Is Methamphetamine legal in Peru?
- Legal status
- Personal-use possession of a single drug type below the Art 299 threshold (250 mg (1 g of the active ingredient) for methamphetamine) is NOT a crime; trafficking criminal (Art 296)
- Consequences if caught
- Under Penal Code Art 299, personal-use possession of ONE drug type below its statutory threshold is NOT a crime — for this substance the threshold is 250 mg (1 g of the active ingredient) for methamphetamine. CRITICAL TWO-DRUG TRAP (Art 299 para 2): possessing TWO OR MORE drug types at the same time — even if each is below its own threshold — IS a crime and loses the non-punible protection. Trafficking (Art 296) carries 8–15 years; micro-commercialization (Art 298) 3–7 years. ENFORCEMENT: about 60% of drug detentions are for use/possession, police frequently treat possessors as traffickers, and up to 15 days' preventive detention can apply.
- If prescribed or medical
- Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
- Documentation
- Personal-use possession of a SINGLE drug type below its Art 299 threshold is not a crime, but possessing two or more drug types at once IS a crime (loses the exemption). Medical cannabis is legal (Law 30681, 2017; regulated 2019) and hemp is regulated (Law 32195, 2024); traditional coca-leaf chewing is legal. Enforcement is heavy — about 60% of drug detentions are for use/possession and police frequently treat possessors as traffickers (up to 15 days' preventive detention). Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Peru’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 →
