Cannabis — Venezuela
What travelers need to know about cannabis in Venezuela. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Cannabis in Venezuela: prohibited — what is legal at home can be a serious crime here.
Cannabis is illegal in Venezuela and even a personal amount is a prison offence. Under the Organic Drug Law, possessing up to 20 grams of marijuana carries one to two years in prison. Going over 20 grams moves you onto the trafficking scale, which starts at eight to twelve years. There is no recreational or medical exception — the law contains no medical cannabis provision at all.
Possessing up to 20 g of marijuana: 1 to 2 years' imprisonment (art. 153). Above that: 8 to 12 years up to 500 g, and 12 to 18 years up to 5 kg (art. 149). Trafficking generally carries 15 to 25 years, and directing or financing it 25 to 30 years. Growing cannabis: 12 to 18 years, or 6 to 10 years for 10 plants or fewer (art. 151).
§ Asamblea Nacional — Ley Orgánica de Drogas, Gaceta Oficial N° 39.546, arts. 131, 149, 151, 153Verified Aug 23, 2026