In a milestone for European drug policy, the first regulated sales of adult-use cannabis took place in Switzerland last year, while January 2024 saw the first legal non-profit cannabis club open its doors in Malta.
While North America has stormed ahead when it comes to establishing legal cannabis markets, in the last few years a growing number of other jurisdictions around the world have also advanced towards adult-use legalization—albeit mostly taking a more cautious approach.
While more than 20 European countries have now introduced some form of legislation to permit the medicinal use of cannabis, Germany was the first major player to announce its intentions to fully legalize in 2022.