Is Cocaine legal in Venezuela?
- Legal status
- Cocaine — personal dose (≤2 g) for consumption NOT a crime (LOD Art 131: rehabilitation, not jail); above personal dose 1–2 years (Art 153); trafficking 15–25 years (Art 149); NO death penalty
- Consequences if caught
- Under Venezuela's Ley Orgánica de Drogas (LOD, 2010), possession of a personal dose for consumption is NOT a crime (Art 131) — not jail, but mandatory rehabilitation/treatment, possible driver's-licence suspension and community service. Illicit possession above the personal dose but not for trafficking (Art 153) draws 1–2 years; trafficking (Art 149) draws 15–25 years (12–18 years where 5000 g or less of cannabis or 1000 g or less of cocaine; 8–12 years where smaller but above the personal dose). Venezuela has NO death penalty (abolished 1863, constitutionally prohibited). For cocaine, the Art 131 personal-dose limit is up to 2 g; the Art 149 trafficking band of 12–18 years applies where the quantity is 1000 g or less.
- If prescribed or medical
- Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
- Documentation
- Personal-use possession is NOT a crime in Venezuela: under Ley Orgánica de Drogas (LOD) Art 131, possession of a personal dose for consumption is not an offence. The personal-dose limits (Art 131) are up to 20 g of cannabis or 2 g of cocaine (and 5 g or less of 'genetically modified marijuana'); a person within those limits is not jailed but is subject to mandatory rehabilitation/treatment, possible driver's-licence suspension and community service. Illicit possession above the personal dose but not for trafficking (Art 153) draws 1–2 years. Trafficking (Art 149) draws 15–25 years; where the quantity is 5000 g or less of cannabis or 1000 g or less of cocaine, 12–18 years; where smaller but above the personal dose, 8–12 years; cultivation for trafficking up to 18 years. All cannabis use — recreational and medical — is illegal: there is NO medical-cannabis program, CBD/hemp is illegal, and only limited scientific-research licences exist. Venezuela has NO death penalty (abolished 1863, constitutionally prohibited). Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.
- Ley Orgánica de Drogas (LOD, Gaceta Oficial 39.510, 15 September 2010), Arts 131/149/153
- unodc.org
- asambleanacional.gob.ve
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Venezuela’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 →
