Cannabis — Panama

Cannabis is illegal in Panama for any use other than an official medical prescription, and possessing even a small amount for your own use is a criminal offence. There is no published gram limit you can rely on — Panama's forensic institute decides case by case, after you have been arrested, whether the amount counts as "small". Bringing cannabis into Panama is a separate and much more serious offence, and it applies even if you are only changing planes.

Penal Code article 320: unlawfully buying or possessing drugs for personal consumption in small quantity — 50 to 250 day-fines, or weekend arrest, or community service; where the person is physically or psychologically dependent and the small quantity is shown to be for personal use, a security measure is imposed instead. Article 321: unlawful possession in circumstances objectively showing it is not for consumption — 8 to 12 years' imprisonment. Article 313: introducing drugs into the national territory, even in transit — 10 to 15 years' imprisonment, reduced to 2 to 4 years or the equivalent in day-fines or curative measures where the small quantity and other circumstances unequivocally establish personal consumption. Separately from what the Penal Code provides, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office reports that sentencing in Panama can take up to two years, during which a defendant is likely to be held in detention — a practical warning about process, not a statutory penalty.

Verified Aug 31, 2026