Sweden

Sweden is a northern European nation bordering the Baltic Sea between Finland and Norway. With 2.1 percent of the population between the ages of 15 and 64 using cannabis annually, Sweden has relatively low rates of illegal drug use, and is not a major factor in the international illicit drug distribution system.

In the ratifying the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union (EU) member states made a commitment to fight against drugs, with each country given the freedom to adopt its own stand-alone approach to drug policy. In 1995, Sweden entered the EU, introducing a restrictive drug control policy more similar in approach to the United States than to EU member states. Sweden's drug-free policy exceeded the requirements put forth by the Maastricht Treaty, and has engendered ...