Which countries will legalize cannabis in 2016?

The legalization of cannabis in all its forms gained a lot of ground in 2015, of course in the USA, but also in other countries around the world. The question now burning in our minds: who will join the ranks of countries that have already legalized cannabis ?

Canada

Justin Trudeau, the new Prime Minister, has already launched the construction of the legalizing cannabis in Canada. The project promises to be a complex one, with the Canadian government keen to get things right and implement controlled legalization, drawing conclusions from the experience of Oregon and Colorado.

Colombia

The war on drugs has been raging for over 40 years in Colombia, as cocaine and heroin ravage the country's legal economy and strengthen the cartels. Following the positive effects of legalization of cannabis in the United States, As a result of the country's growing drug problem, including economic growth and loss of revenue for Mexican drug cartels, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has declared the war on drugs a failure and is looking for new options. Colombia already legalized medical cannabis on December 22, 2015. There's not much left to move towards full legalization. Vamos Juan!

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has already decriminalized the use and possession of cannabis, but cultivation is still prohibited. Costa Rica also treats illegal drugs as a public health problem rather than a crime. As a result, police forces are unlikely to make an arrest for public consumption, although they could issue a fine. So it's only a matter of time before the Costa Rica fully legalizes cannabis.

Spain

Spain already has an advantage: although technically illegal, cannabis can be held and consumed privately. Visit cannabis clubs in cities such as Barcelona. To go all the way and guarantee product quality, the choice of legalize cannabis in Spain is no longer optional.

United States

There are currently 23 states where legislation has been passed in favor of legalizing medical or recreational cannabis, in all its forms. The year 2016 should see at least 7 new states join the clan.

California

16 different citizen initiatives are currently underway to legalize cannabis in California. They range from California Safe and Drug-Free Community Initiative which would ban all private dispensaries and replace them with state-run dispensaries, in the Responsible Use Act Initiative which wants to «legalize under state control the possession, production, cultivation, transportation, industrial use and sale» of cannabis in California. Authorities would be created to license and regulate the cannabis industry, while those convicted of cannabis-related offenses would have to be released or retried.

Various polls have shown support for this latest initiative to be close to 50%, making it one of the most likely to become law. California has been paving the way for medical cannabis since 1996, and could continue to lead the way with the most progressive cannabis policy ever seen.

Maine

Unlike California, the Maine has only two initiatives in favor of the legalization of cannabis: Legalize Marijuana Initiative and Marijuana Legalization Initiative.

The second is the one most likely to pass, even if it doesn't go as far as the Californian initiative, with limitations on the number of plants allowed per person and high taxation. The initiative also defines the maximum number of dispensaries and growers until 2019 and 2022 respectively.

Maine recognizes the financial potential of legalization, but would do without it for the time being. In fact, it's more interested in the revenue it could generate from legalization than in ending the persecution of cannabis users. That's enough, and voting-age citizens will decide if it's enough.

Nevada

The Nevada has one legalization initiative, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative (there again, a lot of imagination). It essentially repeats Maine's proposals, with one difference: it's almost certain to pass.

Democratic Senator Richard Segerblom declared that «the citizens of Nevada have an opportunity to reset a very expensive war on drugs. If this petition is presented to you, and you can vote, please sign it». This measure would be a great victory for the cannabis law reform movement, even if the initiative itself is far from perfect.

Missouri

Like Nevada, Missouri only has one initiative, but it's not certain to be put to the vote. It needs 157,788 signatures to get there, and even if the initiative's supporters think they'll pass the 250,000 mark, there's still a long way to go.

If the law were passed in Missouri, it would represent a victory as important as California's, and an example for the whole country. If Missouri can do it, every state in America can do it.

Michigan

Michigan's proposal is very similar to all the others, with no defining features of its own. Supported by some members of the Michigan House of Representatives, using Colorado as an example, polls show that 50% would vote yes for an initiative that would legalize cannabis, while 46% would vote no. So things are looking good for Michigan.

Florida

To date, Florida has no cannabis legalization initiatives, due in part to the failure of the Florida Cannabis Act which would have made the possession of 28g and the cultivation of 6 plants legal, but failed to gather the required number of signatures before the deadline.

However, there are certain medical marijuana initiatives, and a rather far-fetched one that wants to reclassify cannabis as a dietary supplement and use it to fund teachers' salaries.

Only one initiative is really worthwhile: the Florida right to Medical Marijuana Initiative carried by the United for care organization, which was already behind a proposal of the same name, aborted in 2014. It failed despite receiving 57.62% of the Floridian vote. But in Florida, initiatives need a «supermajority» of 60% of the vote to pass. If it gets enough signatures this year to get on the ballot, it has a good chance of passing in 2016.

Mexico

The current legal battle over the legalization of cannabis in Mexico means that it will happen in 2016. Mexico has already authorized 4 people to grow cannabis, which will set a precedent for future lawsuits, and the Supreme Court has declared the use of cannabis constitutional.l. Mexico could thus work with the United States to implement a continental cannabis policy and combat the trafficking that still plagues certain Mexican territories.

Peru

Peruvian law authorizes the consumption and possession of up to 8 grams of cannabis, while its sale and production remain illegal. While the’Uruguay has completely legalized cannabis, Peru could be next on the South American continent.

Portugal

A pioneering country in the fight against drugs, the Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001 and treats addictions as a public health issue rather than a legal one. Since then, Portugal has seen a 50% drop in drug addictions, with compulsory treatment. The legalization of cannabis could logically be the next step.

Czech Republic

Medical cannabis has been decriminalized since April 2013 and is available in pharmacies with a prescription. Prior to this, the Czech government had authorized the cultivation of 5 feet per person for personal use, and recreational consumption is so widespread that the country has become a destination for cannabic tourism in Europe.

Switzerland

Switzerland has decriminalized the possession of up to 10g of cannabis and allows the cultivation of up to 4 plants per person. There's no declared desire to legalize, but Switzerland's neutral attitude and lack of major problems associated with cannabis use make it the perfect territory to jump on the legalization bandwagon.