Cannabis in Palau is illegal, but reports indicate the drug is widely produced and consumed on the island nation.

Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the ...

is a former

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia administered by the United States from 1947 to 1994. History Spain initially claimed the islands that later composed the territory of the Trus ...

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

which gained independence in 1994, and has a population under 20,000. Reports by the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

and

UNODC The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC; French: ''Office des Nations unies contre la drogue et le crime'') is a United Nations office that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the ...

have been called into question for the accuracy of their claims that Palau has the highest

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

usage rates in the world. Despite controversy over the numbers, usage appears high, and a 2005 academic paper states the Palau police ignore public consumption.

International ranking

A 2011 WHO report, as well as the 2012

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

World Drug Report The World Drug Report is a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime annual publication that analyzes market trends, compiling detailed statistics on drug markets. Using data, it helps draw conclusions about drugs as an issue needing intervention by ...

stated that Palau has the world's highest adult cannabis consumption rate, at 24.2% annually. However, critics have questioned these results, noting that the numbers were based on a survey conducted at the island's only public high school, which had then been extrapolated to the entire nation. However, academics have noted that while the numbers may not be reliable, Palau does have prevalent cannabis use.

Cannabis economy

A 1989 American congressional hearing noted that Palau was exporting some 300 pounds of cannabis per week. An

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...

report noted that Palauan marijuana farmers produced for local consumption, and also exported cannabis to

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

and the

Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...

. By the 1980s, cannabis had become the most valuable export crop of Palau.

Eradication efforts

In the early 1980s, a joint US effort removed 3,347 cannabis plants, which had been used to produce

sinsemilla Cannabis sinsemilla () also known as sensimilla, sinse or sensi (can be translated into English as seedless cannabis) is the female ''Cannabis'' plant that has not been fertilized and therefore does not develop seeds, increasing the density of can ...

, from the island of

Peleliu Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu, along with two small islands to its northeast, forms one of the sixteen states of Palau. The island is notable as the location of the Battle of Peleliu in World War II. H ...

Legal history

In 2006, a law requiring that all elected officials be tested for illicit drugs was passed by the

Senate of Palau The Senate of Palau is the upper house of the Palau National Congress (''Olbiil era Kelulau''). The Senate has 13 members serving four-year terms in multi-seat constituencies. No political parties exist. The most recent election was held on 3 N ...

References

{{Cannabis by country

Society of Palau