Is Cannabis / THC legal in Mexico?
- Legal status
- Recreational personal use recognised as a right via Supreme Court rulings — but requires an individual COFEPRIS permit + amparo (not blanket-legal); no legal commercial market
- Consequences if caught
- Recreational personal cannabis use has been recognised as a constitutional right through Supreme Court (SCJN) rulings, but it requires an individual COFEPRIS permit plus an amparo — it is not blanket-legal — and there is no legal commercial market; the possession/transport limit is 5 g. Below the 5 g personal-use threshold (Art 479) there is no criminal action; above it, possession is treated as trafficking-related (up to 7.5 years, Art 195 bis). Bringing cannabis INTO Mexico — even with a foreign medical-marijuana prescription — is treated as international drug trafficking, a serious federal offence.
- If prescribed or medical
- A foreign medical-marijuana prescription is NOT valid in Mexico; importing cannabis even with a prescription is treated as international drug trafficking.
- Documentation
- Carry a doctor's letter/prescription; check COFEPRIS guidance for controlled substances. Note some OTC medicines legal abroad are prohibited in Mexico (e.g. codeine, pseudoephedrine — Actifed/Sudafed/Vicks inhalers). Keep medicines in original packaging.
- Ley General de Salud, Arts. 477–479 (narcomenudeo)
- Federal Penal Code, Art. 195 bis
- gob.mx
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Mexico’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 →