Weird Weed Laws

 

The legal status of cannabis is constantly changing. As the weed industry increases and social attitudes change the laws are bound to change as well. Around the world, the legal status of cannabis is very different. Some have already legalised and others completely forbid it in every form. A lot of the world is pretty straightforward with its weed laws, but some places get a little bit weird with it. Today we will be looking at the strangest weed laws from all around the planet. 

 

Mechanics Can’t Sell in Washington DC

 

That’s right we are off to a great start with the very peculiar law in the US. Recreational cannabis was legalised in Washington DC in 2014 but this is far more about the medicinal side. The law proclaimed that cannabis was not to be sold by any retail outlet that also deals in motor vehicles or that service/repair them. There is no real background as to why this is, and if this is a real issue. I suppose you don’t want anyone buying a car, having a smoke and then driving home?

 

Nepalese National Holiday

 

Recreational cannabis is completely illegal in Nepal, well most of the time. There is one day a year when an exception is made. Maha Shivaratri is a massive Hindu annual festival that honours Shiva and is quite a solemn and intense event that focuses primarily on introspection, meditation and fasting. At this time hashish is allowed to enhance the spiritual aspects of the festival. It is mixed with tobacco and other herbs then smoked in large groups completely legally. The holiday is spread right across the country and lasts through the night with a variety of dances and rituals. 

 

Don’t Take The Piss in Turkey

Turkey has some of the most bizarrely strict cannabis laws in the world. Even though medicinal cannabis has some leeway legally, recreational cannabis is completely forbidden. Cannabis is considered to be in the same drug category as heroin, even though it’s legal to grow for medicinal or scientific purposes. If you consume cannabis recreationally you can go to prison for up to 5 years. Selling can land someone up to 24 years behind bars which is absolutely terrifying. The minimum sentence for selling cannabis is 10 years but that goes up to 15 if it’s being sold to a minor. In recent years Turkey has become far more intense about its drug laws and now any drug deal involving two or more people is counted as a criminal organisation and will spend a good amount of time in a crowded Turkish prison. 

 

The Truth About Jamaica 

 

Many people just assume that cannabis is legal in Jamaica but that is not true. In fact, up until 2015 possession could get you jail time, even for small amounts. This is no longer the case but still, cannabis is far from being legal. The one exception is for the Rastafarian faith which uses cannabis in a variety of ways throughout. Anyone using cannabis for religious purposes will be ignored by the authorities. It is referred to as the “holy herb” and is fine when used appropriately by those who practise Rastafarianism. Anyone else caught smoking will still receive a substantial fine. 

 

Californian Transport

 

We all know that California was the first state to legalise cannabis in 1996. This happened when the medicinal cannabis programme came into practice. For cannabis to be legal in this way, it has to be regulated carefully. The ways in which cannabis cannot be transported in California is pretty bizarre. It is completely illegal to transport cannabis by drone, train, human-powered vehicle, unmanned vehicle, watercraft or aircraft. So that’s a whole bunch of ways that you can’t transport legal cannabis. Essentially the point is that they don’t want the drugs to be openly visible to the public. 

 

Malaysia Death Penalty

 

This one is pretty horrifying so prepare yourselves. Unfortunately, the trafficking of drugs is punishable by death. Some cases have been people trafficking as much as 18kg, but you can be put to death for a mere 200 grams. The awful thing is that they still use hanging as the death penalty. A form of capital punishment that barely still exists in most of the world. Under 200 grams is a 5-year prison sentence minimum as well as some mild torture in the form of whipping. More than three-quarters of the death row inmates in Malaysia are there because of drug offences. Maybe a little less of a weird weed law and more of a genuinely horrifying weed law. 

 

Advertising in Connecticut

 

Medical marijuana is decriminalised in Connecticut as with many other American states. In Connecticut, though you can advertise the fact that you are running a dispensary, you have to be careful how. It is completely illegal to display cannabis advertising from the word itself to a leaf on a lit-up sign or on the outside of the building. Essentially if a dispensary draws attention to their advertising they could face severe legal action. Similar to shops no longer being able to display the names of cigarettes. 

 

Serious Singapore 

 

Let’s finish with another part of the world that is insanely strict about its cannabis laws. Singapore can be very strict generally and especially when it comes to drug use. Basically, if you are accused of possessing or using cannabis the burden of proof is on you. This means that you have to prove that you either weren’t in possession or weren’t high which is pretty tricky to do. It is much more difficult than it would be for them to prove that you had weed on you by finding it. If you cannot prove that you weren’t in possession of even a tiny amount of weed you could go to prison for 10 years. You will likely also face a $20,000 fine. 15 grams and over means you were trafficking and may face life in prison. Over 500 grams and that is another pretty much definite death sentence. So yeah, maybe don’t bother with weed in Singapore. 

 

*Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

 

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