Canada voted to legalise the recreational use of cannabis, coming good on a manifesto promise from 2015 and becoming just the second country in the world to do so.

But cannabis laws across the world are changing, with many countries decriminalising or legalising possession, sale and cultivation in recent years.

In countries where the drug is fully legal it is heavily regulated and taxed. Other countries like the Netherlands take a more tolerant approach, choosing to not prosecute rather than to legalise.

USA

Cannabis legalisation for medical and recreational uses is increasing across the country, albeit at a state level. It is still illegal under federal law.

California was the first state to legalise cannabis for medical use in 1996, and Washington and Colorado hold the joint title for being the first states to fully legalise the drug for sale to adults in 2012.

Currently there are nine states, including Washington DC, where it is legal for adult use. 29 states allow the drug to be sold for medical use and as taxation of the industry brings extra spending money, more states are expected to follow suit in legalising or at least decriminalising the drug.

Uruguay

In 2014 Uruguay became the first country in the world to fully legalise the use drug for recreational purposes. The country’s already liberal laws permitting consumption were relaxed to allow citizens to possess the drug and cultivate plants at home or in growing clubs.