Connecticut cannabis law say?

When the law takes effect July 1, using recreational marijuana in Connecticut will be legal, and adults 21 and older will be allowed to possess up to one and a half ounces. However, retail sales of recreational cannabis in Connecticut are not expected to begin until the summer of 2022, at the earliest.

On Wednesday, April 7, 2021, Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana. The legislation would allow adults 21 and up to legally possess up to one ounce (28.3 grams) of cannabis without the intent to distribute beginning July 1. It also would allow the home cultivation of up to four plants per household beginning July 1. Public use of the drug will still be prohibited.

“The war on cannabis, which was at its core a war on people in Black and Brown communities, not only caused injustices and increased disparities in our state, it did little to protect public health and safety,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement June 17, 2021, after the State Senate passed the bill.

Under the new Connecticut cannabis law, those convicted of possession from Jan. 1, 2000, through Sept. 30, 2015, will have their records automatically cleared beginning in 2023. People with convictions from outside this period can apply to have their records expunged starting July 2022.

According to Harm Reduction International, there are currently at least 30 countries worldwide with capital punishment for drug offenses, including the United States - which never applied capital punishment for drug offenses, despite the law.

Which countries regularly execute drug offenders?

At least 213 people received a death sentence for drug offenses in 2020 in Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Singapore did not carry a single execution in 2020 for the first time since 2013 (!).

Since April 2021, practitioners in New York have the discretion to recommend medical marijuana for any condition. Previously, a small number of diseases qualified patients for medical marijuana use in New York, including AIDS, cancer, and epilepsy.

Since April 2021, New Yorkers are permitted to smoke cannabis in public wherever smoking tobacco is allowed. Smoking cannabis, however, is not permitted in schools, workplaces, or inside a car. In addition, tobacco smoking is banned in New York City parks, beaches, boardwalks, pedestrian plazas, and playgrounds but is generally permitted on sidewalks.