Hemp CBD Legalization World Map: 2026 Updated

These days, at least 70 countries cultivate hemp for commercial or research purposes. The largest producers of hemp are currently China, France, Canada and USA. In recent years, planted hemp area worldwide has stabilized from the 2019-2020 drop and is growing at a steady pace – having risen from around 232,000 acres in 2023 to 283,000 acres in 2025. Efficiency is also increasing in numerous countries, demonstrated by the rise in yield (pounds per acre).

Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and South Africa are also among countries with active industrial hemp markets. Regulatory developments in Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Asia are expected to boost domestic industries and offer opportunities to participate in the global supply chain, leveraging cost-competitive cultivation.

Countries and territories with active hemp grower or consumer markets can be found on our Interactive Hemp Legalization World Map below, which is updated regularly.

(Hover over a country, state, or region to see its current hemp legality status)

The THC limit set for industrial hemp differs between countries. The most commonly found limit is that there must be no more than 0.3% THC in industrial hemp – this is adopted by Canada, USA, most countries in Europe, the UK, Chile, China, Lesotho, Morocco, Rwanda, Uganda and several others. However, several countries have adopted higher limits. For instance, in Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Malawi, Mexico, Switzerland, Uruguay and Zimbabwe, the THC limit is 1%. In South Africa, the THC limit is even higher at 2%. Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan have very strict regulations which state that hemp must have 0% THC with only trace amounts allowed.

Hemp-derived CBD is legal in at least 57 countries with varying regulations. In some countries like Sweden and Latvia hemp-derived CBD cannot have any THC. In USA, regulations on hemp-derived CBD differ depending on the state. In Canada, hemp-derived CBD can be sold only by cannabis retailers and cannabis regulations govern hemp-derived CBD. In New Zealand and Australia, hemp-derived CBD medicines require a prescription with the exception of low-dose CBD medicines which have been reclassified since October 2023 as pharmacist-only medicines.

Global Hemp Market

Based on data from Grand View Research, the global industrial hemp market size was estimated at $7.5 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.7% to reach $17 billion in 2030.

According to updated estimates (based on Grand View Research and other industry sources), the global hemp-derived CBD market was estimated at $9.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $21.1 billion by 2033. Hemp-derived CBD consistently dominates the global CBD market, accounting for around 53% of total CBD sales.

Key trends:

• North America accounts for 80.6% of the global CBD market and is responsible for around 30% of global hemp cultivation, mainly driven by Canada which on its own accounts for 13% of global hemp cultivation. The 2018 Farm Bill provided an incentive for CBD producers to use hemp as their main source of CBD, creating a billion dollar market that is projected to hit nearly $2 billion in sales in 2025.
• From 2015 to 2022, hemp fibre production in Europe increased by 103% to reach 197,590 tonnes while area for hemp fibre cultivation grew from 20,540 hectares in 2015 to 37,740 hectares in 2024, with France, Germany and the Netherlands as main producers. Over the next 5 years, Europe is expected to be the region with the fastest growing CBD industry, projected to reach €2.68 billion by 2033.
• Oceania’s industrial hemp market is expected to reach US$115 million by 2028 with Australia being the largest market. However, if the regulatory barriers on hemp are released, then there is potential for the region to become a billion dollar market with the New Zealand Hemp Industries Association estimating that reduction of regulatory barriers can increase the value of New Zealand’s hemp market to NZD$2 billion by 2030, driven mainly by hemp nutraceuticals containing CBD.
• The size of industrial hemp area in Latin America and the Caribbean is estimated at approximately 10,000 hectares in 2023 and is projected to reach 50,000 hectares by 2030. London-based advisory group Prohibition partners projects that the cannabinoid-based products market in the region could reach over $500 million in the near future with over 50% CBD product sales.
• A report from Africa Hemp Fund projects that in the future the African industrial hemp market (excluding CBD) could be worth US$2.4 billion annually and create 180,000 job opportunities on the continent.
• In the Middle East, industrial hemp is legal in Israel, Lebanon, and recently, in December 2025, the United Arab Emirates issued a Federal Decree-Law legalizing industrial and medical uses of industrial hemp and creating a regulatory framework for the industry.
• China produces 35-40% of the world’s hemp and exports around 90% of its products abroad. Hectares of hemp planted in China surged from 2016 to 2017 by 60% and, with slight fluctuations, continued the upward trend to reach 23,200 hectares in 2021 and 26,500 hectares in 2022, producing 128,000 and 145,000 tons of hemp in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In 2025, planted hemp hectarage in China was estimated at 33,333. Chinese hemp-fiber sales were estimated at $1.2 billion in 2018. Other countries in Asia – Kazakhstan, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea – are actively developing their domestic hemp industries.