Is Cannabis / THC legal in Colombia?
- Legal status
- Recreational personal dosis mínima (≤20 g) not a crime; medical cannabis & home cultivation legal (Law 1787/2016) — NOT full legalization
- Consequences if caught
- Under Constitutional Court ruling C-221/1994 (reaffirmed by C-491/2012), possession of a personal DOSIS MÍNIMA is not a crime (Constitution Art 16, free development of personality). For cannabis the dosis mínima is ≤20 g — possession within it is not a crime; medical cannabis and home cultivation are legal under Law 1787/2016 (decriminalized ≠ fully legalized). Trafficking and production remain criminal offences. DISAMBIGUATION: decriminalized is NOT legal — sale remains criminal, and foreigners report police searches and shakedowns even within the legal personal dose.
- If prescribed or medical
- Medical cannabis is legal and regulated under Law 1787/2016; recreational sale remains criminal.
- Documentation
- Medical cannabis and home cultivation are legal under Law 1787/2016; recreational sale remains criminal. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.
- Law 30 of 1986 (Estatuto Nacional de Estupefacientes), Art 2j (dosis mínima)
- Constitutional Court C-221/1994 & C-491/2012
- Law 1787/2016 (medical cannabis)
- corteconstitucional.gov.co
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Colombia’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →