Canada has recently become the first country in the modern world to legalise and regulate cannabis for adult use.
And they won’t be the last.
The majority of states in America already have some form of legal cannabis, as do a number of European countries, including the UK from November 1st.
Not that many have legalised the recreational use of cannabis, however.
Despite its slow start, many experts believe recreational cannabis will inevitably be legalised in most western countries, whether it’s in five years or 25.
Some optimists, however, are even betting on legal recreational weed in Europe within the next five years.
And we’re one of them. So here’s 5 countries we believe could become the first to legalise the recreational use of cannabis…
1. Spain
Spain already has a thriving quasi-legal cannabis club scene. Inhabitants can even grow plants at home for personal consumption provided they can’t be seen from outside. The Spanish political party Unidos Podemos has even prepared a law to regulate cannabis in Spain by 2019, should they come to power.
2. Portugal
Spain’s southernly neighbours Portugal already have a lenient approach to drugs. The country broke the global trend by decriminalising personal quantities of all drugs back in 2001. It has been a huge success, cutting the country’s population of heroin addicts.
Portugal, which legalised medical cannabis this summer, would be an ideal place to grow cannabis. Thanks to its subtropical climate, mild winters and abundance of sunshine year-round, Portugal could become the California of Europe.
3. Switzerland
The Swiss have a long history with cannabis. It has been quite widely grown and smoked in the country for some decades and was even available to buy in hemp shops around the country.
Today, up to 10 grams has been decriminalised, CBD-rich cannabis with less than 1% THC is legal and very popular, and repeated plans for pilot cannabis club projects have gained traction in the courts.
4. UK
Really? The UK? Stranger things have happened.
It was no less than three months ago that medical cannabis seemed years away. Now we’re days away from it being a reality. Things can move fast in the world of politics. And the potential profits from legal cannabis, which will be hard to ignore in the coming months, may help the cause.
5. Germany
Germany has one of the continent’s most established medical cannabis programs. They also have plans to increase domestic cultivation in 2019 in order to meet rapidly growing demand.
Germany’s also a forward-thinking country with a very liberal capital in Berlin.
Unfortunately I don’t see UK doing it in my lifetime.
The government are still stuck in the medieval times.
I reckon Switzerland or Spain will legalise it first