Cannabis in Iran

Cannabis in Iran is illegal, but the law is often not strictly enforced.[1][2][3] The use of cannabis has become increasingly popular in Iranian cities according to various reports, although the government does not keep official usage statistics.[4][5]

In 1989 the Iranian government enacted a law providing the death penalty for possession of hashish in excess of five kilograms.[6]

History

The popularization of cannabis is apocryphally attributed to Sheikh Haydar (d. 1221 CE), a Sufi saint who lived in Khurasan province of what is now Iran.[7]

Reform

In 2015, Saeed Sefatian, who leads the working group on drug demand reduction within the Council for the Discernment of the Expediency of the State (or Expediency Council) presented a lecture outlining steps towards legalizing cannabis.[8]

References
  1. Tegel, Simeon (13 March 2015). "A guide to smoking weed around the world". Public Radio International. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. Meehan, Maureen (29 June 2016). "Iran Has a Drug Problem and It Doesn't Include Cannabis". High Times. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  3. "Cannabis Use in Present-Day Iran". Sensi Seeds. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  4. Erdbrink, Thomas (25 June 2016). "Marijuana Use Rises in Iran, With Little Interference". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  5. "As Iran's Marijuana Trade Thrives, Is It Becoming a Nation of Stoners?". The Daily Beast. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  6. Reza Afshari (7 June 2011). Human Rights in Iran: The Abuse of Cultural Relativism. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 40–. ISBN 0-8122-0105-1.
  7. Franz Rosenthal (1971). زهر العريش في احكام الحشيش: Haschish Versus Medieval Muslim Society. Brill Archive. p. 49. GGKEY:PXU3DXJBE76.
  8. Ghiabi, Mayizar (26 October 2015). "Drug laws: Iran takes steps towards legalising cannabis". The Independent. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
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