As one of the few Latin American countries with favorable marijuana laws, Colombia today is a marijuana-friendly zone for tourists and residents alike. However, as tourists who are essentially visitors in the country, it is important to remember that Colombia is a different country, one with its own unique marijuana laws, and these laws may vary from those of your home country. In this article, we will share with you all you need to know about using marijuana legally in Colombia and other related matters.
What is the Legality of Marijuana in Colombia?
Today, marijuana is only semi-legal in Colombia. While the cultivation, possession, and consumption of the plant and its derivatives have been decriminalized in the country, there are still strict restrictions on certain aspects of the plant.
As a tourist looking to indulge in marijuana in Colombia, here’s what you really need to know about marijuana’s legality in the country;
Medical marijuana is completely legal in Colombia, but recreational marijuana is only partially legal in the country.
In Colombia, individuals—both residents and tourists alike—can freely purchase medical cannabis from licensed suppliers and medical cannabis dispensaries in the country. Recreational marijuana, however, cannot be legally bought in the country. This is because Colombia has a strong no commercialization of recreational marijuana stance.
Now this is not to say that recreational marijuana is criminalized in the country. On the contrary, the possession of small quantities of recreational cannabis (no more than 20 grams) and its consumption are completely legal by Colombian laws. So essentially, the only thing illegal according to Colombian laws is the commercialization of recreational marijuana, not its possession or consumption.
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Recreational vs Medical Marijuana in Colombia: What’s the Difference?
If you are going to be indulging in marijuana in Colombia, it is important to know the difference between medical and recreational cannabis within Colombia’s context.
In the Colombian context, the term medical marijuana only applies to marijuana-based products produced specifically for medical purposes by licensed medical supplies. For a product to be considered medical marijuana in the country, it must first be a processed product (i.e. raw cannabis doesn’t qualify) and then be sourced from producers with a medical marijuana license.
Recreational marijuana, on the other hand, is marijuana (or marijuana-based/infused product) that does not fall under this category. This includes raw cannabis or marijuana products from sources without a license for producing medical marijuana license.
Getting Marijuana Legally as a Tourist in Colombia
Since medical marijuana is completely legal in the country, this is going to be the easiest form of marijuana to legally get your hands on as a tourist in Colombia. Basically, all you need to do is find a licensed medical dispensary near you and with a prescription you can get your hands on medical marijuana in a liquid droppable form. You will need a prescription from a licensed medical cannabis expert though as you cannot legally buy medical marijuana products in Colombia without a prescription.
The tricky part comes when you are looking to get your hands on marijuana for recreational purposes. Since the commercialization of recreational marijuana is prohibited in Colombia, buying things like dried marijuana flowers and leaves or high-THC cannabis-based products designed for recreational purposes is out of the question legally. However, there are still some options to consider.
First, you can purchase marijuana seeds online or from local grow stores (Depending on the city – Medellin for example has “Colombian Happy” which is a grow supply store) and cultivate your own cannabis supply for recreational use. As long as you cultivate no more than 20 plants at a time, you’ll be fine. You can then make use of this supply for whatever recreational use you want.
Another option is getting recreational cannabis from friends. Since only the commercialization of recreational cannabis is prohibited, it isn’t illegal to gift someone cannabis. So if you do have any friends with recreational cannabis they wouldn’t mind sharing, that’s a much faster way to get your hands on medical cannabis. However, you’d want to bear in mind that Colombia’s cannabis laws states a cannabis possession limit of 20 grams, so if you will be getting recreational cannabis from a friend, you’ll want to keep it to only small amounts.
