Grassroots revolution: The road to legal cannabis
Germany is set to join the global cannabis revolution on Monday, with a law coming into effect legalising recreational use of the drug.
It is the first big European country to legalise the possession and consumption of small amounts of the drug by adults and one of only two among the G7 group of leading world powers, with Canada.
Here is a quick recap of the situation worldwide:
Uruguay the trailblazer
The real pioneer is the small South American country of Uruguay, which in 2013 became the first in the world to legalise the production, distribution and consumption of recreational cannabis.
Residents can buy up to 40 grams a month from pharmacies, grow it themselves or join cannabis clubs where members tend the plants together.
In South and Central America, only Mexico has followed its lead, the country's Supreme Court decriminalising the recreational use of cannabis in 2021.
Europeans light up
In Europe, Portugal led the way back in 2001 with a radical measure on all drugs, decriminalising consumption and possession, though users still face fines, unless they agree to be treated for addiction.
In Spain, cannabis users are allowed to grow pot for private use at home but selling the drug or smoking it in public is banned.
The first EU member to actively legalise recreational cannabis was tiny Malta in 2021, but lighting up a joint in public is still not permitted.
Despite popular belief, it is also restricted in the Netherlands, where the sale and
